A Parisian Open Letter

Dear Brycie and Bree,

You may not remember all the things we did, after all, you were just 5 and 3 years old then, or even if you barely remember any, this entry and our pictures will remind you of our best time (yet) at the most romantic city, that is Paris.  

We arrived at the Gare du Nord station via Eurostar from London on a Tuesday afternoon. Bonjour! Welcome to Paris, my loves. First things first, mama had to figure out the best way to get to our Airbnb – via UBER then.

Our neighborhood. I chose the Rue Cler neighborhood in the 7th arrondissement since I’d like us to be closer to the Eiffel tower, and love that we have the option to walk to the Eiffel tower at night to see it at its most dazzling. Plus, Rue Cler is a known market street in Paris, and you both know that I love the hustle and bustle of neighborhood markets.  

Our one-bedroom apartment in Paris was a welcome change from the dimly-lit modern hotel room that we had in London. This one lets in so much natural light, thanks to the big windows which to me is a quintessential part of the Parisian architecture. The location, which is across from a small grocery store, with a cheese shop right downstairs, and a bakery at the corner, is very ideal — this is our taste of Parisian life, a real-life pretend play. Of course, the moment we got inside, both of you were already making yourselves at home and even found a blue and a red transparent umbrella to play with it.

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First night. Even if both of you were tired from the trip from London and staying in for the rest of the day was an option, we just couldn’t pass up the fact that the Eiffel Tower is just a short walk away. We took a leisurely stroll that afternoon and admired the Tower’s grandeur.

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The second day was all about the Eiffel Tower. We had timed tickets at 2 p.m. to go up. Yes, we went all the way up to the summit which was our first stop. That’s 900 feet aboveground. Bree pointed out that cars and people on the street looked like ants from this view. The best part for the two of you was the elevator ride. Next stop is the 2nd floor where we got a birds-eye view of beautiful Paris in every direction. This is also where we grabbed a quick bite. We also stopped by the 1st floor, which we all voted was our favorite floor. We enjoyed this floor the most since it’s wider and closer to the base, more room for you to run around. We can feel and experience the architecture more. And, it felt the least crowded that day.   It was a pleasant 3-hour that we spent getting to know the Eiffel Tower.

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The third day, we took the #69 bus from the 7th to the Notre Dame Cathedral. Outside, you guys had fun chasing after the pigeons. Bree, you were serious about wanting to catch one.

After our stop at the Notre Dame, we met up with Isabelle Southgates from Paris Family Tour Guide for a guided tour of the Les Marais neighborhood. This was not just any other tour but  was a street art tour geared for kids. The moment Isabelle mentioned the word Scavenger Hunt, Brycie, I saw your mind spinning with anticipation. With a map in hand, you guys were up for the challenge of hunting space invaders! Space invaders, in Paris, who would have thought?  Along the way, Isabelle would also point out other interesting bits and pieces about the neighborhood and other non-space invader street art.

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These were the highlights of the first leg of our London-Paris-Strasbourg-Paris vacation. As much as you enjoyed the sights and activities, we know that you equally enjoyed the in-betweens: playing and chit-chatting in the apartment, UBER rides, muddy puddles since you think your shoes are water-proof, trip to the grocery store, even the waiting (okay maybe not so much).

By the time we left, you were both eager to learn more French via Google translate. And your Merci Beaucoup was on point.  Sure, the local news when we were there weren’t all calm and pretty – it just so happened there were riots and transportation strike that time. Glad we were safe and not affected.

From this point on, as you grow up, I hope when you hear Paris or the Eiffel Tower, it will remind you of our time together, not the nitty details, but how it felt, and that we’ll always have Paris.

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Much Love,

Mommy

Quick Tips:

1. Where we stayed at (book early): Lovely Flat Near Eiffel Tower
2. Eiffel Tower (book early up to 3 months ahead). Eiffel Tower Official Website. We booked directly from the Eiffel Tower website. It was hard to commit and decide on the time slot way in advance, but I say, think how it fits in your general itinerary, stick to it, and work around it. An option to consider is booking late in the afternoon right before sunset and the first light show.
3. Getting around: We used UBER getting to/from the train station. We also took the bus where strollers are easier to take vs taking the metro.