Breakfast in London, dinner in Paris

Aren't we just the jet setting family.

We did most of our packing up last night and grabbed a quick breakfast this morning. We have been eating in the executive floor lounge most mornings, but it was packed today and they gave us vouchers for the dinning room. More choices, but the coffee was not as good. After breakfast we headed to the aquarium as we had promised the kids. It was smaller than many that we have been to in the past, but the kids just loved it, especially Mack. It is funny how aquariums are the one attraction guaranteed to make all my kids happy.

After the aquarium we checked out of the hotel and loaded into two cabs to head to Kings Cross Station. Turns out the eurostar actually boards at St Pancras (sp.), just across the way. We stopped at Marks and Spencer to grab some lunch and then checked in and cleared customs. Our train was on platform 9 and being muggles we did not see 9 and 3/4 - I looked really hard to see if anybody was going though the barrier. Oh well, must have been the wrong day.

We boarded the train and Devlin, Bill and I were in one row with Mack and Liam behind us. I gave them all their books to read and their journals to write in. The train ride was quite and uneventful. We had wondered at the beginning if there would be an announcement when we passed from Britain into France and the answer is no. In fact, the Chunnel is not an especially long tunnel. Years of riding the LIRR and I can't say it felt any longer than the tunnel under the East River. The only way that I was sure we were in France was when I looked at traffic and saw cars were once again on the 'right' side of the road.

After a 20 minute taxi ride we arrived at the apartment we are renting for the next few days. It was a bit of a challenge to get in - the other people checking in were as confused as we were, but it all worked out. The apartment is 'cozy' and 'charming', real estate speak for tiny, but it will suit our needs for the next 4 days.

We took a walk on the Champs Élysées and walked around the Arc de Triomphe. There was some kind of ceremony going on, but speaking no French we have no idea whatnot was all about. We had dinner at one of the little cafes along the street and returned to our room to find air conditioning not quite up to American standards. Oh well, you travel to see how other people live, right?

We haven't really laid out our days,, except for dinner at the Eiffle Tower tomorrow night and lunch at atelier on Friday. I'll keep you posted.