A New Day

11.06.2017

France - Part One, Paris!

Towards the end of last year, Cecile (the mom of my surrobaby) and I separately had the idea that now was the time for us to come visit with them. A was 1.5 years old at that point and we were all dying for us to see where he lived and how he was growing. We started planning. Gwen's Spring Break was approaching too quickly, so we settled on Fall Break (plus a few days), and started making arrangements. Earlier this year we booked the plane tickets and we knew it was really happening!

After waiting and conversing excitedly about our adventure for so long, the 19th of October seemed to sneak up on us. It was so crazy that the day was here, and we were off to Europe.

On Thursday morning we packed the final items in our bags, triple checked that we had our tickets and passports, loved on Daisy a whole bunch, then headed off to the airport.

We had a quick, easy flight to Chicago, where we grabbed some food, then switched over to our second flight. That one was a long one, almost 10 hours overnight, flying into Paris. We didn't sleep much - an hour or two for Gwen, less then an hour for Trav and I - and arrived a little after 9 am Paris time. Thankfully we were so excited to be there that we were able to power through our first day.

We hopped in a cab and headed over to our AirBnB, where we met Cecile... who greeted us with fresh baguette!

After we got into the apartment and dropped our bags off, Cecile made us some jambon-beurre for lunch later and we headed out for our first day of exploring.

Place de la Bastille, July Column

We headed through a gorgeous park, Plaza des Vosges, is the oldest planned square in Paris, which has had many famous residents.

It also had a sand pit in the center which interested Gwen a bit more... 😃

We headed on then to Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis church.

We stopped for our first glass of French wine then, getting the feel for their street seating. We approved...

We moved on to City Hall then, which made me feel quite at home! It was like being back in Philadelphia again!

We ate our sandwiches here, enjoying the amazing weather (we really lucked out with the Paris in October weather we got!) and the amazing view.

After that we pressed on again. Maybe you recognize this just slightly well-known church?

Notre Dame is absolutely stunning. It deserves its fame. With its vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, and sense of history, it is worth the stop.

We didn't meet any hunchbacks, but we did spend a lot of time gazing up...

At that point we were getting tired, but we had one last thing to view.

The Seine, and a picture on one of its bridges, was practically a Paris requirement. We walked along the river then, on our way back to our apartment, which gave us a different view of Notre Dame.

We had an earlier night that night, eating dinner at home and getting everyone to bed. Gwen slept in bed with us, while Cecile took the couch bed... it wasn't the most restful night as Gwen tossed and turned, and actually started laughing hysterically in her sleep at one point!

Day Two we woke up a bit tired still, but ready to go. I had a bit of a headache to start, but revived after we ate some baguette with butter and jam, and drank some tea. Thankfully I did because first thing that morning it was time to hop on the Metro to the Louvre!

We stopped in quickly at first, just to grab our tour tickets for later and make a stop at the Mona Lisa before the crowds came.

Then it was back outside for a view of that well known pyramid!

We at lunch in the cafe then, and soon it was time for our tour. It was an hour and a half long, in English, and ranged through the museum to many of their more well known pieces.

The Winged Victory of Samothrace...

The Mona Lisa...

The Venus de Milo...

Plus so many other amazing, gorgeous pieces.

Including my favorite piece, Le Sacre ou le Couronnement de Napoleon, The Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David:

I could have stayed with just this painting for the whole length of the tour. Stunning!

After the tour, we probably walked around for another hour or so. Gwen was amazing. She did so well with the whole thing. She was attentive and walked the entire time.

I'm always proud of my girl, but this trip especially, she impressed me.

After that we moved on, seeing the Obelisk, taking in views of their House of Representatives, and enjoying a walk through the city along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées.

We made a special stop for me next, getting tea and macarons at Laduree!

I absolutely love macarons, so this was a stop I was quite excited for!

I drank some amazing tea, and tried some beautiful macarons! Salted caramel, orange blossom, chocolate orange, and my favorite, rose.

After fueling up, we moved on. We saw the French version of the white house, and the American embassy.

Then we walked on, finally arriving at the Arc de Triomphe. What a phenomenal view at night!!

We made our way towards home then, with a quick stop at Le Baron Rouge (Cecile's favorite little hole in the wall) for a drink.

