Paris, France

Our 13th wedding anniversary was May 28th.  Since Joe was leaving on May 30th to go on a 3 week tdy back to the states, he planned a 4 day trip to Paris.  We left at 7am Monday morning on the bullet train to Paris from Kaiserslautern.  We traveled first class just to say we've done that once in our lifetime.  They fed us breakfast and it was good.  We got to go pretty close to the front of the train and watch it FLY down the tracks at 314 Km per hour.  That's approximately 190 miles per hour.  It didn't look that fast when you just looked out your window at the countryside, which was gorgeous, but when you looked down the track from the front of the train it was hard to keep from feeling a little woozy.  We arrived in Paris at 930am and were told to GET OUT of the train station because pick-pockets are notorious in that particular place.  So we did.  We did what we in Texas like to call "skidaddling."  We skidaddled out of there, Joe with a back pack on his back and a small rolling suit case, I had my back pack, and Caylea had one as well.  Chloe and Josh just aren't quite big enough to carry stuff and walk at a reasonable pace, so they had it pretty easy.

When we walked out of the train station, I must admit that I was not impressed.  It looks like New York looks in the movies.  It was dirty, it was slightly drizzling (rain) and it smelled horrible.  There were people everywhere and I had 2 children who had to "go potty."  We found a McDonald's....pausing for your laughter...and paid around 35 cents to go to the bathroom.  Most places charge you even if you eat there.  You have to put the coins in the bathroom door to get it to open.  So, once the bladders were emptied, we went to find the metro, or subway, that would take us out of downtown Paris to our hotel.  We found it and got on and it was pretty easy to figure out where to go.  Even when things are written in French you can look at a map and figure out which French place is closest to the French place you have in your itinerary.  The subway was just as you would expect it.  The smell is indescribable, although the kids had fun trying.  I finally told them to stop trying to tell me what they thought the smell was or I was going to be sick.  We made it to the end of the subway line and walked 1.6 miles to our hotel, with all of our luggage on our various backs.  The kids did great.  I say this because Josh is only 7, Chloe 9, and Caylea 12 with a back pack.  They didn't complain at all, even through the drizzling rain.  We made it to the hotel, unloaded, and had lunch at the hotel.  It was okay.  The asparagus soup was phenomenal, but it was $12 for one bowl, albeit a huge bowl.  We washed our faces and headed to the bus station that we were told would take us back the 1.6 miles to the metro.  (Useful knowledge if we had had it BEFORE we walked to the hotel.)  We made it to the bus and paid, again, to ride, but the driver was nice enough and spoke enough English to tell us to buy a pass at the metro that would allow us, for one fee, to ride all trains and buses in the Paris and surrounding city area.  That was a great deal, the best money we spent while in Paris.  We went from train to train to bus to train and traveled, literally, all over Paris.  Seriously. I can show you on a map that we went EVERYWHERE.  The pass wasn't too expensive either, especially for 5 people, so I highly recommend traveling that way if you ever do go to Paris or any other big city.  The metro isn't as scary as you would think, but we did have one scare.  It was day one and we realized we were at our stop.  The doors open, stand open for around 30 seconds, and then snap closed and you're stuck out or in depending on which side you're on.  I grabbed Caylea and Josh and pushed them off the train and threw my forearm up as the door tried to close.  Joe had Chloe behind me and he grabbed her and pulled her off the train while holding open the other side of the door.  The scary part was that Chloe was actually behind him as he pulled her because she just wasn't paying attention and when we said, "Jump off kids," she sat there, looking out the window.  If Joe had been left on the Metro, we would've stood where we were until he caught the next train back.  If Chloe had been left, I would've panicked.  God always protects us, though, and we got off the train just fine, but Chloe was pretty shaken.  The whole time prior to this incident I kept telling her "hold my hand and listen.  We'll tell you when to get off or on, just pay attention."  She's my "fly by the seat of her pants" child and her biggest "problem" if you want to even call it that, is that she doesn't pay attention. Well, the rest of our time in Paris, all 4 days, was spent with her grabbing my hand and saying 'How many more stops until our stop?"  Of course we told her there's no way we would've left her on a train.  Joe literally grabbed her and pulled her off as he was coming off, so there was no chance she would've been left, but just the thought of it scared her (and me) so she was very attentive after that.

