Parisienne Life

When I grow up, I want to live in Paris...

At the children's 'lounge' at AUH

...and hopefully by then, the anti-smoking lobby will have made SOME head-way here.

Smoke aside, Paris is amazing--I LOVE it!  I have enjoyed every second of both the sunshine (which has been brief) and the rain (even more once we MacGyvered the rain cover so it would fit).  There is so much to see and do, and we have such a great location here in the sixth.  The street below us is alive with the sounds and smells of France--the one that makes us laugh the most is the gangsta rap from the bike rickshaws who pass by here on a daily basis.  Sadly, the language we still hear the most has been English ("oh my GAWD!!"), but that just makes communicating our needs that much easier.  

Peek-a-boo in the park

We love walking around to explore things.  There are so many little side-streets and so much to see (in addition to the big tourist attractions of which we have managed to take in Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Conciergerie, St Chappelle and the Eiffel Tower so far).  When I say 'we' I am excluding Little A.  She does NOT love walking around and gets tired quickly.  She was the second happiest person in our household, when Peter bought a SECOND stroller here (the first being Peter who no longer had to carry around N in the hiking frame on his back).  

N is not so sure what all that green stuff is

With the exception of the world's least friendly inter-racial couple (Americans, who are house-swapping a place in our building for one month, and who have a 1/2 Chinese son who is the same age as S), we have met so many people here that are friendly and helpful.  I have abandoned all befriending attempts with the afore-mentioned couple.  Despite the fact that we are a North American interracial couple who are staying in the same building for the same amount of time with a child the same age...what would we possibly have in common?? ;-) 

FIVE YEARS OLD in Paris!!
Happy Birthday Darling!

I have enjoyed utilizing my French skills and appreciate that they are actually fairly adequate for getting by here.  I am thankful for my friend Fiona, who always humored my attempts to parlez-vous francais at work.  I was thinking about her today when we saw a man walking a dog that looked just like Teddy.  I am also reminded of my friend Marci, when I walk the "Rue de grands Augustins" on my way back from the Seine, which I do with a great deal of regularity.

Notre Dame

Le Tour Eiffel

Our first night "out" (which we have been able to do a little bit, thanks to cousin Jasmine), we ran into an American couple (not our super-friendly neighbours), who mentioned that they have found it really difficult to find good food in Paris.  I know they were trying to bond with us, and sadly, as we have managed to eat some of the best food of our lives, we could not help them out.  I have made some good friends here (Paul, Georges Marnicol, Gerard Mulot--I am talking about YOU), and they have made sure that I am eating VERY well in Paris.

Paris Paparazzi

We have a little less than two weeks left on this holiday.  So far, this has been an amazing experience.  I hope that it will continue.  I am still looking forward to so many things:  fine dining at a restaurant known for the vegetarian focus of the chef, Disneyland with A, and a reunion with some of my own family (Caroline and Louise).  I know when we go, we will definitely have to come back again (because I now own TWO MacLaren strollers and I need to make sure they get used so I get value for the Euros we spent), as there is still so much MORE time I want to spend exploring the historical sites, which I have not been able to do with the children all being so little.