Paris Daily

We were lucky enough to go to Paris once before as a couple, and we did all the things
most people do when they go to Paris - 1000x museums, up the Tower, the Mona Lisa ..
all that good stuff.

I remember we took a moonlit ferry, and shopped and touristed.
Visited churches, looked at art.


This time, we did none of that.  Well, not really.
We got to see a different Paris .. one more suited to kids .. the low road I guess.

I actually think we had a better time.





The first thing we did when we got into town was take a bus tour.  We normally do ..
to get bearings and note things and places we might want to come back to later.

This time we also had the internet, which is fabulous if you don't like tightly planning
things ( we don't! ).  We basically planned each day the night before from our room.

Very civilised!








We arrived while the London Olympics were on. 
The town square had beanbags out and giant screens for people to enjoy.
The atmosphere was fantastic, but we moved on quickly .. things to do, places to see ..





Our day would normally start with a walk through our neighbourhood, eventually
descending into the Metro.  Paris has some amazing stations, like the amazing
Arts et Métiers Station that I only discovered after whizzing through one day and I was like
"Oh My God - I have to go back there" and led to a merry google that night to find other
interesting stations ...

But there are plenty of normal stations too.








Of course, the Eiffel Tower.  Deserving of its own post .. this is just a quick look!

I really wanted to get this pic, but the kids didn't.

I still like it anyway:





We also visited a lot of parks and gardens.  I don't think we visited any on our first trip
here sans kids?  I suppose gardens can be pretty boring..








( Jardin du Luxembourg .. gorgeous .. )








... and sometimes, you might be walking through and find an amazing playground ..
or trampolines .. or even, in warmer months, a fair!











Spoiled .. I tell ya... :)


We even found a Zoo...





Paris for children is fabulous, it really is.

And while all this jumping and swinging and squealing went on, AB and I were often
just kicking back on a park bench and enjoying the show.

Considering we dont get much
down/alone time as a couple, it was nice just to sit and be in each other's company. 


One day, we took the Metro to Père Lachaise Cemetery .. one of those must sees we
missed last time.


The cemetery itself is beautiful and my kids love looking at graves.




We just meandered around.  Jim Morrison's grave isn't anything exciting but I did love
Oscar Wilde's.  It's a bit odd with the perspex around it to protect it from lipstick and graffiti..








My kids taking Zombie pics of each other while a cemetery cat looks on:





And then after a day of full-on exploring and playing, we'd make our way back to our
apartment in the Marais district, close to Notre Dame and The Centre Pompidou.

Usually some crème glacée would be consumed, or maybe some other treat.
Who am I kidding?  It was always icecream :)








That little pillar-top pose on the right there was inspired after watching the breakdancers
perform.  Loves a bit of street, that one.  The other guy is just too cool to smile with his new specs.


Well, i'm doing pretty well to remember all this I think .. just two more posts to go -
the trip to Versailles .. and our last night in town at the Eiffel Tower.



Xx
Lea

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• Paris Daily
• This is Versailles: 2012 Edition

Les Averries :: Our Country House in France

So it seems i'm going to walk through my travelogue willy-nilly as today's post is from
the Loire Valley, and the last was from Amsterdam, and I haven't even covered our time
in Paris ( yet! ).

But you don't mind, do you?

In fact, this was my most favourite part of the trip - oh for sure, Paris was *divine* -
we had a little apartment and each day we'd explore the city.

But now, we were in the country, and the boys were very excited as we had our own
private pool.  As soon as we arrived, we sat down for RULES, as the pool was unfenced
and there had to be no covert swimmage, and a parent had to be supervising at ALL TIMES.

Here's Dad laying down the law in the lounge:





And the reaction, which looks very mischievous to me...





At last everybody got to use the pool.








The afternoons were so lovely we ended up planning every day to be home by 5pm,
so instead of dinners out, we'd take long lunches instead, and i'd cook us something
simple in the evenings. 

Cooking is not a chore when you are in the French Countryside :)








Unfortunately, on the first day, AB managed to slice his foot right open, deeply.

To be honest, we were having such a great time getting by with our pidgin French,
the prospect of calling for a Doctor filled us with trepidation.  It seriously needed stitches,
and my dreamy plans of walking the country lanes at dusk fell by the wayside. 

He was hobbled.  I may have been a bit pissed off to tell the truth, but AB's a trooper
and we managed to get out and do things regardless.





However, my walks were alone, and I didn't go far. 

Knee-deep in grasses on one evening, I wondered about snakes. 
Then how no-one could hear me scream. 
So I pretty much kept to the road outside our house and the field across the street after that. 

Easy spooked.










We stayed in a township by the name of Bougueil, and it was beautiful and perfect.

The Café de la Promenade was just down the road, and there were markets to explore,
Troglodite caves, castles, wineries and beautiful countryside to drive through. 

It was heaven.





But i'll cover all the sightseeing in an other post.

For even if we did nothing but swim in the pool all day and eat cheese and breads,
we would have been happy.  Take for example: our garden:

























Being inside was just as divine.  I was a bit sad the weather was so awesome and I couldn't
light that amazing fireplace .. maybe i'll have to come back for a winter visit too ...








I would totally recommend visiting Bourgueil if you are visiting France. 
Our host, Michel ( who Andrew kept calling Michael and denying that he did and I
was dying of cultural cringe ) has an office on site ( in the converted barn ) but is very
respectful of privacy.  He was actually away in Paris on business for most of our visit,
but was only a phone call away if needed.

Inside, there is a bureau of maps and pamphlets of things to do and a handwritten
note from Michel regarding when the markets are on, and which restaurants are good,
and how to get to the Hyper-U ( a huge shopping centre ) or the pharmacie.

The rental boasts everything you could possibly need ( details here ) and comfortably sleeps 6.
It was simply, gorgeous.














The most perfect holiday ever.
Now you can probably understand why Amsterdam was so underwhelming for me?


You can find our more about renting Les Averries here: LES AVERRIES














It was hard to leave .. in fact, while the boys swam, AB and I sat under the willows and
breathed in the air ( and the wine ) and planned how we could possibly stay forever.






Alas, it was not to be..

Related articles

• A Week in the Country: Loire Valley, France
• Holidays .. In No Particular Order ( This is Paris 2012 )
• La Tour Eiffel ( or: Our last Day in Paris )
• The Café de la Promenade