We arrived home, tired, but very content. We walked a whopping 9.8 miles that day (compared to 5 miles the first day, and 8.4 the third!). Gwen had been a champ all day, so when we arrived back and she was starving, I was happy to make a small concession, and get her some McDonald's.

Actually, one of my favorite ways to get a feel for a new city is to venture out alone, so off I went to find the local McD's and see how I could do on ordering with my limited French! It went fine and I felt very accomplished. 😉

Sunday, Day Three, we loaded up our bellies, then headed off first to explore Montmartre.

We came out of the Metro and headed towards the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, but then circled around to see all that lay adjacent to it.

This included enchanting old cemeteries, artist residences, and some really beautiful old streets.

After that we enjoyed the view of Paris from the steps of the Basilica...

We also had to stop and see Moulin Rouge, just to say we did!

After that we headed to another of my must see stops, the Paris Catacombs! This was a new one for Cecile, and it was absolutely fascinating.

Trav and I are a bit into the macabre anyway, but this was truly fascinating from a historical standpoint. (Some on it here and here.)

We walked around a lot the rest of the day, and took the Metro to various places as well. We visited the original Chanel store, Gallerie Laffayette, Place Vendome, and the Colonnes de Buren, to name a few.

Another full, delightful, exhausting day!

Day Four, Monday, was our last day in Paris.

After eating breakfast and packing up our bags, we headed to our last must see: the Eiffel Tower!

It was a fun view of the city, and a neat look at a well known icon.

We stopped for lunch after that, enjoying some genuine French Onion Soup. Then it was down the street to hop on a boat for a river cruise on the Seine!

It was a different way to enjoy some of the beautiful parts of Paris we'd already seen from the street.

It was also our last stop before heading South to Nice!

We grabbed our bags and hopped on the train, about 6 hours and 600 miles down to Southern France.

Next up, our time in Nice, next to the gorgeous Mediterranean Sea!

11.03.2017

Mornings on my Balcony {Writings from Elsewhere}

I wrote this piece a while ago for someone else, but I'm sharing here now. I was hoping to share France trip stuff today, but I just need more time to process and write about it all! In the meantime...

Some days I teach, and when I get back from dropping Gwen off at school, it’s already time to get in the car and head to the women’s collective and my yoga students. The days I don’t have people waiting on me, there is always a to-do list a mile long. For everything I check off, there are always two more things to add. Cleaning always gets pushed down the list, but I think our carpet looks more loved with its fine layer of cut up construction paper used for crafts, Lego creations of my daughter’s design, a smattering of figurines set up in some kind of adventure scene, and normally some treasures – be it a handful of leaves or some sparkly rocks – brought in from our last walk.

I know that I should jump into it. There is grocery shopping to do and meals to plan, business items to address, and always some upcoming activity that needs arrangement. But as I walk back into our morning lit apartment, my gaze is drawn to my chair on the balcony. I can’t resist it! So often what I end up doing instead is making a cup of hot tea, grabbing a book or magazine, and heading out to breathe it all in with Daisy the pup.

A night owl by nature, I’ve slowly learned to appreciate the unique calm and quiet that the morning brings. At night time there is the satisfaction of knowing that my family is safe and secure in their beds, that we are together; it is a time when I get things done. In the morning though, there is the distinctive rest that comes with having your responsibility to others temporarily lifted away. With the knowledge that my husband is at work and my daughter at school, both happy and thriving, I can release and my mind can rest.

I’ll crack my book and settle in to read, one of my greatest pleasures. After a chapter or two though, I normally nestle my bookmark back in place, and set my book aside. The cool breeze playing on the pine tree just beyond arms reach, the squirrels chittering and jumping around – coming for my flower and plant pots no doubt, the soft sound of water spraying as someone attends to their garden, the sun waking up and warming the sky; it’s a symphony of sights and sounds impossible to ignore.

As it gets colder and the snow comes, I’m sure I’ll find my time in the chair on the balcony dwindling. I’ll find other ways to rest my mind – reading on the couch curled up with Daisy sounds like a great start – but I’m loath to give up mornings on the balcony.

When it warms up enough for the wasps and bees to start buzzing around, then I know it’s time to head inside and really start my day. Daisy sounds the alarm with a certain tilt of her head and the sound of snuffing and snapping as she plays with these funny flying creatures. There is a day full of quiet adventure awaiting, and thanks to taking the time to sit in the cool air and morning silence, I’m ready for it.