J'adore Paris

I don't recommend spending only a little over a day in Paris because there is so much to see but when the idea of staying in Paris for a couple nights before driving the 3 hours to the chateau came up there was no way I could say no. As Audrey Hepburn said, "Paris is always a good idea". I had been to Paris once before, for an equally short stay, on the European tour I went on before I had Jos and I was enchanted. It's a beautiful and magical city.  Watch the movie Midnight in Paris and that's what it feels like but without the time traveling. It's a little different with a kid since you can't spend all day in a museum, shopping or sitting along the Seine with a baguette and a bottle of wine.  Luckily, I had been before and saw all the big things, Eiffel Tower, Louvre, etc., so I just got to enjoy the city and not feel rushed to fit everything in. Although I wouldn't mind going back to Paris with just John one day!

After arriving at the airport, navigating our way to baggage and getting cabs to Paris, we checked in at the hotel, took a nap and then walked to a restaurant for dinner. We had a delicious meal, Jos loved her cold meat plate and the bread, and even with the time change she didn't have a meltdown the entire meal.  My sister-in-law's dad said that he was worried when he found out we were bringing a 2 year old to dinner but that she was really well behaved. We showed him our parenting secret, the iPhone ;) After dinner we walked through the streets of Paris, my favorite thing to do while there, and headed back to our hotel.  It was summer solstice that day so it stayed light until really late and there were a lot of musicians playing and people in the streets partying. My mother-in-law looked it up and apparently one of the biggest summer solstice parties was in Paris that night.

The Zwickers have arrived!

Showing Grandpa her videos on the iPhone.  

  

Grandpa, Gaga, Jos and Fiora
walking through Paris!

Our plan was to get some sleep and hit the ground running the next morning but we all woke up at 4am that night and were wide awake. Jos wanted a snack so we let her have a snack and after watching a video for a little bit, she fell asleep.  John and I had a harder time getting back to sleep and then all of sudden we woke up and it was 12p!  We had planned to meet John's parents, his brother Paul and our niece Fiora at the Eiffel Tower but we had a late start and ended up grabbing some lunch and then met them over at Notre Dame.  


After we ate lunch we walked over to this little park, just the 3 of us, and I was watching Jos run around and looking at my family and thinking how blessed we are to have each other and this experience.  When people ask me if traveling with a toddler is hard I say yes. It's not like the vacations you remember before you had kids.  It's harder because you have to take them into account and change your idea of what a vacation is because you never get a day off from parenting.  And there is no such thing as packing light anymore.  BUT it's so worth it because I would not trade these memories for anything!

We're in Paris!!

Joslyn loved her cousin Fiora!

I had been to Notre Dame before but didn't go inside so this time we did.  I don't know why but I never get tired of looking at old churches.  There is so much beauty in all the details.

I lit a candle.
(Pictures are rare of me on this vacation, and usually blurry or dark.)

Jos was quiet the entire time we were in there, like she knew she was in a sacred place.

Parenting trick #2 while traveling, bribery.  Jos will do anything for a sucker, even sit in her stroller.

We walked back to the hotel to meet John's brother Eric, his wife Lisa and their two friends to walk around St. Germain and check out the shops.

Hanging out in the hotel lobby.
Can you tell that her mouth is blue?!
Bad idea to bring a blue ring pop!

Jos is leading the pack.

Enjoying her first croissant!

Lisa stopped at Ladurée to buy some macarons for all of us (delicious!).

Jos was having a bit of a meltdown from all the time in the stroller so we stopped at a park that we passed to let her play.  It was adorable to see the look of utter confusion on Jos's face when some of the Parisian kids came up to talk to her :)

We sat in a cafe and had appetizers and wine, ah the wine!

The uncles took over toddler entertainment.  Funny faces with Uncle E.

Uncle P taught her a new game, while Fiora supervised.

She gives the best kisses!

Jos was melting down so I left John with Eric, Lisa and their friends to have dinner and walked back to the hotel with Paul and Fiora, stopping to pick up pizza on the way.

Couples put locks on the bridge and throw the key into the Seine.

It was such a fun day and Jos had another first, the first time she's ever fallen asleep in this stroller.  Paris wore her out.

That night we left Jos with Gaga and Grandpa and went to the Eiffel Tower to see it at night, the best way to see it!  We shared a Nutella crepe, walked around and talked about our trip so far.  It was nice to have some time alone.  We had to fit in a little romance on this trip since it was also our 6 year wedding anniversary :)

The next morning we said goodbye to the fun stairs at the hotel, packed up the rental cars and started "the supposed to be 3 hours but took 8 hours" drive chateau. More on that later!