Kate and Carter Come to Paris





We were so excited for Kate and Carter's arrival on Sunday, March 4. 

The morning started off a bit rough.  It was the Paris Half Marathon so our street was blocked at the east end and traffic was being diverted a few blocks to the west at Maubert-Mutualité.  A few cars were finding their way around back behind our street but we were not seeing Kate and Carter's taxi.  And of course it was raining and cold.  Kelly decided he should go down to Maubert-Mutualité and try to find their taxi while I waited in front of the apartment.  And it was a good thing he went.
The windows on the taxis were tinted so he had to peer in the back seat of about a dozen taxis before he saw them.  They were so relieved he found them!  They did not have euros yet and were planning to pay by credit card.  The driver's credit card machine was broken and he would not agree to keep Carter in the taxi while Kate went the three blocks down to our apartment to get cash.  Kate was in a bit of a panic, doing her best to speak French with the driver who spoke no English, when suddenly her father appeared.  I was so relieved to see the three of them wheeling those suitcases down boulevard Saint Germain towards me.  The rest of the trip Kelly kept telling Kate, "I found you!"  And we were so happy he did.
We hurried off in the rain to the Salon de l'Agriculture for the last day of the fair.  We were trying to keep Kate and Carter awake and moving but the place was so crowded-so much more so than when we went in 2012.  When we returned home they each took a two hour nap to try to get over the jet lag and they adjusted pretty quickly.  We strolled over to the bridge to Île Saint Louis for a view of "our" side of Nôtre Dame.  It was so pretty in the evening light.  The Seine is still higher than normal and tourist boats are not running yet.

We had a great week with Kate and Carter here.  Carter had spent four whirlwind days in Paris in July 2014 before he and Kate married.  We made sure he got more sleep this time and slowed the pace at bit.  The first thing Kate wanted to do was go to the old neighborhood by the BYU apartment.

Kate and Kelly at the BYU Apartment Door

Kate in the BYU Apartment

As we started to take a picture outside the apartment, Hadley Howard, the wife of the BYU professor living in the apartment this semester, walked out of the papeterie next door.  She was so kind to invite us in to see the apartment.  Kate was thrilled to get to go inside.  She missed that familiar apartment and neighborhood.
We checked out the pastries at the "White Bakery" and walked down the rue Cler for lunch at Café Central.  We love their frites and how they are served in a tin cup.

Café Central

Sharing a Pizza

Croque Monsieur with Frites

Lively Conversation

Kelly and Carter Outside the Café



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked over to the Champs de Mars to see the Eiffel Tower. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went next to Montmartre to see the artists.  It was fun watching a man sketch a darling little boy who couldn't sit still.

 



 





A couple of policewomen on horseback who were circling Montmartre stopped for the tourists to admire the horses.  We called Kate the horse whisperer.  The horse really seemed to like her and it was hard to pull Kate away.


We walked around the back of Montmartre to look at the last vineyard inside the Paris city limits and back of Sacré Coeur.  Another perfect day in Paris.

Sacré Coeur