Week 2 impressions? This city is massive, gorgeous (even when it rains all day) and incredibly busy. We are staying in a very central part of the city, the 7th Arrondissement, which means we're super close to the Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars and access to the Seine. Finding a quiet moment, and a break from the constant whir of the diesel fueled charter busses, takes a bit of effort. As we've explored more and more neighborhoods since being here, I've been su...

Andrew was up unusually early (5am!) on Thursday so he was able to sneak in a couple meals before I set out to the Latin Quarter to prepare a fancy meal of my own. La Cuisine Paris is a cooking school in central Paris, not far from Notre Dame, that specializes in cooking classes of all types and interest levels. My particular class, which was four solid hours of French food information, fun and goodness, started at one of the oldest Parisian neighborhood Market...

What do Monet and Federer have in common? They both are pretty amazing to see up close in Paris! On Tuesday we took a long walk with our friend Campari as she showed us some highlights in the St. Germain and Tuileries quarters of the city. We wound up at the d'Orsay Museum which is housed in an old railway station that was built back in the early 1900s. Its known to have the world's largest collection of impressionist work so we got a chance to see some very ...

We spent the long weekend mostly on foot which means Andrew is either in the stroller or in the baby carrier. Both options, as we've learned, have their plusses and minuses. Andrew sleeps like a baby in both of them so his vote is not included. The stroller somewhat limits the distance we can cover since getting it down the stairs to the metro is not only awkward, but dangerous. It does, however, lighten the load we carry for the day as it also serves as a h...

It's Saturday of a three-day weekend! In France, Whit Monday is a public holiday recognizing the day after Pentecost. We were craving a picnic to make the most of the sunny, warm day so Mark did a little research and found the Jardin Catherine Laboure. What a gem! Nestled right next door in the 6th Arrondissment, this somewhat hidden park seems to be a haven for locals who are looking to escape the bustling city scene. Although the park was predominantly mad...