We found a nice suite in the Hotel Excelsior right next to the Sorbonne
in the Quartier Latin. The location is wonderful - a short walk to
the Jardin de Luxembourg, a few more steps to Notre Dame Cathedral, and a
few blocks to the Louvre. Like London, we visited all the tourist
sites: Notre Dame (including feeding the birds), Sacré Coeur and
Montmartre, the Louvre, the Eiffel tower,
Palais Versailles, the Arc de Triomphe. We heard an organ recital
at Notre Dame, played baseball in Jardin de Luxembourg, and took a Bateaux Mouche cruise
on the Seine. We loved the architecture and art - you almost can't turn
any corner in old Paris without seeing another incredible building or
statue. We also loved the street performers: excellent musicians and
painters, and some very funny entertainers. My nephew Andrew is traveling
through England and France with his school friend Paul Watson. We managed
to meet them in Paris for a few days. Much to the amusement of my kids, I
have had to reluctantly give up my title of being the tallest Carlson
(after a 25 year reign) to Andrew. Mark, Heather and I went to
Paris Disneyland on our last day. We had already been to Disneyland in
Anaheim a few years ago, and to our eyes the entrance and main street is
brick for brick identical to the California Disneyland. We went to the
excellent "Honey, I shrunk the audience" 3D movie, but otherwise
the kids were not that impressed with Disneyland. They much preferred the
other amusement parks that we have visited on this trip. Off to York
to visit Sarah's Great Aunts. |