I'm at a bed and breakfast - optimistically called Sunnyside B&B - in Yatton, a village just outside Bristol. It's currently home to close to half the Cooper clan, so we're having a good old time hanging out with rellies. Last night we met Saffs' partner, Gwen, for the first time and over a great dinner prepared by Saffs (quinoa salad and soya patties) we got better acquainted with her. It's been quite a jolt to see the kids towering over us and having adult conversations. How did that happen? Everyone seems to be making smart choices regarding their education and the future, which we found quite reassuring.
It's been an action packed two weeks in Europe. A couple days in Paris, then a week on the Riviera, four days in Berlin, and now in England. Having seen Woody Allen's MIDNIGHT IN PARIS a couple days before arriving in Paris I was all primed for a romantic experience. I was not disappointed. Pam and family met us at our hotel on the first day. We stayed at the Hotel Beaugency near charming Rue Cler and fairly close to the Eiffel Tower. A good choice of hotel, though not terribly central to the main sites.
Taking in Paris with kids presented a different way to enjoy the city. Kimi (aged 7) and Keayen (aged 11) are pretty easy kids to travel with. They'd just had 3 full days of Disneyland and were ready for something different! We strolled along the left bank of the River Seine and got on to the Isle de la Cite where we showed them Notre Dames. They loved looking at the gargoyles. From here we sauntered to the Pompidou Center, took the escalators to the top and enjoyed the views of Paris. We had an excellent pasta and pizza dinner at an Italian restaurant close to the Pompidou Center.
On my first morning in Paris I loved exploring the neighborhood around our hotel in search of the perfect cafe for coffee and croissant. We had almost instant success since Rue Cler, a narrow, cobbled lane was a two minute walk from us. There's a daily market on this road and the cafes lining the road were all delightful. After a rather satisfying cafe creme and croissant we equipped ourselves with French SIM cards and went off to the Eiffel Tower. It was a thrilling experience for Keayen and Kimi, despite the endless line. Afterwards we had a sumptuous picnic lunch at the nearby park. White nectarines, cherries, baguette, cheeses - hmmm ...
In the afternoon Pam's family dutifully braved the Louvre, hyping up the Mona Lisa to the kids. Daryl and I walked around the left bank and made a few cafe stops. First we stopped for an espresso at a modern 21st century cafe. Everyone around us spoke English. Turned out the owner was a young Australian lad who told us all about how it's so hard to find good coffee in Paris and how he was trying to change this! We nodded and smiled politely.
We all met up again at Place Concorde, metro-ed to the Arc de Triomphe and strolled along the Champs Elysees. Pam and Indrasen enjoyed looking at the shiny, expensive shops. The kids were happy to lick their gelatos while their parents dreamed of the day they could shop on this boulevard!
We ate another fine dinner (Thai) in the Latin Quarter to finish up the day. Daryl and I usually research restaurants when we are traveling. We'e learned not to be random about this. This time, however, we decided to be relaxed about this. So we were pleasantly surprised that both meals, randomly chosen, turned out to be pretty decent.
And that ended our short Paris visit. Daryl will return to this inriguing city for the first 3 months of 2012. I'll join him for a week when I have my spring break.
In my next entry I'll tell you all about our week on the French Riviera.
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