Shopping like the locals

We took a detour and went out to the farmers market at Bastille. Our friend Matt was in town and recommended we stop by to visit and experience the nicest market on Paris. The market was impressive, located in the grassy area between two streets and spanning the distance between two metro stops. The crafts, produce, and food looked great and the prices were reasonable. We bought a few baked good and snacks for the boys before we headed back on the museum tours.

Late to the Louvre

Today was our day to get the multi day museum pass and start seeing the historic museums. We were not sure if we could get our moneys worth for the multi day pass but after compiling the list on a spreadsheet, we decided to get the pass and have the convenience of skipping the ticket line.

I think we were out of sync as we could not leave the apartment till after 11a today.  It was nice to go at a relaxed schedule vs the tightly planned itinerary of Paris trips past. The downside of heading out late are the long lines. When we arrived at the pyramid entrance the queue was at the end of the designated area but the line moved quickly. When we got about halfway, one of the security guys pointed at me and said something in French. I wasn’t sure what he said but he opened the stantion belt and motion me to the entrance door. I walked through and pointed at the rest of the family and next thing you know we had cut to the front of the line. None of us were sure why the guard had us skip the line but we were grateful.

The museum seemed empty at first but once we hit some of the notable pieces in the collections we had flashbacks to our last visit dealing with the huge tour groups. At least fewer people were carrying selfie sticks now. We did stop by the room with the Mona Lisa and sure enough it was packed with folks struggling to see the painting. Based on the cameras in the air I think many were satisfied with just a photo!

The boys enjoyed this second trip to the museum. I think it's because there were no expectations of viewing anything in particular. So when we did hit a few items they recognized from books or school we could stop and actually discuss the importance of it.

Musée des Arts Forains

We spent the morning at the museum of the carnival arts. It features vintage displays of items found in carnivals from 100 years ago including working merry go rounds, games and photo boards.  This museum is open only at the end of the year so it was a great opportunity to visit.  The boys were not young enough to enjoy the museum but didn’t have a choice…

Paris Shopping old and new

We spent our first full day exploring the passageways in our area. These were the original shopping malls during the 1800s with storefronts in a narrow alley with a glass roof.  Some seemed run down and were just the rear access to stores facing the street while some like Gallerie Vivienne next to our apartment were restored and had independent shops to explore.

After resting back at the apartment we headed back out to checj out Galleries Lafayette which is the biggest and fanciest department store in Paris. The building has a 6 story dome in the center decorated with a huge tree sculpture and lights and the display windows on the street level. We also headed to the roof for a great evening view of Paris.

In Paris Again!

We arrived at Charles de Gaulle and headed towards Terminal 2 so that we could catch the regional rail (RER) to Paris.  That’s when I called our apartment manager to let them know we were about to hop on the train but he warned it was a long walk from the Les Halles train stop to the apartment so we should take a taxi. It didn’t look far on the map but we listened to him at caught an Uber. The train fare would have been about 11eur each while the Uber was 70eur so for an extra 15eur we were dropped off in front of the apartment.  I don’t know if we saved much time but the ride in the VW van was nostalgic as it reminded us our old Eurovan Weekender. Ironically we walked by that train stop later and it was only 10 minutes away. I guess that’s considered a long walk for some tourists.

We are staying in the Arr. 2 in an area with mostly businesses so it's quiet on our street.  But around the corner are bakeries and restaurants and a few more blocks further are the tourists areas.

I picked the apartment for its location and size and price. Our place is rustic but has two bedroom a loft and most important, two bathrooms. The downside is that part of the apartment is designed for Hobbits. The original layout was a single story with 15 foot ceilings. To make the loft and additional bathroom, they split the space and added a floor. The short ceiling in the kitchen is fine for me, not so good for our 6ft child.

Chicago stopover

Our first leg of our flight was delayed over an hour due to the arrival delay of the flight crew. Unlike 30 other people on the flight that might have missed their connections (gate agent announced they would try to hold the two connecting flights as there were so many passengers) it just meant a little less time waiting in Chicago for the evening flight to Paris.

We did kill a few hours going downtown and having a Christmas lunch at a Brazilian steakhouse. I figured only Chinese restaurants would be open on the 25th but when I searched on opentable I was pleasantly surprised by our dining options. Since we were a party of mostly meat eaters and meeting an uncle who also shares the same passion we decided that the all you can eat steak place would be a good choice. It was nice to visit and catch up before going back to the airport.

Normally I hate to leave the airport or the security area due to the time involved with the security check. But TSA pre check makes it a breeze. No need to take off the shoes or belt or the laptops or liquids out of your bag. Plus the line is almost nonexistent.

Here we go again!

We really enjoyed going away over Christmas last year that we decided to do it again this year. Going away means no opportunities for pc gaming and more time being together. That’s probably why the boys are slightly grumpy about the trip. This trip should be easier as our only destination is Paris.

I have never flown on Christmas Eve or day. The bus ride and rail trip to the airport were pretty light and there were almost no lines at the airport. The bars and restaurants at the terminals were almost empty as well.  Even though the airport is empty our flight is supposed to be full.  Oh well.