Visitors From Toulouse
This weekend we had visitors. Bill was my college roommate and has lived in France now for over 20 years. He came up with his daughter, my goddaughter, Emily for her first visit to Paris. It was a busy weekend...
Friday we went to the Eiffel Tower.
Very light rain at the base when we were buying the tickets turned into heavy gusts and driving rain by the time the elevator let us out half way up. Maxine and I decided we'd had enough, but Bill and Emily went to the top -- where it wasn't raining. Oh well, the good news is that we've been to the top before so at least we know what we missed. It was the first time for both Bill and Emily and they said it was worth the trouble.
Later, for dinner we went to the Latin Quarter where almost every store front is a restaurant, there are at least 100 restaurants, and many have hawkers outside trying to get you inside with offers of discounts or free wine. Bill's theory was that he didn't want to go anyplace that was asking him to come in, so we ended up with surprisingly good pizza.
Saturday we started at the Arc du Triomphe. Bill and I sat on a bench while the real trooper in all of this, Maxine, climbed the 300 steps with Emily. The two hands you see waving (on the right) are them at the top.
Mostly in an effort to be expedient, we managed to get Bill to agree to McDonalds on the Champs Elysee (realistically, what ISN'T touristic on that street). From there we made our way down the Champs Elysee to the beginning of the Louvre Gardens, the Tuileries. Dinner was at Les Bougresses, a nice French restaurant in the Marais District. (Picture is a detail on a street lamp outside the Tuileries)
Sunday we went to Montmartre/Sacre Coeur cathedral and wandered around the area before Bill had to head to the airport. It was a cold night so Maxine, Emily, and I stayed home, ordered Domino's pizza delivery for dinner and watched a James Bond movie with Emily on TV -- a cozy evening together.
Monday we tried to start Emily out with a bit of her American heritage and had a big breakfast of pancakes and syrup at Breakfast in America. Later we visited the Louvre.
We were impressed that 12-year-old Emily had some specific pieces of art she wanted to see. We were also able to have her try Angelina hot chocolate (they've opened a branch cafe at the Louvre). Note to self -- kids don't really like strong hot chocolate... Dinner was at the cafe down the street.
Then we convinced Emily to make the trek over to Notre Dame to see it at night. We hoped to stay long enough for her to see the Eiffel Tower do it's hourly light show, but it was too cold. All in all, a nice visit with our "French family". We're looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with them in Toulouse.
Friday we went to the Eiffel Tower.
Very light rain at the base when we were buying the tickets turned into heavy gusts and driving rain by the time the elevator let us out half way up. Maxine and I decided we'd had enough, but Bill and Emily went to the top -- where it wasn't raining. Oh well, the good news is that we've been to the top before so at least we know what we missed. It was the first time for both Bill and Emily and they said it was worth the trouble.
Later, for dinner we went to the Latin Quarter where almost every store front is a restaurant, there are at least 100 restaurants, and many have hawkers outside trying to get you inside with offers of discounts or free wine. Bill's theory was that he didn't want to go anyplace that was asking him to come in, so we ended up with surprisingly good pizza.
Saturday we started at the Arc du Triomphe. Bill and I sat on a bench while the real trooper in all of this, Maxine, climbed the 300 steps with Emily. The two hands you see waving (on the right) are them at the top.
Mostly in an effort to be expedient, we managed to get Bill to agree to McDonalds on the Champs Elysee (realistically, what ISN'T touristic on that street). From there we made our way down the Champs Elysee to the beginning of the Louvre Gardens, the Tuileries. Dinner was at Les Bougresses, a nice French restaurant in the Marais District. (Picture is a detail on a street lamp outside the Tuileries)
Sunday we went to Montmartre/Sacre Coeur cathedral and wandered around the area before Bill had to head to the airport. It was a cold night so Maxine, Emily, and I stayed home, ordered Domino's pizza delivery for dinner and watched a James Bond movie with Emily on TV -- a cozy evening together.
Monday we tried to start Emily out with a bit of her American heritage and had a big breakfast of pancakes and syrup at Breakfast in America. Later we visited the Louvre.
We were impressed that 12-year-old Emily had some specific pieces of art she wanted to see. We were also able to have her try Angelina hot chocolate (they've opened a branch cafe at the Louvre). Note to self -- kids don't really like strong hot chocolate... Dinner was at the cafe down the street.
Then we convinced Emily to make the trek over to Notre Dame to see it at night. We hoped to stay long enough for her to see the Eiffel Tower do it's hourly light show, but it was too cold. All in all, a nice visit with our "French family". We're looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with them in Toulouse.
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