Vacation
We decided to get out of town. We just returned from 5 days away. Not hard to guess where we ended up once you look at the pics - Paris!
We would like to say it was a well-planned, romantic getaway, but not really. Instead, Jeff felt we were getting restless and threw a dart on the local map.
Here's the nearly-required pic of us in front of that tall, metal thing.
Ella and Mattias enjoyed chasing pigeons at Jardin des Tuileries.
A photo of Maylia and kids in front of the Louvre. No - we didn't go in. Thought we would, but the timing just didn't work out. But, it's impressive even from the outside. This is actually the second time Maylia has been to Paris and has not entered the Louvre. There's always next time, right?
Jim Morrison's grave. It's actually kind of hard to find in the Pere Lachaise cemetery. It had to be fenced off because of vandalism. Other greats buried in the same cemetery include Chopin and Oscar Wilde.
One of our many, many cafe stops for food, drink, and warmth. If Mattias looks a little tired, he is! This boy will NOT sleep if we are out and there is a chance of him missing something.
Jeff and Mattias on the steps of the Sacre Coeur.
Ella and Jeff sharing Jeff's favorite dessert - Creme Brulee.
Once we started telling friends we booked a flight to Paris, the first question was always "By yourselves or with the kids?" I guess when people think Paris, they think romance. But, well, we don't really have a way of travelling sans enfants. When we responded as much the next question was, "So, you're doing Disney, right?" We honestly hadn't considered it. Being North Americans, when we think Paris, we just don't think Disney. Once we saw Ella (and a ton of other kids) getting their turn to be with Mickey and Minnie, we were glad we decided to spend a day at Disney Park.
Before this trip, Ella hadn't really been exposed to Minnie and Mickey...or most other Disney characters. But after her little "love fest" with the two mice, she announced to us that, "The next time we meet Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse at their house, I want to be alone with them." OK...yeah...no need to have Mom, Dad and little brother honing in on your time...
A photo of Maylia and kids in front of the Louvre. No - we didn't go in. Thought we would, but the timing just didn't work out. But, it's impressive even from the outside. This is actually the second time Maylia has been to Paris and has not entered the Louvre. There's always next time, right?
Jim Morrison's grave. It's actually kind of hard to find in the Pere Lachaise cemetery. It had to be fenced off because of vandalism. Other greats buried in the same cemetery include Chopin and Oscar Wilde. 
One of our many, many cafe stops for food, drink, and warmth. If Mattias looks a little tired, he is! This boy will NOT sleep if we are out and there is a chance of him missing something. 
Of course we couldn't resist a peek at the Moulin Rouge! (And yes, Mattias was still going strong!)
Jeff and Mattias on the steps of the Sacre Coeur.
Ella and Jeff sharing Jeff's favorite dessert - Creme Brulee.
Once we started telling friends we booked a flight to Paris, the first question was always "By yourselves or with the kids?" I guess when people think Paris, they think romance. But, well, we don't really have a way of travelling sans enfants. When we responded as much the next question was, "So, you're doing Disney, right?" We honestly hadn't considered it. Being North Americans, when we think Paris, we just don't think Disney. Once we saw Ella (and a ton of other kids) getting their turn to be with Mickey and Minnie, we were glad we decided to spend a day at Disney Park.
Before this trip, Ella hadn't really been exposed to Minnie and Mickey...or most other Disney characters. But after her little "love fest" with the two mice, she announced to us that, "The next time we meet Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse at their house, I want to be alone with them." OK...yeah...no need to have Mom, Dad and little brother honing in on your time...
By the end of each day, we were all very happy and very tired.
6 comments:
The photos are great..It seems you traveled the city and got photos of every famous landmark!! ..the children look like they are having a happy time...sure a lot of smiles and the peace and quiet of sleep with Minnie....Mickey and Minnie, global wonders!!Looks truly memorable!!
Is that Jim Morrison's grave....I am trying to decipher...?
Hmmm...where did you go??? I can't tell :)
Looks like fun!!
VEGAS!
BTW, I love the picture of the four of you with Mickey and Minnie... Mickey sure seems happy to see you. As much as I love the picture, I am afraid that I can't print it. I just won't stop chuckling.
After we write on the blog, we often realize we forgot some details...without which it paints too different a picture.
So, I should add that our Paris vacation was very cold and wet. It rained or snowed every day except the Eiffel Tower day (Ella and Dad went to the top). Our day at Disney day was absolutely horrible weather, making us do only rides under cover. Fair to say Mattias was miserable, but 3 of us had fun regardless of the rain. Except...
The Snow White & 7 Dwarfs ride traumatized Ella for an hour afterwards. Only after that we learned to read on the map where some attractions' animatronics are not suitable for small children. Maylia captured the perfect picture of Dad and Ella riding in the next car (Dad's smiling, Ella's not).
We stayed in a rented flat, not a hotel. Brilliant move. Had our own kitchen, two bedrooms, ate breakfast "at home" including fresh croissants every morning from across the street. Very convenient surface transport to downtown ~10 minutes. Cost was half of hotel.
Metro system in Paris is much oler than Prague's. As a result, many stairs, very few escalators/lifts. Tough for families with strollers.
Lastly, Jeff met up with 2 friends. One friend from Prague who also was visiting Paris. And an friend living there whom Jeff worked online with years ago but hadn't met before.
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