Versailles

We took the train to Versailles for the day to explore the magnificent palace of Louis XIV.  Situated just outside of Paris this used to be a hunting lodge before the Sun King did some incredible renovations.  Here we are in front of the gold gates that separate the town from the palace.

A statue of the Sun King himself greeted us as we approached the palace.

Inside the palace was absolutely stunning.  I had been dying to see the famed Hall of Mirrors and it was even prettier than I imagined.  One wall is all mirrors and the other is all windows to the gardens with crystal chandeliers in between making everything sparkle.  Oh the parties they must have had in here!

And now the hall is filled with tourists. 

Most of the furniture was taken during the Revolution but some rooms are still furnished in the opulent style of the palace.  This is the Queen's bedroom and then her receiving room beyond the doorway.  I wonder if I would be able to sleep with all the nobles perched on benches around my bed.  No privacy here! 

As we traipsed through the palace we could see the amazing garden views from the windows.  The house sits on a hill and the gardens slope down to a mile-long grand canal.  The king built a village for Venetian gondoliers to live so that he could be rowed about on the canal just as if he were in Venice.  After touring the palace we strolled through the formal gardens down to the canal where we rented a golf cart and continued touring the grounds. 

We drove down to the back of the property where there are several other houses that the royal family used.  Apparently Marie Antoinette tired of the grand palace and would often stay in this house, the Petite Trianon to escape court life.  I would be perfectly fine living in her petite house!  It was furnished and decorated in a beautiful cream, blue and silver color scheme. 

We tooled over to the Grand Trianon, the house where the king kept his mistress, and then backtracked to the Petite Trianon.  Informal gardens extend beyond this house and behind Tessa you can see the Temple of Love. 

We parked our cart and walked to Marie Antoinette's Hamlet.  Wishing to live the country life, she built a quiet village here including a working farm and winery.  We were all a little tired by this point and I was personally bordering on grumpy.  So it served me right when my stomping resulted in me twisting my foot on the gravel path.  Danskos are awesome shoes for support but they are not forgiving on uneven surfaces!  I was actually lucky, Ryan caught me and prevented me from falling all the way down.  Even so, I still wanted to see the hamlet so we continued on our walk.  It was lovely, there were even fuzzy sheep grazing in the meadows.  As my foot started to throb and really hurt, we made our way back to the golf cart.

Ryan drove us past the many fountains.  In the summer and on Saturdays, the fountains are turned on and classical music plays throughout the garden.  We had purposely planned our trip so that we could see this Fountain Spectacular.  Ryan deposited Tessa and I on the steps of the palace and drove off to return our cart.  He was sweet saving me all the extra walking, Tessa was glad not to make the uphill trek too.  So we watched the fountains while Ryan hiked back from the grand canal. 

The formal gardens were still in full bloom even though the temperature was starting to dip.  We had a snack and just enjoyed looking at the flowers.  Tessa took lots of pictures and then we called it a day. 

After a little confusion at the train station, we were on our way back to Paris.  The next day we were departing for Clermont-Ferrand.

Shopping, The Louvre and More Shopping

For our next day in Paris, we shopped local places for picnic supplies.  Near our hotel is a wonderful little street with fun specialty shops.  First we went to a boulangerie, my most favorite kind of shop, a bakery. We bought a nice crusty baguette, French doughnuts and apple pastries.  Then we perused the fruit and vegetable market.  Local grown strawberries, so fresh we found white blossoms on some, were eaten before we even finished shopping.  We grabbed a few apples too because they make a great portable snack.  I'm kicking myself for not buying some of the dried mushrooms to bring home.  The fromagerie is another of my favorite stops with so many yummy cheeses to choose from.  Sadly, most of those cheeses are off limits for me right now because the French use unpasteurized milk to make their cheese.  Of course that's why they taste so good, sigh.  I explain I am "enceinte" and the sweet ladies help me find suitable aged cheeses.  At least my precious mimolette is still allowed.  At the charcuterie we picked up single servings of prepared dishes.  Again, so many cured and raw meats that I would love to eat but just can't right now.  I would never trade being pregnant for anything but I am missing out on some of the best things France has to offer.  Case in point, we skipped the wine store entirely.  But we went to a baby boutique that made me smile.  We bought Baby Brother an outfit and a sweet little teddy bear.  On to the Louvre!         

