Joyeux Anniversaire!

 

Vivienne's First Trip To La Tour Eiffel!

Managing the jet lag, as well as a baby who sometimes takes two morning naps makes it hard to get out of the house before noon. However we were able to get an early start yesterday and trekked all over the city.  

Vivienne's first trip to the Eiffel Tower!

...And what to my wondering eyes should appear at the steps of the Eiffel Tower but a Marche Noel - Megan you would have loved this!

This teenager was hiding behind the post, he was shy and didn't want his photo taken.

JP - We left Metro Stop FDR on our way to the tower...I think of you often, and know that you would enjoy taking pictures here.  You would do it much better than I am managing to do with little Vivienne in one arm.   I love you!

It's Snowing!

 This was the view outside my bedroom window this morning

And the smiles on the faces when I shouted the good news!

From the courtyard: what you can't see because of the branches in the way is a Kermit The Frog bike in the corner with a little basket on the front - si mignon!  Mignon means cute/adorable and that is what we hear people say when they see Vivienne on the street in her little fur coat and hat!

Re-arragning l'appartement! (Cont Jour. 3)

Jeepers this is heavy, good thing there aren't candles in this!

Laura is demonstrating that the couch really will fit if we move it horizontally.  Who needs tape measures anyway!

see, much better.

Re-arragning l'appartement! (Jour 2)

Well well well, as great as the apartment is we needed to Vivienne proof it somewhat.  Here are our attempts at doing just that - but first, Mon Cherie...

 Side note to Aunt Meggie who supplied the stroller, the snuggly pink bag and all the clothes I am wearing here in Paris - Thank You!!! I am warm because of all the goodies you send my way - Mwahhh!

The Adventure Has Begun!

Lots of catching up to be done - my apologies for taking nine days to make another post!  Fellow Moms out there know exactly how that happens ;-).  First off, I need to get this out of my system, YAY!!!!! Wowza this is soooo much fun!  I love Paris.  LOVE LOVE LOVE Paris.  Whew.  Now that we've got that out of the way, on to the fun we've been having.

Let's start at jour 1.

We arrived at our apartment after a sleepless 12 hour flight, and an hour and a half after landing not only was my french rusty but I had a fussy baby to contend with.

Now, off to transact with the lovely Arielle who showed us around the apartment.  The apartment really is darling.  It's small, imagine every hotel room you've stayed in NYC, (exception being The Mandarin Oriental ) but very cute and almost exactly as I had thought it would be - except there is no oven.  Let me repeat: there is no oven!   I tried to explain to this little french woman that to me and Neil this was akin to telling Julia Child, "welcome to your apartment in France - now don't cook for a month!"  She didn't quite understand.  So then I said,  "Imaginez dire un de France's le plus grand chef's ce il can' cuisinier de t - puis ce qui?  Still no response so then I said, "Alain Ducasse???"  Still nothing.  Anyone who knows me will know that by now I was faint.  That's putting it lightly.

...as we speak they are "working" on getting us an oven.  I received an email this morning saying they would drop one off at the apartment tomorrow.   Drop one off?  Have you seen the stairs in this place?  You're going to drop one off?  Umm...

I can assure you, my French is not that good.  It must have been the dreaded "Sharon Caruso eyebrow" that prompted Arielle's réponse très rapide!

        
You remember the suitcases - oh what fun!                                                    

Once we had a shower and nap we hit the street to see what Paris at dusk looked like.  I love this picture of Laura in front of the Vélib’s.  I can't wait to head out (without the baby folks!) on one of these puppies again and motor around The City!                        

Here are a few places we passed by on our way to dinner. 

...and what to my wondering eyes should appear... Dehillerin.  I have ooooh'd and ahhh'd about this place from across the ocean for so long!  This is the go to place for copper pots, fancy knives and madeleine cookie molds.

From there we moved on to the Bourse de Commerce

and just outside of that there was a very cute little Christmas tree market (I am hoping that for my Birthday a white flocked tree appears in my living room ;-) )

Bonjour Paris!

First night in Paris - oh what fun we had walking around seeing a few sights after a yummy meal at Cafe Beaubourg across from the Pompidou.