I have said before and I will repeat, when traveling with kids plans are good, but an ability to change plans is even better.
After a good nights sleep - I was up at seven and the rest slept till nearly 10, we did not manage to leave the apartment until nearly 11. We quickly realized there would be no way to get to the Catacombs and back in time for our late lunch reservation. We changed things around and headed to the Lourve. Mack and Liam love art museums, Devlin, not so much. However in this case she was quite enthralled with seeing the Mona Lisa. Inwardly Bill and I groaned, knowing what a mob scene it is in front of DaVinci's masterpiece, but outwardly we used her interest to cut down on the whining. Off we went.
The line to get in was of course insane. The line for tickets was as well. We quickly realized that we should have worn the dressier clothes that we needed for lunch to the museum. We found ourselves with just enough time to do a quick tour of the French painted wing, grab the metro back to the apartment, change and head back out to the restaurant. Tickets in hand we headed off to the Denon wing and followed the signs and the crowds to the Mona Lisa. It really is impossible to miss. The closer you get to the painting the tighter packed the people, the more pushing and shoving and trying to squeeze into position. Many of the people in the crowd do not even look at the painting once they have reached the security rope, they I mediately turn around so that a friend or family member can take a picture of them standing in front of it. We work our way to the front and my main concern is the possibility that Devlin could get crushed, or at the least swept away from me. Once at the front of the crowd we look long enough for me to realize that it truly is a spectacular work of art, and that I would love the chance to stand and stare at it at my leisure, but this of course is never going to happen. After a few minutes of constant jostling we push our way back out of the mob. Devlin declares it a rip off. We agree.
When planning this trip Bill and I decided to take the kids to one over the top dining experience. We chose Joel Robuchoun's L'Atelier. We had eaten at the Vegas location last year on our anniversary and at the Paris location when we were here in the fall. Both meals were superb. We chose lunch and once we arrived to chose ala carte rather than the degustation menu. Devlin kept asking if this was a 4-star restaurant. I told her that it had received two Michelan stars and tried to explain the difference. I don't think she got it and she said it didn't feel like a 4-star restaurant. I think she was expecting more white table clothes and traditional service. The food was excellent, the service was a bit sub par. We had an interesting conversation with a couple from Portugal who had recently been in Chicago. He is writing an article about Next, Grant Achatz's new restaurant (got to try it) and is apparently in the wine export business. Mack took a picture of his dessert and he asked Mack if he wanted to be a food journalist when he grew up. Mack didn't realize such a profession existed, but is now considering it.
After lunch we returned to the Luxembourg Gardens and the ducks and the playground, and finally home to bed. Sleep was better than the first night, but not as good as last night. A crowd in the street woke Bill and I at 4:45.
Our final day in Paris and e finally make it to the Catacombs, Liam and Mack's number one choice of a site to see in Paris. It was interesting, but not at all worth the hour and a half wait in line. Lunch in a classic French bistro, followed by a quick visit to Galleries Lafayette to see the dome and the view from the roof, followed by a tour of l'Orangrie. What a great little museum. The pfect size for taking kids. Monet's work, all together and displayed like that is breathtaking.
Chinese food for dinner, followed by packing and reading. It is very hot in this room tonight 27 degrees C. I think it is going to be another tough one to sleep. I will not be sorry to say goodbye to this apartment.
On a little side note, London taxis are great for families, spacious and designed to take 5 people. Paris taxis suck. They are small, we have often had to split up, and there seems to be no rhyme or reason the their lights - we have seen cabs with lights on and people, lights on and no people, lights off and people, etc. Thankfully the metro is so easy.
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