At the end of May we were thrilled to have Matt's mom, sister, and her 2 kids come for a long visit. It was a full house with 10 of us for over 2 weeks, but we had a wonderful time. A highlight was our trip to Paris together - the first time there for everyone except Matt and I.
Not surprisingly, traveling with 10 can be both comedic and chaotic. We were quite the caravan as we made our way via bus, then tube, then Eurorail, then bus from our house to the Airbnb. Despite some initial hiccups getting into our flat, once we were in the place was spacious and comfortable.
We arrived late in enough in the evening that we decided dinner at the flat would be best. Matt was the hero and picked up McDonald's for the whole crew . . . I'm still not sure how he carried it all the way back by himself. I think he has super powers. Once everyone else was settled in bed, Matt and I I took a late night stroll by ourselves. The lights around the Louvre were quite beautiful, and we really enjoyed wandering along the Seine in the cool evening. We stumbled across what seemed to be an informal brass band gathering - 20+ standing around jamming along the shores of the Seine. So random and fun.
On our first full day in Paris, we split up to explore for the morning. Grandma, Danny, Kaylee, James, and I made our way to the Musee D'Orsay, one of my personal favorite museums. The kids and I did a few scavenger hunts while Grandma explored on her own. Two favorite pieces were
Imperial Prince with His Dog Nero by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, which reminded the kids of themselves with our beagles, and Francois Pompon's Polar Bear, which the kids thought was cool because of the way it portrays movement. For lunch we met up with the rest of our group - baguettes on the Seine.
Next it was off to the Eiffel Tower. I walked, pushing James in his stroller so he'd get in a good nap (which he did), and Matt led the rest of the group via Metro. Tragically, Mindy's phone was left on the Metro. Miraculously by the end of the day, someone had found it and contacted Mindy, so we were able to retrieve it the next day.
We met our tour guide, which ended up being a bit of a flop since she didn't share too many new facts with the large group and we still found ourselves waiting in a long queue for security and to get in the elevators up. Nonetheless, the Eiffel Tower was a highlight for everyone. The weather cooperated for some beautiful views at the top and Mindy and I had fun climbing down some of the stairs (between the 2nd and 1st levels, not the summit) with most of the kids. We found a quick dinner at a kiosk below the Eiffel Tower - hot dogs, crepes, and churros - before heading back home.
On Day 2 Grandma, Danny, Abby, and I got an early start and headed to Saint Chapelle. The stained glass was as breathtaking as the first time I visited a year earlier. We also wandered through the Concierge and learned more about the French Revolution and the royalty who were imprisoned there, including Marie Antoinette. The rest of the group caught up to us at Saint Chapelle and then we had lunch at a cafe - quiche and pizzas.
We walked together through Le Marche aux Fleurs, a flower market, which Grandma had read about. It was beautiful and charming and smelled amazing! I was so glad she suggested it because everyone enjoyed wandering through. We made our way to Notre Dame together, and though I'd seen it a few times before, the massiveness of this Cathedral was still overwhelming. Matt and Danny headed a different direction to retrieve Mindy's phone and check out Les Invalides while the rest of us climbed to the top of the Notre Dame bell towers.
We reconnected for dinner with plans to take a Seine River Cruise, but terrible weather and exhaustion sent us home earlier than planned. Unfortunately there was Metro complications as well with trains that weren't running as planned. Once again, Matt was the hero and led the other 9 of us on a different route and safely back home.
Sunday morning several of us went to church at a ward in downtown Paris. Danny wasn't feeling well, so he and James and I stayed home the rest of the day while everyone else ventured out of town to Versailles. They explored the palace and the gardens and the weather was perfect.
After resting most of the afternoon, Danny and I met up with everyone back on the river so we could take our cruise down the Seine. This was my first time doing this and I loved it! What a fun new way to see the city! The evening could not have been more perfect with the sun setting as we cruised. The kids loved being on the boat together. And to top it all off, when we were making our next plans at the conclusion of the boat tour, the Eiffel Tower began sparkling with glittery lights. It was beautiful!
Monday we spent the day wandering. Matt took Mindy's family and his mom to Angelina for the world's greatest cup of hot chocolate. The kids and I found the Paris LEGO store. We met up at a park and took turns visiting L'Orangerie museum. And eventually we made our way back to the train station and home in London.