On the metro we met this cute young college girl who was an American studying in Paris.  She told us how to figure out some things in the metro and was very sweet.  Our first stop was Notre Dame.  It was started in 1163 and finished circa 1360 by many, many people, most of whom are anonymous.  It is approximately 120 feet high and "awesome" just doesn't begin to describe the feeling when you walk in.  It was so crowded but the crowd fades away when you look up and see all of the architecture, hand carved statues, and stained glass windows.  They were playing soft organ music and people are naturally very respectful in cathedrals, so it was pretty quiet considering how many people were in there.  I put a few pictures of it on the blog, but you can see the rest at our snapfish site.  I would try to describe it to you, but I just can't.  It's absolutely beautiful.  I told Joe on our last day that if I had to choose ONE thing to see in Paris, having seen so many of their monuments, Notre Dame would be the one place I would send everyone.  We did not get to walk to the top of it, though.  There were 422 steps to the top and it was raining so we couldn't see much anyway, so we went on to the next thing.

Our next stop was The Eiffel Tower.  Again, though, it was raining so we didn't go to the top. The Eiffel tower was built for the Universal Exhibition in 1889.  It stands approximately 1069 feet tall.  It was supposed to be torn down and used for scrap metal after 20 years.  Obviously that never happened.  I did include a link with the picture with some fascinating information.  We took a few pictures and by that time it was getting close to dinner so we went to eat.  All I have to say about French food and service is this:  it is NOT all it is cracked up to be.  When I say "it stinks" in Paris, it is because people don't wear deodorant and it is humid there.  When our waiter served us, I almost threw up.  His B.O. was terrible!  I know they're used to it, but WE AMERICANS PUT THE ICING ON THE CAKE WHEN IT COMES TO SMELLING GOOD!!!  We did get something right!  The thing is, they cover themselves in perfume, so then you smell body odor and cheap perfume that has been poured over them and it's a horrible mixture.  We spent more money on food while there and I'm not happy about that, but we did learn that if you can find a grocery store, eat out of the grocery store.  It tastes better and is about 80% cheaper than eating anywhere else.

We went to the Arc de Triomphe. It had a lot of stairs too, more than 200.  We did walk to the top of it, though, and took rainy pictures.  The architecture, again, is so impressive.  It was built in 1806 and stands 165 feet high.  It is absolutely amazing that all of these structures survived the World Wars.  Some of them, Notre Dame specifically, are considered sacred to the world and thus NOT TO BE DESTROYED by anyone, even during war time.

We went back to the hotel, via metro and bus, and crashed.  We slept in until 9am, the entire family, which is unheard of with Joe and Josh.  We did all have to take Benadryl that night though, because people in Paris, I would say 2 out of every 3, smoke like chimneys.  

Tuesday we woke up ready to go.  Our first stop was La Louvre, the famous museum from "The Da Vinci Code" movie made famous by Tom Hanks.  It was closed.  All museums are closed on Tuesdays, just so you know.  We know that now.  We got back on the metro to figure out what to do next and Joe said, "Wouldn't it be nice if we ran into that girl again.  maybe she could tell us something to do or see."  Well, at the very next stop, she got on the metro.  We were in a different part of town, mind you, so the coincidence was incredible.  I like to call it "Godincedence" because we know He had a hand in it. She was with a friend and both of them raved about this chapel which I will NOT try to spell, but most people call it "The White chapel" because it is made of white stone.  It is at the top of the hill (mountain) in Paris and you can see the entire city from it.  Pictures were not allowed on the inside, but we did get pictures from the outside.  It was beautiful, another beautiful cathedral that is just awe inspiring.  I told my girls, "If we had churches like this to worship in, there's no way anyone would ever wear capri pants or shorts to church."  They agreed.

We went to eat, again, then back to the hotel.  You see, you can only see 2 things a day because it takes so long to get to and from place to place.

