Chapter 1
Un, deux, trois — Learning francais
My love affair with the City of Lights began in middle school. Taking a language was an academic requirement and I chose to study the romance language — francais. And since then, I’ve been in love with everything French.
I continued studying French in my high school years, participating in my high school French Club. Excursions into Manhattan to experience french cuisine and foreign films piqued my interest and curiosity. I was becoming a true francophile! Well, trying anyway!
Chapter 2
Paris in my twenties
While in college, I visited Paris as part of a 5 week European journey with my friend. Her family invited us to join them in Italy for a couple of weeks and we decided to expand our adventure to include London and Paris.
Although we only spent about 5 days in Paris, its imprint on my very soul was permanent. I fell in love with everything about it –the culture, its people and its cuisine.
The impact that this city had on my own home city of Manhattan was clear. For example, the Arc de Triomphe influenced the design of Washington Square Park. The architecture of many apartments and homes were also styled in this city’s style.
After college, I was lucky enough to visit Paris again for a few days along with a visit to Nice. And again, it didn’t disappoint. I knew my relationship with this beautiful city would continue.
Chapter 3
Married with kids in Paris
My love for Paris didn’t go away once I was married with children. I knew that one day we would, as a family, experience all the city had to offer. And it wasn’t too long into my family travel journey that we did just that.
When my kids were 7 and 11, I decided to take the leap and book my family’s first European adventure. Paris was my first choice, bien sur! (Of course!)
Unlike many families in the Northeast that plan ski or beach vacations during the February school break, I chose this week for our Parisian adventure. And yes, I know that for some, visiting Europe in the winter, unless for skiing, may not seem appealing. But after some research, I decided the weather would really not be a deterrent. And after all,
Our first European family trip wasn’t about getting a sun tan.
It was about learning about new places and people and immersing oneself in another culture. And of course, it was about being together as a family and having a great time !
I booked an air/hotel package on one of the popular travel websites. Planning our daily itinerary was aided by the internet and travel books taken out from our local library.
Our trip got off to a bit of a bumpy and rather snowy start. The day before our departure, New York was buried in a snowstorm. Many flights had been delayed or cancelled. Our flight took off 3 hours late and one piece of our luggage was lost. But we made it to France and our adventure only got better from there!
We spent 6 full days exploring the City of Lights and all it had to offer. We didn’t take any formal tours but visited all sites on our own. And by the way, the weather was beautiful. Unusually warm days in the 50’s and 60’s with little rain!
We visited many of Paris’ iconic sites including..
the Eiffel Tower , the beautiful Notre Dame cathedral (pre-2020 fire) and the Seine River. We climbed up the Eiffel Tower for breathtaking views of the city. We toured the inside of Notre Dame and walked along the upper part of its outside to see the gargoyles up close and personal.
But these sites just scratched the surface of all that this beautiful city had to offer.
Our kids experienced some uniquely French things such as…
their little cars (which have since become more common in the States) and French television where many of their favorite American shows were dubbed in French. They learned that eating was an experience to be enjoyed and not rushed.
They learned to take things in and just breathe. The little things in life like eating chocolate by the Seine became a vivid memory . As the French call it — Joie de Vivre!
We immersed ourselves in the city by walking, exploring and…
taking in all the sights, sounds and smells of this magnificent city. My kids even got to enjoy a treat from home — cotton candy!
If there is one bit of advice that I can give to any visitor to Europe is to get a map, walk and explore! Wandering the streets can result in some amazing finds and memories. Small shops to experience, a cute carousel near the Eiffel Tower… it is all there for you to discover.
We visited some of the world’s most famous art museums…
including the Louvre. Famous for housing the Mona Lisa, it contains many other pieces of famous art. The art starts on the outside of this museum as you can see by the pyramid jutting from the ground behind my family.
Now, the Louvre is quite huge and I would recommend no more than a morning or afternoon here. There is so much to see that it can be quite overwhelming.
Either before or after your visit to this museum, make sure to walk through the Tuileries Garden located between the Louvre and the Place de la Concord. This park is quite beautiful and is a wonderful place to take a break and watch the world go by.
Although the Louvre is probably more famous, my family’s favorite museum was the Musee D’Orsay. Housed in the old Orsay train station, the architecture of this structure was amazing. The D’Orsay contains mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914. It houses the largest collection of impressionist and post impressionists in the world. Works of art by such painters including Monet, Renoir, Cezanne and Van Gogh can be found here.
We immersed ourselves in French history visiting…
Napoleon’s tomb where we learned more about the history of this famous leader.
When visiting the Arc de Triomphe, we watched the laying of wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier. This ceremony is done daily and can be quite emotional.
We also visited a King’s home– Louis XIV’s palace to be exact.
A side trip to the Palace of Versailles is highly recommended. We bought fixings for a picnic from a local market consisting of a bagette, several french cheeses, olives, pastries, fanta for the kids to drink and of course, some delicious french wine for mom and dad.
We took the RER commuter train and off we went. The palace gardens with its sculptured landscaping and the opulence of the inside of the King’s residence was amazing! My daughter was quite impressed by Marie Antoinette’s bedroom!
Our Paris adventure contained many firsts for my kids including…
- Their first passport for their first international flight.
- Their first experience where everyone spoke a different language.
- Their first exposure to world renowned art outside of NYC.
- Their first exposure to European history where it actually happened,
- Their exposure to new and delicious foods — the best croissants, mussels, croque monsieurs and madames, pastries to die for and the list goes on.
And of course, as with all vacations, our Parisian journey came to an end. But I knew that this trip would not be our last taste of France or Europe. It would just be one chapter of many in our family travel storybook.