I'm back, at long last! For the first time since moving overseas eleven years ago, we didn't head to the States for the summer. We really needed to save the money we normally spend on trans-Atlantic travel and too-frequent/easy stops at Taco Cabana and Chipotle. But in between family yardwork jobs for some traveling teachers, we managed a few inexpensive European getaways, like this "quick trip to Paris" a few weeks ago.
Even after five years of living in Europe, it's hard to believe such a thing is possible for us. We're four hours away, but it had been four years since we'd made this trip (three for the Girl, who'd been with a friend). The Boy was headed to a four-day teen adventure camp down in Garmisch, so it was a good time for a visit.
We spent a good bit of time in the Marais, one of our favorite neighborhoods. We enjoyed both the European Photography Museum and the Musée Carnavalet, museum of the history of Paris.
I was super-excited to stumble upon the amazing shop Au Petit Bonheur La Chance, which I'd read about several times in the past. Apparently, it can be difficult to find it open, but we hit it just right, though we were informed about 15 minutes into our frenzied treasure-hunting that the proprietress would be closing up shop "in five minutes." That was probably a good thing, financially-speaking, as I got out with only two purchases.
After asking another local shopkeeper for a recommendation, we had lunch at Au Bouquet St. Paul, a friendly place with good food and fair prices.
To save money, we stayed outside of Paris in a boho apartment we rented through airbnb. Just a 12-minute walk plus twenty minutes on the Métro, it was perfect for the three of us, plus dog.
We even had a private deck and garden, something you certainly won't find in the center of Paris. See that little table at the bottom of the photo? It was trash-picked by Husband on a street nearby during one of this early-morning walks, and it now sits in our upstairs bathroom.
The garden was perfect for Yoshi, except that while exploring it, he managed to tip himself backwards right into this ridiculously-tiny pond. He was not amused, though Husband and I, who witnessed the incident, definitely were. Bad dog-parents!
We finally made it to Giverny, to Monet's House and Garden. We'd been telling the Girl we'd take her there someday, ever since she was a tiny thing reading Linnea in Monet's Garden (and watching the video).
Warm and sunny, it was a perfect day for our visit. Yay!
Back in Paris that evening, we picnicked with the masses next to the Eiffel Tower and watched the sunset. Lovely!
Back soon with more about our summer!