Ryan checked his fragrant backpack, stocked with our picnic supplies, at baggage check and we did a speedy trip through this famous, but huge museum.  The Winged Victory was out for restoration so we headed on to Venus de Milo.  Trapped in an Asian tour group, Tessa and I pushed our way to the front to get a good view of this beautiful statue.  Next, we went on a mission to find the Mona Lisa.  It's not hard since this famous painting is well labeled but did I mention that this place is huge?  We found the proper room and fought the crowds to get up close and personal with da Vinci's masterpiece.  Tessa then announced that she had already seen the Mona Lisa at the Children's Museum in K5.  That's my girl, a reproduction looks just like the original to her.     

We admired the Italian and French paintings including this massive one of Napolean's Coronation.  To get perspective, look how small Tessa looks standing in front of it. 

We found Michelangelo's slaves and then decided we had seen enough.  We call this tour the Louvre Light and it was enough with a six year old. 

We exited the museum through the infamous glass pyramid.  To avoid crowds that morning we had entered underground from the Metro station. 

So we took a few minutes to take pictures in the palace courtyard. 

We had the perfect day for a picnic.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous with plenty of sunshine and a nice cool breeze.  We walked into the Tuileries Gardens and found a great spot to settle down.  The grassy lawns were off limits but all along the paths were chairs for resting.  We found a couple of chairs and claimed our spot.  Everything was delicious, I could live on bread and cheese.  Ryan had to fight Tessa for his fair share of the chocolate mousse once she discovered she liked it.  The chairs reclined and I propped up my feet.  I could have stayed like that all afternoon just enjoying the sunshine and the scenery.  Tessa was happy to color and watch nearby art students working with charcoal.   

Eventually we packed up and moved on.  Not far from our picnic spot, we discovered a playground.  Tessa played while I went off in search of a bathroom.  Those have been few and far between this trip which is not cool since I am supposed to be drinking a lot of water.  Oh well, I survived.  Outside of the garden gates, we took a short walk to the Chanel store.  Ooh la la, I could go crazy in here.  I don't do much high end shopping but I do love Chanel perfume.  Ryan had brought me back perfume from his previous trip so we were actually shopping for my mom.  The saleslady was very helpful and found what I was looking for.  Then she treated me to body lotion and perfume.  After a day of touring and basking in the hot sun, it felt deliciously refreshing.  Ryan and Tessa were pampered as well.  My sweet little baby smelled like expensive strawberries for the rest of the day.  Can she really be old enough to have her own Chanel scent like Momma and Gamma?  Apparently so!  Next we headed down the Champs Elysees.    

We walked to the Disney Store where Tessa happily picked out things to spend her piggy bank money on as well as gifts for friends.  It's pretty much the same stuff we have in our Disney stores back home but it made her happy.  We hopped on the double decker tour bus and took a swing around some of the famous sights, including the Arc de Triomphe.  Tessa had a great time taking pictures with our smaller camera and Ryan and I listened to the commentary.  We jumped off at the stop closest to our hotel and searched for a café for dinner.  We ended up at this cute place and claimed a sidewalk table. 

Since it was Friday night, things were getting pretty lively.  During our meal, street performers came by and did stunts right in front of our table.  Tessa then demonstrated that she could do stunts too.  She did cartwheels in the street while we enjoyed our leisurely meal.  Another great day in the City of Lights.   

Artists, Churches and More

We took it easy and had a late breakfast before starting out for sightseeing.  Our first destination was Sacre Coeur.  It is a beautiful, thought not very old, basilica on the top of Montmartre.  We rode the Metro to the neighborhood and then climbed a million and one stairs to exit from the station.  Note to self, there is a large and convenient elevator that we walked right past.  We rode the funicular to the church itself to avoid another million steps.  I was feeling great but that many stairs is enough to wind even the non-pregnant tourist.  After swinging through the church, we went to the nearby Place du Tertre.     

