We have just put Violet down for a nap, at 5:09am.... I mean 2:09pm Paris time. Our little girl is adjusting to the time change very well and has slept a lot since we landed. Except for a 3am pajama party (only lasted an hour) she slept from 9pm to 9am!
So to recap: We arrived in Paris yesterday...has it been two days? Tough to tell... The flight from Seattle to Paris was very rough. Violet cried harder during the first 1.5 hours than she has in a long time. The guy behind us requested a seat change - can't blame him. Eventually she settled in and the rest of the flight (7.5 hours) was ok. Landing in Paris, we had to take a bus to the terminal - standing on the tarmac, we began to remember what 30-degrees (Fahrenheit) felt like - snow was everywhere. We got our bags then were off to the RER train into Paris.
Looking quite like a traveling caravan, (I was rolling our two big suitcases, with a backpack on my back AND front, a giraffe and monkey hanging off the sides - Rachel with Violet in the Ergo) we squeezed through the turnstiles and train door and managed to find the right train. Our stop was "Notre Dame" - enough to get an architecture or history student excited. Up two flights of stairs (the escalator was too narrow, no elevator) we were on the Ile de France - staring right at the big Gothic Cathedral. We had arrived.
Not wanting to wait too long ( I mentioned the cold and my beast-of-burden baggage) we rolled our way to 4, Rue Navarre. Narrow side walks, various unmarked winding streets eventually turned into the address we wanted - a remarkable occurrence. We punched our code and the massive door to the street opened. The building "guardian" was not in her office, but we soon found her in the hallway. She informed us she was only here on the holidays (Monday, Dec. 27th?) and none of the keys were marked. So she gave me about 10 keys to try in the door - before coming up with the right one. We thanked her, loaded our bags inside and closed the door.
Such sweet relief after a day of travel - to have a comfortable, safe place to sit. The apartment is wonderful, and I have no doubt it will be a perfect 'home' for the next few days. Two rooms - kitchen/living and bedroom/study with a sliding wall in between. Oil heaters that work very well and large windows that look on to the inner court yard. Violet, desperate to "walk around" as she says, was soon padding along the wood floors and pointing out every thing that wasn't 'toddler proof.' Eventually we calmed her down and she went for a nap in her travel bed. The power of her bedtime routine is awe-inspiring. No matter where we are, a book, kisses goodnight, rocking with mama and bedtime music set her up for sleep.
With her down and Rachel napping too, I ventured out to find food. Feeling like a hunter-gathered I re-bundled myself and walked out to Rue Monge. I found a fabulous bakery, picked up a baguette and a panini sandwich - muttering and pointing just enough to get my point across. Then I spotted a grocery store just down the street - jackpot! I loaded up on yogurt, pasta, eggs, red wine, Nutella, butter, cheese ... perfect. We would venture back out to this grocery once more to finish off dinner supplies. Having a kitchen is such an advantage for us when we travel - makes so much more possible. We all had sausage pasta with tomato sauce and corn for dinner; not distinctly French cuisine, but good food in France - what ever you want to call that.
This morning, we all slept in. Breakfast was baguette with nutella & jam, french press coffee, and yogurt. We then walked up to Sufflot's Pantheon - a neoclassical "question mark" of a building. It was started as a church, but after the French revolution is was completed as more of a "final resting place" famous French people like Victor Hugo, Voltaire, J. J. Roussou, Marie Curie. Violet like the big plaza out front - she can coax smiles out of just about anyone.
From the Pantheon, down to a market at Place Montage for cheese, sausage and vegetables then back to the bakery for another baguette and a "tartellete framboise" for Rachel. From a butcher on Rue Montage we got a rotisserie chicken and potatoes. Needless to say we have just finished a fantastic lunch.
So now the afternoon awaits - most likely a trip back to Notre Dame (without the pack-mule appearance). So much to see - enjoying it all.
--tyler
No comments:
Post a Comment