We woke up Wednesday morning, the morning of our 13th anniversary, determined to see Paris from the top of the Eiffel.  We didn't.  The day was nice enough, partially cloudy and windy but no rain.  The line, though, was a good 3 to 4 hours long and we did NOT want to wait that long!  So, on the train we went, to La Louvre.  Now, there's some history you'll want to see.  I mean, it's probably my 2nd favorite thing in Paris simply because I'm fascinated by things that are old.  They had things in there that they said were from 7,000 b.c., which we Christians know to be bunk, but I'd guess they were at least 4,000 years old, pre-dating Christ.  The thing with these scientists is that they don't know how old Earth really is.  Christians don't really either, but we can "guess" that it's around 6,000 years old according to the time-line laid out in the Bible.  It's amazing that we think we are so much smarter than the people from "back then," but we couldn't build a pyramid to save our lives nowadays, even with our fancy computers and what-not.  They hand carved those pyramids and they are so tightly fit.  We have been unable to do that, even with modern technology.  Just the fact that these buildings are still around after so long is incredible.  I can't say that enough.  I'm running out of words to describe the incredibleness of it all.  We did see the "Mona Lisa" from 10 feet away. She was roped off, protected by a special glass that made your camera pictures turn out fuzzy, and well guarded.  We saw more paintings than we can count  and more statues.  We got a good laugh out of this:  most of the male statues were missing their delicate "maleness," if you catch my drift.  I guess some things DON'T stand the test of time.   We have video of Chloe saying, "Mommy, why are there so many statues of 'necked' people?"  (That's how we say 'naked' in the south...pronounced 'necked.')  Anyway, you'd think the kids would've been bored to tears but they weren't.  They were equally fascinated, especially when we found the hall of mummies and their sarcophagauses.  I have no idea how to spell that.  You know what I mean.  We even saw mummified cats.  Ew.  No wonder cats are so superior in attitude.  They treated them like mini gods.  

I can't even tell you how many things like that we saw.  La Louvre is enormous.

Needless to say, we did LOTS of walking.  Our legs should be beautiful.  Joe says his already are.  I agree.

Our next stop was the Palace of Versailles.  I did not include pictures of this in the blog because I just couldn't pick a favorite.  It is absolutely incredible.  It is situated on an estate that I would guess is somewhere around 500 acres, although I can't be sure.  It was originally one of the king Louis the 10th, I think, hunting lodge, and then his son expanded it into a palace.  All of the Louis lived there, and Marie Antoinette.  Every room has silk wall "paper" and a mural painted on the ceiling by various artists.  Most of the moldings are gilded with solid gold that they melted and then painted on.  Collectively I would imagine there is more gold than a person can haul in a cart, but it's hard to say.  The hall of mirrors is so dazzling, and not just because I have such a beautiful family.  It was enormous and GOLD everywhere.  The gardens, too, were gigantic.  (I hope you like my adjectives.  I'm seriously running out.)  Anyway, I just can't imagine people living in a palace so big and grand.  You could lose a kid in there pretty easily.  (Mine each held a hand.)  Please go to snapfish to see those pictures.  It took the artists a year or more to complete one ceiling mural and although Michelangelo's is the most famous (Cistine Chapel), these are equally impressive.  Each room was dedicated to a greek/roman god, so the paintings depict various scenes with kings or queens and their favorite god.  There is even an entire wall covered with a painting of Napoleon's coronation.

Once again we got on the metro to go home. This time we met Eric and Lauren, and young college "couple" who were traveling Europe on a shoestring budget, according to her book and what they said.  The kids talked their ears off, told them how fabulous God was to create all of this stuff, and Chloe told them about her dream to open "The 7 Days Zoo," where Day one is light and dark...all the way to Day 7, which will include "rest-araunts and rest-rooms."  Do you get it?  God RESTed on the 7th day, so Chloe's 7th day at the zoo will be the "rest" zone, including gift shops.  :) We asked if they had eaten anything good.  (Notice a theme with us.  We just love eating.) He said they had only been eating bread and cheese and then they both turned a little green as if they weren't looking forward to their next meal.  Joe being Joe, waited until we were hopping off and handed them a little something extra so they could enjoy a nice meal and told them he wanted them to enjoy it and God bless them.  Needless to say, between the kids and that, they heard about God.  They showed us pictures of the Eiffel Tower at night, which were incredible.  I wish we could've done that, but it doesn't get dark here until around 1030pm, which is WAY past my and the kids' bedtime.  We were happy looking at their pictures.

