Paris is always a good idea: Eiffel Tower, Champ Elysee, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, Louvre Museum

Finally Paris

Papa had a second thought of pushing thru our trip to Paris because we would travel to Hawaii just a few weeks after this flight. However, he had bought the plane tickets a few months before and promised Mom to bring her to Paris. Papa had been there several times but that was his first time with Mom.

Not so perfect location but we know how to fix things

After arriving in Paris and settling in our accommodation, we took a train to the city center. By the way, we stayed in a typical French house in the suburbs of Paris, about forty minutes by train but the train station was just 5 minutes walk. As the first thing. we went to the world-famous Eiffel Tower. In the beginning, we were kind of disappointed because the Eiffel Tower looked small to us. Probably, we were comparing it to the Burj Khalifa. We did not go up to the top because it was a bit late for a clear view.

So, we strolled around, took some pictures and went to Champ de Mars, a beautiful garden with a fantastic view of Eiffel Tower. After a few minutes in the park, the Tower lighted up and it was so marvelous that Mom and I had several photos with the sparkling and beaming lights of the Tower. As we walked toward the train station, I saw a carousel so I asked Mom and Dad if I could ride and I did, I was so happy and had a lot of fun.

The Eiffel Tower experience

The next day, we started early and made our way to the Eiffel Tower and decided to go up to the very top. I was a bit scared but soon after I found other kids and I forgot all my fears. In fact, we talked and played until we said goodbye to each other. At the viewing deck, we had 360 panoramic views of the city and the sight was breathtaking. The Eiffel Tower is an absolute must when visiting Paris for the view is just priceless.

Out and about in Paris with Lara the Explorer

We crossed the Seine River toward one of the most famous landmarks of Paris, the Arc de Triomphe. It was autumn and the fall hues were lovely. We wandered around the Champ Elysees and took some photos. After lunch, we continued our walking tour towards to Louvre Museum stopping by every now and then to take some photos of the beautiful surroundings.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Before it became totally dark, we headed to Notre Dame Cathedral, a medieval Catholic church. It is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. Mom told me about Quasimodo, the protagonist and fictional character of the novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”. I did not understand it well but someday I will. Dad was complaining about accessing the metro, especially with me using the stroller. There was no lift available in most stations and the stairs or steps going up and down, sometimes were extremely steep and winding. It was not child-friendly or toddler-friendly, or disable friendly. Dad got even madder when we were on the train and he needed to use the toilet, and there was none. So he did the Italian way and went in the corridor between the cars of the train.

The Sacre Coeur of Paris

Sacre Coeur or Sacred Heart Cathedral in Montmartre was our next destination. Dad was complaining again coz there was no lift in the station near the Sacred Heart and I was sleeping in my stroller and he has to carry me in those neverending winding stairs. We walked our way to the church passing by the cafes, street artist, souvenir shops and restaurants. We went inside the church said some prayers. Sacred Heart Cathedral is located at the top of Montmartre, the highest point in the city. We had lunch in on of the restaurants and it was good authentic French cuisine.

Playtime in Paris

I was bored already and I want to play. Unfortunately, I did not see any playground around the places, so we went to the city. I asked my parents to look for one and they did. With the help of Google, we took a metro and headed in the direction of Jardin du Luxembourg. We walked around the park and finally found the entrance of Le Poussin Vert, a playground with a minimal entrance fee of 2.50 Euro per kid and 1.50 Euro for the adults which is good for the entire day. The playground was a large area full of things to do. For younger kids, there is a train, small ride-on wooden animals, small slides and jungle gyms and a sandbox. For older kids, there’s a huge array of spider web-like pyramids and other climbing structures, tunnels, steep and spiral slides, and rope bridges.

I was so excited that I did not know which one should I go first. So, I climbed the slides, ran around, played in the sandbox and made friends with other kids. I had so much fun but the park has to close and we had no choice but to go.
While walking back to the metro, we stopped in one of the bakeshops and bought some macaroons. It was delicious yet different from our macaroons in our hometown. However, for just a few of them, dad did have to break the bank!

Fast train to Nantes

The next day, very early morning, we called Uber to bring us to the train station Gare de Massy that would bring us to Nantes. Our TGV train was very fast. We arrived in Nantes. In front of the station, there was a public park called Jardin des Plantes or garden of Plants in English. Furthermore, there was the main botanical garden in France and has a small zoo, too. We stayed a few hours there just relaxing and admiring the beauty and well-curated garden. Afterward, we walked thru our way to the city center to take a tram that would bring us to the airport. It was a short trip but very intense and full of beautiful moments.

More Photos of Paris…