This touristy little square is full of artists and cafes.  Tessa was fascinated with the painters and happily sat on the curb to watch one work with oil paints.  She had been so looking forward to seeing the artists in Paris.  You never know what's going to strike the fancy of a six year old.  We ended up buying a silhouette of Tessa because the guy started snipping even while I was saying no, no merci.  I said no enough times that he ended up giving it to us for half price.  I can work with that.  We settled in at an outdoor café for lunch where Tessa could continue watching the artists at work.  I had the French onion soup that I have been craving and Ryan had a pizza.  Tessa was not thrilled with her classic Croque Monsieur, but happily shared pizza with her Daddy.  We strolled through the Moulin Rouge, which is much seedier than I remember, and then caught the Metro back to the historic center.         

We went to Sainte Chapelle which I think is one of the prettiest churches in all of Europe.  It has 360 degrees of stained glass windows all filled with Bible stories.  Cloudy days like this are perfect because the indirect light illuminates all of the windows.  This altar, and whole church really, was built by St. Louis (IX) to house the Crown of Thorns.  Tessa asked me when we would get to see the king and I explained that we are about 800 years too late.     

We walked on down the Ile de la Cite to the famous Notre Dame.  They have put a terrible temporary grandstand right in front of the church to commemorate it's 850th anniversary.  Maybe it's nice to have a place to sit and admire the church and yes, I did climb the bleachers for a photo op, but this modern addition is annoyingly distracting.  Too bad they didn't ask for my opinion.     

The church has a beautiful pieta on the high altar, a gorgeous rose window of stained glass and an abundance of side chapels.  We did a circuit of the whole church and Tessa was thoroughly bored. 

 

Lucky for us, there was a playground alongside the church.  Ryan and I rested while Tessa played with little French girls.  The gardens around the church are beautiful too, everything was blooming creating a riot of fall colors.  From the outside, you can see the flying buttresses that define this church in Gothic style.  Unfortunately, I wasn't up for climbing the bell tower to get up close and personal with the famous gargoyles.     

We crossed over to the Left Bank on this bridge with all the love locks.  As the story goes, you buy a lock from conveniently located nearby vendors, write your names on it, attach it to the bridge and throw the key in the river.  This symbolizes that your love will last forever.  Maybe I'm just getting old and cynical, but I think this makes the bridge look terrible!  We did get a kick out of looking at some of the locks.  There is everything from a TSA baggage lock to a heavy duty engraved lock attached to this bridge.  The ones that made us laugh the most are the high school combination locks.  Change your mind about someone?  No problem, just dial in the combination and remove your lock of love.  The bridge may be ugly but Tessa sure is cute.   

We ate dinner with a view of Notre Dame.  I used my caffeine allowance to have an after dinner espresso, I really love espresso and would normally drink at least two or three a day while in Europe.  But, for Baby Brother's sake, I limited myself to just one precious cup a day.  After dinner, we took a river cruise on Bateaux Parisien.  We launched from just in front of the Eiffel Tower and it started to sparkle just as we left the dock.  We listened to the narrated tour as we floated past some of Paris' most famous spots.  Tessa played with a little British girl who was "on holiday."  Pleasantly worn out, we walked back to our hotel and crashed.

Disneyland Paris

I can't believe this is our third Disney trip in one year, that is a record we will probably never beat.  But how could we be so close to Sleeping Beauty's castle and not visit?  Prior to our trip, we purchased combo bus and park tickets to make things easier.  I now know, the train would have been just as easy.  After breakfast in the hotel, which included at least three pastries for me, we took the Metro to the Place de l'Opera to meet our bus.  Our bus was a few minutes late, just enough to make me stress, but we arrived at the park only minutes after opening time.  Of course, we stopped for castle pictures.

Our plan, you know I had one, was to first hit all the attractions that are different than the ones in Florida.  Naturally, Fantasyland was our first stop.  We hopped on Pinocchio's Voyage and then the plan pretty much went out the window.  No wait for Peter Pan, sure let's go!  Oh wait, pregnant mamma cannot ride.  France is a fabulous place to be pregnant because the French are very protective of pregnant women.  In fact, at Disneyland's City Hall I was given a pass that let us all cut in lines so I wouldn't have to stand on my preggo feet all day.  Awesome, except they were also strict about which rides I couldn't ride.  I wasn't expecting to ride Space Mountain but I was a little surprised Peter Pan was off limits too.  Oh well, Tessa had fun with Daddy.  We rode Winnie the Pooh and then moved on to Alice's Curious Labyrinth which ends with a Merry Unbirthday Party.