Our last stop of the trip was Thursday morning, with luggage in tow.  We wanted to go to the museum of natural history and see some dinosaur bones.  The problem is, they had separate buildings and each one had a very expensive price tag, so we went to the largest building where they proudly proclaimed that evolution is the king of all theories.  They had these plaster "bugs" that they "think" existed way back when.  They did have some real animals stuffed, which fascinated the kids, and TONS of real bugs displayed.  It was definitely a Chloe museum and all 3 kids were awed at the blue whale skeleton.  It's the largest mammal on earth, and they have always asked me how big it is.  I always told them, "It's about the size of a bus."  They couldn't picture that, and when they saw the skeleton they all 3 said, "That's not as big as I thought it would be."  I told them to imagine it with skin and eyeballs and it would be more impressive.  They all stood there for a minute and then walked on.  I guess it wasn't that impressive.  Maybe they'll remember it later on.  The funny thing is, they are ALWAYS asking me questions like, "what's the biggest living thing (animal) on earth," or "what's the smallest thing on earth," and I have to go to the internet or various books and educate myself.  The smallest thing, by the way, as far as mammals go, is the "thumb bat."  The kids have always wanted to see one, and on the way out of the exit Josh yelled "MOMMY LOOK!!!!!  It's A THUMB BAT!"  Lo and behold, there it was, displayed where only his eyes could see it because it was at his eye-level.  He was so thrilled to finally see it.  He's fascinated with bats at the moment.

Caylea wanted nothing more than a purse from Paris.  Well, she THOUGHT she did.  After looking at the price tags she decided that having a purse from Paris wasn't that big of a deal after all.  Chloe bought some rocks for her rock collection and Josh got a mini Eiffel Tower that he can fit a Lego guy in.  That was his criteria..."This one's too small, this one's too big, this one's just right for my Lego guy."  All Joe wanted was a crepe.  We did eat crepes one morning and they were okay, but Joe is a phenomenal cook and his are much better.  He did discover carpaccio, which is basically razor-thin sliced raw beef with fresh parmesan or mozarella cheese on top.  Yes, we all tried a bite.  No one threw up.  It was okay.  Nothing beats a steak on the grill, though, I must say.

We made it back to the train station in plenty of time to wander around aimlessly before our train home got there. We were so relieved to get on that train in our own little "cabina" this time.  They fed us dinner but it was NOT good.  We got home and you could feel the collective sigh of relief.  Don't get me wrong, this was a GREAT trip, and a once in a life-time opportunity, but Joe and I both agreed that we don't ever have to go back.  We've got the "been there, done that" attitude.

We all crashed and spent Friday grocery shopping and running errands, then Joe cooked me a GRILLED STEAK last night.  It was the best meal we'd had all week.  I was so happy.  He had to leave at 4am this morning to go do some exercise in the states (las Vegas), so I got up with him and sent him off.  The kids and I will spend the next 3 weeks "chillin'," as we say in the south.  We'll take lots of walks and there is a rock exhibition a few miles away that I'm going to take them to on Sunday.

All in all, I must say that Paris's monuments are quite a sight to see and if you ever get the opportunity, you should see them.  Don't stay more than 2 nights and 3 days, though.  Take the metro/bus everywhere, and eat at the grocery stores.  You can always get a great meal when you get home.  The city itself, though, is for people who like cities.  I don't happen to be one of those people.  Neither are Joe or the kids.  We like to have amenities close by, within an hour, but we don't ever want to live in a place like that, and we are so grateful for what we do have...our little house in the country in Germany where we can hike and bike in the woods.