Our Family Adventures: Paris

While in Paris, we stayed at Le Meurice, which is apparently one of the nicest hotels in all of Europe. Although we enjoyed our time there, I think that type of luxury is wasted on us. We were much more enamored by our rooms in Versailles and in the Loire Valley than by the elegance and over the top service in Paris. Which is not to say that we did not appreciate the ability of their concierge to provide us with the ability to cut the line at a famous restaurant; nor did we turn up our nose at the best breakfast of our lives.

When we initially arrived in Paris, I was honestly wondering what we would do for three days; by the time we left, I realized that we easily could have used another week to fit in all that we wanted to see. We didn't waste time in the long lines of museums or other attractions; rather, we walked for as long as our legs and feet could stand it, taking in everything we could.

Our first time seeing the Eiffel Tower, as we approached the city.

The Palais Garnier Opera House was right around the corner from our hotel.

The Arc de Triomphe, in the distance.

Le Meurice

Palais Bourbon (the French National Assembly) at night.

Night view of one of Paris' many bridges.

Part of the original fortress that makes up The Louvre.

Arc de Triomphe due Carrousel, which is right near The Louvre.

The Louvre. Before it became the world's most visited musuem, the Louvre was the residence of French kings and a fortress.

One regret we have is not booking a tour of the Louvre. Before we left, we didn't think that we wanted to see anything inside that badly, but in hindsight, we probably should have booked a tour anyway. Once we were there, none of us were willing to spend 2+ hours waiting in line to fight the crowds inside.

Le Pont Neuf. I cannot tell you how annoyed I was that one of the most iconic bridges in Paris was covered by a modern art installation while we were there.

The Conciergerie served as a prison during the French Revolution. Marie Antoinette, along with thousands of others, awaited execution there. It was often the last stop before the guillotine.

L'horloge de la tour was installed in 1370 as the city's first public clock. It was periodically improved and beautified over time. A bell was installed in 1371; an exterior dial was installed in 1418. The ornate figures and decorative background were added over the years. In 2012, the clock was restored to reflect the 17th century version.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Paris City Hall

One of the highlights of the trip for Emily was the our lunch on a private yacht traveling on the Seine. It was the one of the first truly nice days of our trip. We started out with cocktails on the top deck and then headed below for lunch. We traveled from the Ile de Cite to just beyond the Eiffel Tower and back and it was truly a lovely few hours.

View of the Eiffel Tower from the yacht.

Joanie on the Pony - nickname of the Joan of Arc statue in the First Arrondissement, near our hotel.

Musee D'Orsay. We spent about three hours here. Originally a train station for the World's Fair, today it contains the largest collection of impressionist paintings in the world, including the most famous of all of Monet's water lily paintings.