It really is a small world!  This ride is just a little different with scenes from America included.  But the song still gets stuck in your head.   

Our next stop was Adventureland where we explored Aladdin's Passages and Captain Hook's Pirate Ship.  There was a fun playground at Pirate Beach where Tessa played before she and Ryan rode Pirates of the Caribbean.  Then we found Captain Jack Sparrow.  He was awesome.  Tessa didn't want to meet him alone, so I got roped into going on stage too.  I'm totally impressed that the characters speak both French and English, although I guess I'm not surprised.  When I introduced myself and Tessa, Jack asked if I wanted to speak French or English.  I'll take that as a compliment on my accent, but let's stick with English.  Captain Jack straightened my necklace for the picture and then tried to decide if he should steal it and add it to his treasure.  Ha!  Tessa warmed up to the feisty pirate and I was able to hop down to take pictures of the two of them.

We made our way over to Frontierland next.  They were already starting to decorate for fall so we got a few pictures with the pumpkin people.  Tessa wasn't interested in riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and I thought the Phantom Manor would be too scary for her.  So we went searching for the Pocahontas Indian Village only to discover that it was under construction.  Oh well.  We needed to hurry to the castle for lunch anyways.  Yes, we did all of this before lunch!

Lunch was fantastic!  Unlike booking Cinderella's Royal Table here in American where you call six months ahead of time and cross your fingers for the coveted, secured with a credit card, reservation number, it was relatively easy to book a table at Auberge de Cendrillon.  Ryan called a few months before our trip and they said just show up and tell them our name on the day of the reservation.  Really?!  Really.  We did a costume change, we have to be dressed appropriately to dine with royalty, and were seated immediately.  The food was outstanding, of course it would be in France.  I had scallops with truffle risotto and Ryan had veal and pumpkin soup.  Tessa's kid dish included an appetizer of salmon mousse, she wasn't so interested but Ryan said it was good, and baked chicken with mushrooms.  No chicken nuggets here.

More important than the food were the characters.  Suzy and Perla, Cinderella's mice visited our table.  Tessa can tell them apart which tickled Suzy who came first.  I wasn't sure which princesses we would be seeing but we got lucky and saw Aurora, Snow White, Belle and the Beast.  Sleeping Beauty spent the most time talking to Tessa.  I'm not sure what all they talked about because I was busy taking pictures of the two Auroras.  I do know they talked about dress color and that Merryweather was currently getting her way.  This explains why the princess was sporting a blue version of her dress.  But, she told Tessa, it had been pink just that morning.  I love the magic.  Belle and Prince Adam danced their way to our table where Tessa immediately started chatting with the prince.  Move over Belle, this is Tessa's first time to meet the Beast in human form and she wants him all to herself.  Snow White visited too and talked with Tessa for a long time.  She asked who Tessa's favorite princess was.  Tessa diplomatically responded "all of them!"  It's true, this girl loves her princesses.      

After lunch, we went across the square to Hollywood Studios.  That's a big thing that is different here in France, the parks are literally next to each other.  I hear this is how California is set up, will need to check that out someday.  We strolled past the iconic statue of Walt with Mickey and headed for Toon Studio.

While Tessa drove cars in the Race Rally with Daddy, I stood in line for Mickey and Minnie.  Oh wait, I forgot, I don't have to stand in line because I am pregnant.  As soon as Tessa and Ryan joined me, we went straight to the front of the line.  I like this!

Want to see Pluto too?  Sure!  We don't have to stand in that long line either.

We had to take a picture in front of this stack of tires.  After all, tires are what's paying for this trip! 

Then we head to Toy Story Playland where Tessa and Ryan ride the Slinky Dog Zig Zag.  Ryan rides the RC racer by himself.  There is a huge Buzz Lightyear and TRex as well as other fun details from the movie. 

