July 28, 2012

Andrew and Alyssa arrived first thing on Friday morning after an overnight flight from Toronto.  I was so anxious to see them, I barely slept at all the night before.  Funny how I have managed for almost a year without them (and them without me), but once I knew they were coming, I could barely contain my excitement knowing they were on their way.  Having the kids with me for my birthday was the best gift ever (thanks guys!).

Alyssa surprised me with a “Paris” wardrobe for my trip.  When I had mentioned earlier that I didn’t want to look like a frump in Paris, she had simply responded with a “don’t worry about it mom, I’ve got it covered”.  I thought she would bring me a top or two – imagine my surprise and delight when she handed me five complete outfits including a pretty dress to wear for my birthday dinner.

Once the kids were settled into the apartment, we set out to explore Paris.  The weather was dismal – cold and rainy just like England – but it was perfect museum weather.  We got caught in a torrential downpour on our way to the Musée d’Orsay.  It didn’t stop the kids or Chris from taking pictures along the way.

Here’s some of Alyssa’s shots:

After wandering through the Musée d’Orsay for a couple of hours taking in the gorgeous impressionist works of art by some of my favourite artists like Monet, Van Gogh, Degas and Renoir, jet lag got the better of the kids and we headed back to our apartment for a little rest.

The musée d’Orsay used to be a train station.
The two clocks have been transformed into windows with
great views overlooking the Seine. 

Alyssa zoomed in and got a great shot of Sacre Couer
from the clock window.

Never too old to have a nap on mom’s lap!

Alyssa had just said to me:  If only I could lie down just for a moment.
And Voila! A place to lie down for all of us.

At the apartment, we indulged in an indoor picnic of french baguette, a variety of cheeses and pates, and a delicious French wine that cost less than 3 euros, followed by a lovely afternoon nap.  What a luxurious way to spend a rainy afternoon.

Because of the rain, we decided to postpone our plans to visit the Eiffel Tower and instead we made our way to the Arche de Triomphe which was close to the restaurant where Chris had arranged my birthday dinner for the second seating at 10:15.  After a quick tour in the pouring rain around the Arche de Triomphe, we ducked into a lively bistro restaurant for pre-dinner drinks. It felt very Parisienne even though the place was probably full of tourists.

We ate dinner in a tiny French restaurant tucked away on a side street just around the corner from the Arche de Triomphe.  Our three course meal was perfect in every sense – taste, presentation, quality.  We had fun tasting each other’s selections.  The food was absolutely amazing and the ambience in the restaurant was intimate and cozy.  The waitresses were delightful, nothing like the snobbish waiters we have been warned about.  These girls spoke quite good English but were equally happy to speak to us in French when they saw we wanted to practice.  They were very down to earth and really made our night memorable.   We had the best table in the house, next to the window where we could gaze onto the dimly lit street, lined with orderly apartment buildings; we felt like we were on a movie set.  We closed the place down at 12:30.

Back at the apartment, my birthday celebration was far from over as we toasted my birthday with a bottle of champagne – sure it was well past midnight in Paris, but it was still my birthday in Ottawa, 6 hours earlier. Alyssa suggested we do something that was done for her on her 25th birthday last spring:  each person shares how they feel about the birthday person.  Chris began, followed by Andrew and then Alyssa.  They each expressed to me how they felt about me, things they admired in me, how I have influenced them positively…..it was very touching and endearing.  So often we don’t tell the people we love how we really feel about them, and why they mean so much to us.  Well, the three most important people in my life gave me those expressions of love – what a beautiful and memorable gift on my 50th birthday.

We arrived at our apartment in Paris around 6:00 on Wednesday evening.  The apartment was in the garment district in central Paris within walking distance to most tourist attractions.  We found the apartment on airbnb.com and we would recommend it with some caveats.  The apartment was large, especially by European standards with two bedrooms, a large living room, dining room and kitchen.  This was not a vacation apartment.  It was the home of a young family of four who rent out the apartment while they are at their summer home in the south of France.  So it gave us a really good sense of what it is like to live in Paris, if only for a week.   The apartment was very comfortable, albeit a little shabby around the edges.  The location was superb with a vast selection of restaurants, bars, grocery stores, clothing and shoe stores right around the corner.  It was also located on a street that was home to a group of “ladies of the night”.  We had been warned about this in advance so it was no surprise to us.  It was actually rather fascinating to observe the routine of these ladies, many of whom were old enough to be grandmothers.

Our first night was spent getting ourselves oriented, picking up food in preparation for the kids’ arrival, and exploring the neighbourhood and a little further afar.  We loved the location of our apartment as it was in a very lively, dynamic neighbourhood, just around the corner from the Metro and within walking distance of the Louvre, Notre Dame, Musée d’Orsay, and many other tourist attractions.  It was a thrill to walk along the Seine at dusk, to see the Louvre, and to wander through the Tuileries Garden; these were places I have read about and seen in movies and now here I was in person.

I’m in Paris, baby!

First glimpse of the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
It would be another couple of days before I got a closer view. 

We visited the musée Rodin the next day.  Auguste Rodin was an accomplished sculptor, who achieved fame and notoriety while still alive.  He had a vast collection of his own sculptures and drawings as well as several paintings by famous artists like Renoir and Monet.  He donated his complete collection of art to the French government on the condition that the government create a museum in the Hôtel Biron to showcase his work.  It was in this hotel where he lived and worked from 1908 until his death.  Incredibly, the government did not accept this generous offer immediately, but took many months before making a decision and then it took several more years of squabbling before the museum became a reality.  Sadly, Rodin had died in the interim amidst all the bickering and didn’t see his life ambition realized.  Today, the musée Rodin stands as a lasting legacy to the remarkable accomplishments of one man.  The museum (along with a second site just outside Paris at Rodin’s old home, the Villa des Brillants at Meudon) is home to a collection of over 6,600 sculptures, 8,000 drawings, 8,000 old photographs and 7,000 objets d’art.  Many of Rodin’s sculptures adorned the beautiful, tranquil gardens surrounding the museum.

The Thinker, by Rodin.

Later that day, we discovered an inspiring photo exhibit tucked away in the corner of the Tuileries Garden called “Through My Window” by the photographer Ahae. Over the course of two years, Ahae took no less than a million photographs—all from just one window of his studio—recording the countless episodes that took place within his view amongst the creatures with whom we share our planet. It was selections from these photographs that were on display.  What I found so amazing was that the scene outside his window did not appear at first glance to be all that special in and of itself, yet the photographs that were taken are simply stunning.

In the evening, we attended a concert held in  Sainte Chapelle, renowned for its stained glass windows.  The venue was intimate – only 12 rows of seats – and the two musicians (violin and harp) played an eclectic collection of classical music.  Outside, it poured relentlessly throughout the entire concert. 

 We did a lot of walking on that first day and really broke in our new “city” walking shoes.  What a great start to our trip.