A Whole New World

by Danielle

This week marked the first time we’ve had both kids in school, Joseph in preschool (maternelle) and Rachel in nursery school (halte garderie). They have both adjusted very quickly and we love the childcare situations more than anything we had arranged back in the states, and the bonus is that it’s practically free. So now we find ourselves with four days a week (there is no school on Wednesdays) where we can do whatever we want. I can’t express how mind boggling this is, after having been consumed with the needs of (at least) one child at all times.

We took full advantage two days this week and played tourist. Day one we took Velib bikes toward Ile Saint Louis in the heart of the city and had coffee while overlooking the Seine and the park on the backside of Notre Dame. Then to the Marais for lunch, joined briefly by our friend Romy whose apartment is in the square by the restaurant.  This morning was rainy so we started at the Louvre but deemed it too crowded.  We walked through the Tuileries and had a coffee until the sun came out. Then we visited the museums of the Orangerie and Jeau de Palme. After a quick lunch in the Marais, we biked home along the canal. Life is good.

There are so many things we’d like to see, I suspect the next few weeks will be jam packed with tourist activities. We also are exploring the idea of taking day trips (not necessarily together) to cities that are easily accessible by high speed rail. It’s crazy to think that a day trip to Strasbourg, Amsterdam or Luxemborg is possible, but it is. Stay tuned.