Back Home in Paris

We arrived in Paris on Thursday and felt like we were coming back to our second home.  It is a bit rainy but much warmer than our last arrival in Paris 3 years ago when the kitchen pipes froze the first day and the ground was covered with snow.  We are in the 7th arrondissement and Kate can see the Eiffel Tower out her bedroom window.  It still sparkles every hour on the hour.  We are working on getting over the jet lag.  Kelly went out for his first run around the quartier Friday afternoon with his new Parisian style (tight spandex) running pants.

We finally got our act together and went for a walk past Les Invalides, over the Pont Alexandre, by the River Seine and towards Place de la Concorde where there is a big Ferris Wheel--La Grande Roue.  Everywhere vendors are selling roasted chestnuts.

Kelly and Kate at Les Invalides

Roasted Chestnuts

Pont Alexandre

Place de la Concorde and La Grande Roue

Riding on La Grande Roue was one of the items on the bucket list for this trip to Paris and it did not disappoint.  It is only up during the holidays.  We gained a new perspective on Paris, despite the gray and drizzle.  We could see up the Champs Elysée to the Arc de Triomphe with La Défense behind.

Sacré Coeur looked a little gray rather than white in the rain.  But there were still tons of people out in the Tuileries Gardens and by the Louvre.

Sacré Coeur

Louvre and Tuileries Gardens

Even the lamp posts at Place de la Concorde looked more interesting from La Grande Roue.

Kate didn't really want to go on La Grande Roue.  She wasn't too happy that I was taking pictures, too, so she was sure not to look at the camera as we went around.  But Kelly gave me a nice grin!

After La Grande Roue, we walked down rue de Rivoli towards Hotel de Ville.  We soon found what Kate really wanted to do in Paris--shop at Zara and H&M.  We passed a guy near the Louvre making really big bubbles.

Bubble Man

After all the walking, even Kate was tired of shopping and we headed home on the Métro to the rue Cler for jambon et fromage crêpes.  Now if our suitcases would just unpack themselves....