Paris!

Three words to describe Paris in July: hot, crowded, and dirty!

I thought Paris was slightly overrated when I went with my parents in 2002. And this time around reaffirmed that. Of course, we were only there for 24 hours. And we didn't get to do any of things Paris is known for like shopping, fine dining, or visiting world renowned museums (remember, we have a 3 year old and a 1 year old). But still, I was disappointed.

First, it was crazy expensive. Our hotel was a budget chain hotel, but it cost 272 euro for the night... that's close to $400! We had to park underground, which was 19 euros for overnight ($30) and then drag all our luggage, stroller, and girls through an underground labyrinth. The hotel was out of hot water. And it was under construction which meant that the girls woke up to the sound of a drill boring into our wall. The subways were disgusting. I kept my hands to myself... didn't dare touch anything down there. I won't even tell you what we found in the elevator... use your grossest imagination and you are probably spot on. And to top it off, when we got to the Eiffel Tower, there was trash everywhere and a huge pigeon flew directly into the side of my head. I'm not joking. The line to go to the top of the tower was so long it was out of the question for us, so Ben just gave me a quick smooch underneath it.

Arc de Triomphe... you can't tell if I'm smiling so big because I'm at the arc or because I'm out of the subway.
A beautiful street
We walked the length of Champs Elysees and got some great pictures anyway. This is on the way to the Louvre.
And outside the Louvre. Isn't it beautiful? We didn't go in... it was closed, 9 pm at this point. Isn't that tragic? All the way to the Louvre and didn't even go in. I did go in '02 though.
And the Seine. It was pretty too.
Sunset. When we got back to the hotel and put the girls to bed I was feeling blue that we didn't spend much time at the Eiffel Tower, which I was looking forward to the most, and we were leaving the next day. So, even though it was after midnight, sweet Ben suggested I take a cab down there and see it all lit up. I won't tell you what the cab cost, but I'm glad I went. Here's what I saw:
And at 1 a.m. they do this light show that the picture doesn't do justice. It's all lit up bright and sparkly like diamonds. Loved it. Just wish I could have shared it with Benny Boy.

The next morning Ben was in meetings at the embassy, so I walked the girls over to Notre Dame. Again, the lines were so long it was impossible to go in so I just snapped shot of Em to prove we were there. She's pointing to a plane. Yeah, forget the cathedral, more important things to admire.
And I have to say, no matter what city you visit in France, you will never be disappointed by one of these: a boulangerie (bakery). I ate a dang good baguette from this one... hot and crispy fresh from the oven.
And I had to get some cute pics of Em in her little Parisian dress. It's not really from Paris, but it kind of looked like a cute French dress.
So, I'm sorry if I offended any Paris lovers with my not so flattering report on The City of Light... I'm sure it's much more enjoyable in the spring or fall and without children and if you have a wad of euros you want to blow. I'd actually love to go back with just Ben. I mean, it is supposed to be the most romantic city on earth, right? But, I have to admit, I've been to prettier cities in France. More to come....