Paris with the Ohio Vastines

Ahhh....Paris!  I could go there every weekend....if it wasn't for the terribly expensive rooms, overpriced trains, and 7.50 euro Coke Zeros.  But, it still proves to be my most favorite city.  It just has the most terrific vibe.  If you come and visit, you should just plan that we will be going there for a side trip, so save up. :)  I've decided to split this into two posts.  This is the "people" post.  It has family shots  and very candid opinions from me.  This will probably be the more interesting of the two for most of you, but I can't leave out the gorgeous sites of Paris, so that will be in post #2.  

The weather here in Europe has been less than terrific this summer.  You start in jeans, a short sleeved shirt, cardigan (in my case), jacket, and with your trusty umbrella.  You might get lucky enough to shed the coat and maybe even the cardigan with the sun warming your face, but at some point, all those layers are back on, the umbrella is up, and you are fighting winds and rain. It's lovely.....Poor Cheryl bought all of these darling summer clothes for their big European vacation, and she hasn't been able to wear any of it.  In fact, she took most of it out of the suitcase before she even came.  She'll just look super cute when she gets home.  I, on the other hand, am going to have a very big problem when I go to the states because I don't really have any summer clothes...but I digress...

Back to Paris.....

We took the Thalys from Brussels.  Just 90 minutes later, we were in Paris!  It is a terrific way to get there, and I would highly recommend it.  Just buy your tickets well in advance.  Train travel is just not cheap here.  

The family strolling along the Seine to the Orsay museum.

Here we are after the Orsay.  I loved it.  I have always wanted to see the Degas ballerinas, and that mission was accomplished.  We were in there less than two hours, but you would have thought our children were forced to be in there for two days.  Poor Allison was still not feeling well, and she passed it on to her brother.  You should hear the coughing in this house.

A boat cruise along the Seine after the museum.  This was on Tim's "to do" list...mission accomplished!  The sun and warmth were great, but we had coats and hoods on by the end of the hour long trip.  How do you like Allison's hair?  It was crazy curly most of the time and out of control! :)

Drinking slushies at the Eiffel Tower.  I took three pictures and Brandon's eyes were closed in every one of them.  :)

Red slushies = Red tongues

Off to the Arc de Triomphe!  Since we couldn't go up in the Eiffel Tower, we thought this might be a good alternative.  And, it did not disappoint!  I have a great picture of the Champs Elysees from the top, but it didn't seems to make it on here, but there are planty of shots with the Eiffel Tower in the background!   

Daddy's girl...favorite picture from the trip!

This statue is inside the Arc de Triomphe.  We left the Arc and had dinner on the Champs Elysees.  It was a fun and busy first day!

We all know this is George the 5th....but Chris and Tim's dad is George Vastine, so this was the George Vastine stop. :)

Our cute room!  The bathroom is back to my right.  By Paris standards, this room was HUGE!

Wednesday morning, we went to the Catacombs.  This is the underground burial site of 6 million Parisian bones.  The cemeteries of Paris were emptied, and the bones were placed here.  You walked through limestone corridors to get there.  This limestone is 45 million years old.  Dinosaurs are only 20 million.  Wow!  So we arrived at 9:30 for an opening time of 10:00.  We did not get in until almost 11:30!  My advice...get there by 9:00 or even 8:30, and be prepared to entertain yourself with thumb wars to pass the time.

In the underground!

A plaque was placed at the site when an entire cemetery had been moved underground.  If I remember correctly, processions to the underground lasted over 100 years.

She CRACKS ME UP!

Can you see that tiny little dot in the dark circle?  You'll have to click on the picture.  That's the surface. :)

Off to the Tuileries (gardens of the Louvre)

We had lunch in the gardens, and Thomas threw this whole loaf of bread (from his hot dog) on the ground for the birds!  What the heck?!  So, Chris picked it up and officially used it to whack him on the head when he did something stupid that day.  You should see the goose egg on that kid's head.  LOL!  Just kidding.

Running from the whacking he probably deserves.  Brandon is helping out.

On to Notre Dame.  I was so excited to go inside since it was already closed when we were there with Mom and Mike.  Check back on the next post for inside pictures.  I only took like 300. ;)

Someone got some new Eiffel Tower earrings.  Thank you Uncle Tim and Aunt Cheryl. 

Looking good Tim!  LOL!

And of course, a visit to the Louvre.  It's open late on Wednesday nights, so we decided to stop there around dinner time.  Awesome tip from Rick Steeves....take the metro to the Palais Royal Musée du Louvre stop.  This will take you in underground and through the mall, and there was NO LINE for security.  We bought our tickets at a machine and walked right in.  Sure beats standing in that line to go through the pyramid.

Hey Dumb Dumb...You give me gum gum!

This picture pretty much sums up how she was all day.  She would park it whenever she could.  I really did feel terrible for her, but oh the whining......

Dinner at an Italian restaurant near the Louvre.  The food was fantastic, and the server was even better!  What a great guy!

Thursday morning, we had to say goodbye. :(  The Ohio Vastines are off to London to continue their adventure.  We had such a wonderful time showing them our new home and experiencing Paris together.  We have more plans in the future for visits.  Can't wait!!!

Our train didn't leave until 5:25, so it was another day of sight seeing.  For breakfast we ordered hot chocolates.  That translates as a pitcher of hot milk, another of chocolate sauce, and sugar packets.  They loved making their own! 

On to the Rodin Museum to see The Thinker.  We only did the garden, so it only cost 2 euros!  Bargain of the day!

Pont Alexandre III bridge is my favorite!

Heading to the Orangerie Museum to see Monet's Water Lilies.

Looks like the Champs Elysees is ready for the Tour de France.  The street was also lined with bleachers.

Taking a rest while we wait to get in the museum.

Like I said...lunch started with decent weather at an outdoor cafe, and this is how it ended!

Our hour and half train ride home turned into a three hour ride with engine problems.  Thankfully, we still made a connecting train back home, once we arrived in Brussels, and didn't have to wait another hour for the next one.

Thank you again Tim, Cheryl, and Brandon for making the trip to Europe.  We had the most wonderful time making precious memories that will last a lifetime.  We can't wait to see what next year entails...maybe not Europe, but we will certainly meet somewhere on this side of the pond. :)

Until next time,
Wendy