Most of the other rides in Hollywood Studios were a little too intense for Tessa.  So we went back to the castle to catch the parade.  It was nice that we had special seats, again thanks to my condition, and were able to show up just five minutes before the parade.  DLRP is celebrating it's 20th Anniversary, very cool.

After the parade we went to the as yet unvisited DiscoveryLand.  It's Paris' version of Tomorrowland.  With some quick line cutting, we got to ride Buzz Lightyear.  The ride stopped right at the end and we really racked up points with our laser guns.  Ryan, as always, had the most points.  We made a boring trek through 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and gave Tessa a chance to ride Space Mountain, which she declined.  We then realized that the train stops running before the park closes so we walked back to Fantasyland.  There we had a little time left for a few favorites.   

I am amused that Ryan really thought we would get out of the park without a ride on Dumbo.  As Fantasyland was closing down for the night, my two sweethearts took a spin on the flying elephant. 

On our way out of the park we stopped for a few more castle shots with our very own princess.  I had thought we would have time to grab a quick dinner in Disney Village but we ended up having to run to catch our bus.  Oh well, a late dinner of candy bars from our backpack didn't bother our sweet little girl one bit.  It was an extravagance to use a whole Paris day for Disney, but it was worth it.  Tessa tells us this was her favorite day from the whole trip, she is just six after all.  

First Day in Paris

We're in PARIS!!!  After a long overnight flight, during which Tessa and I did not sleep at all, we headed directly to our hotel.  Thankfully, they could check us in early and we headed up to our lovely room.  Tessa had fallen asleep in the taxi and wasn't really awake.  We all laid down for a nice two hour nap.  It took a little convincing to get Tessa up after just two hours, but if we let her sleep longer she would never adjust to the jet lag.  Our first stop was the iconic Eiffel Tower which was within easy walking distance of our hotel.  Our little photographer-in-training started snapping pictures immediately.

A nearby tourist offered to take pictures of all of us.  The weather was beautiful with sunny skies and a warm breeze.  Since it was Tuesday, the Champs de Mars park was delightfully uncrowded. 

I laughed when Ryan asked me to pose for a baby bump shot.  I am so glad he did though, this is my favorite picture!    

Of course, we wanted to go up the Eiffel Tower.  We bought tickets to go all the way to the top.  The first elevator stopped on the second floor after an unnerving diagonal ascent.  This floor is plenty high all by itself and offers the best views of Pairs.  We walked around and gazed out at the surrounding buildings, trying to get oriented.  We debated not going to the top because we were all a little tired and hungry.  But if we didn't, I was afraid we would regret it.  I remember Ryan and I went to the top last time and I wanted Tessa to have that experience too.  So we stood in the long line waiting for the small red elevator to take us to the top floor.  Ryan and I reminisced about how our lives have changed since the last time we were here.  Back then we were struggling to start a family.  Now here we are with a precious daughter and a son on the way.  I cry a little because in those dark days of infertility I never dreamed my life would turn out so wonderfully.  I blamed the tears on jet lag and hormones.  Holding hands on the elevator, Tessa turned to me in surprise and said "Momma, your hands are sweaty!"  Well, yeah, heights aren't my favorite and we are way high at this point.  The view from the top is stunning though.  We took pictures and tried not to notice how the tower swayed a little under our feet.           

Once we are safely back on the ground, we head across the street for a snack.  We orderd a delicious strawberry and Nutella crepe.  This is my new favorite kind of crepe, we had several more during our trip. 

Tessa spotted a merry go round and so we sent her for a whirl.  She is such a happy girl.  An ice cream cone completed this joyful experience.     

We crossed back across the park to a little playground.  By this time, school was out and there were French kids playing everywhere.  Ryan watched Tessa play on the playground, and I lounged on the grass enjoying the chance to rest.  We told ourselves that we would take it easy on this trip and not try to rush around doing everything.  For this first day at least, we held to that thought.     

We made our way back to our hotel and decided we were all too tired to even sit in a café for dinner.  So we popped into a little corner shop that sold pizza, hot sandwiches and fries.  Then it was bathtime and bedtime, we needed to rest up for our trip to Disneyland Paris the next day.