The Bash Family Visits France!

"They're here!  They're here!  They're here!"  That is what we chanted, over and over, the first day they arrived.

Trish, Brent, Anna, and Otto are in Paris!  The sisters are reunited!  The cousins are reunited!  The brothers-in-law are reunited!  What a glorious reunion!

We have been so excited for the Bash family to arrive.  We have missed them so much.  We went from seeing them a few times a week to not seeing them for 7 whole months!  I am not sure who is more excited, them or us.

I will do a brief synopsis of what we did each day, so I will let the pictures do most of the talking.

On Saturday, after the arrived and we fed them some French pastries, the kids ran off to a park to play soccer.  (Will got a new soccer ball after the Saint Germain game.) The parents set off after them exploring the Auteuil Hippodrome, as well as the Saturday market.  We came back for a quick lunch
of all things yummy from the market, before setting off on a nice walk to see the Eiffel Tower.  After some yummy crepes, we sent the kids home by themselves on the Metro, while the adults had a leisurely walk home, partaking in more delicious pasties that we refused to share with the kids.

Once home we had a relaxing dinner before Jeff and I took all the kids to an 8:45 p.m. professional rugby game at Stade Jean Bouin.  Whew!  Those of us that got 8 hours of sleep the night before, were exhausted!  We don't know how the Bash kids did it.

Breakfast and hugs - Anna and Edy!

Otto and Will!

The kids headed out to explore.

The Auteuil Hippodrome

The kids got to taste many delicacies at the market.

Trish got the hang of "looking French" right away by carrying the baguettes.

Lunch!

And now we are off for some more exploring on the scooters.

Brent and Trish

The Bash Family - Brent, Trish, Otto, and Anna.

Sisters - Trish and Betsy

A store named after them!

Our first family dinner in months!

And now some professional rugby.

Each girl got a rose when she entered the stadium.

Stade Jean Bouin

Stade Francais played La Rochelle. 

Not sure about the Paris mascot!

Will and Otto were up early the next morning, so we put them to work making eggs.  We then all went to the 11:00 service at the American Church in Paris.  We had lunch at a Cafe Central on Rue Cler, before taking the train to Il de Cite to see Notre Dame.  We hung out on the Pond Neuf, before doing Will's favorite climbing wall, and indulging in some gelato at Amorino.  We then hit up Shakespeare and Company before walking to Jardin du Luxembourg.  Unfortunately, it was closed so we explored Saint-Sulpice instead, which is the second largest church in Paris, after Notre Dame.  Saint-Sulpice also has a meridian line, oriented along the north-south axis, running through it, which for Edy and Will was a good follow-up to our trip to Greenwich.    

Hard at work making eggs!

Fun on Rue Cler.

Lunch at Cafe Central.

A quick treat at Laudree.

Most of the family on the Pont Neuf.

All of the family on the Pont Neuf.

Their first visit to Amorino.

The climbing wall along the Seine.

The spectators.

I promised Anna that Odette's was another yummy Parisian treat.  

Lighting candles at Saint-Sulpice.

Standing along a meridian with the gnomon of Saint-Sulpice in the background.

On Sunday night, we heard rumor of another day of strikes by the Paris Metro and regional trains.  Luckily, when we woke up, it didn't seem to affect any of our plans for the day.  Anna and I decided to make crepes for breakfast.  Then, Edy, Will, and the Bash family then set out for the Arc du Triumph and the Champs-Elysees.  I met up with them after a bit for a picnic lunch in the Jardin du Tuilleries.  The kids insisted on first doing the trampolines before lunch.  Who were we to object?

After lunch, the Bash family ducked into the Musee de l'Orangerie before heading to the Il de Cite to visit Sainte Chapelle.  We met up again for ice cream at Haagen Daz, before the kids headed back to the climbing wall along the Seine.  Trish and I took the opportunity to sneak away to the Leonardo DeVinci exhibit at the Louvre.  

Anna and I making crepes!

Breakfast!

Heading out for the day.

Arc de Triomphe

An impressive view!

Walking hand-in-hand on the Champs-Elysees.

The best macaroons around!

Otto imitating Charles de Gaulle on his famous walk down the Champs-Elysees.

Jump! Jump!

A picnic at the Jardin du Tuileries.

Looking good, Otto, with Monet.

The boys, the Place de la Concorde, and a rainbow.  

Palais Royale and Louvre Metro Station

Edy and Otto in front of the Hotel de Ville.

It is never too cold for ice-cream.  

Louvre - Leonardo de Vinci exhibit

On Tuesday morning, Trish and I got up early and went for a walk to see the three famous stadiums around our apartment - Roland Garros, Stade Jean Bouin, and Parc de Princes.  We came home with pastries for the birthday girl.  Edy was excited to celebrate turning 13 with her cousins.

The Bash family then headed off to the Musee Rodin and the Musee d'Orsay, while the McLaughlin kids did a bit of school work.  We then met up for Edy's birthday lunch at her favorite restaurant - Five Guys on the Champs-Elysees.

After lunch we explored the Palais Royale, before splitting up for the afternoon.  Will joined the Bash family a the Conciergerie, while Edy and I did some birthday shopping.  The Bash family then went up the Tour Eiffel before coming home to dinner and "cake" from our favorite new shop - Aux Meriveilleux de Fred.

Roland Garros, where the French Open is played.

Breakfast celebration for the birthday girl!

Happy 13th Birthday, Edy!

Otto and Anna, thinking hard.

Musee d'Orsay

Heading to lunch with these two...

Five Guys!

 

Finally riding the 1 train.

Sweet Anna!

Edy!

All four cousins!

At the top of the Tour Eiffel.

Happiest of Birthdays, dear Edy!

Since Will wasn't feeling well on Wednesday morning, he and I stayed home, while Edy and the Bash family went exploring.  They visited a cool cemetery (Cimetiere de Montmartre) before walking around Montmartre and seeing Sacre Coeur.  Edy then took them to the lock bridge, where they attached their own family lock before checking out the American Library in Paris, and finally stopping at our church to write special notes for the homeless.

They then treated themselves to a little play time at the Jardin du Luxembourg, before I met up with them at the Opera Garnier.  I then took them around some of my favorite shops - Galleries Lafayette, Mango, Zara, and Lou.Yetu, a jewelry store.

Walking through Cimetiere de Montmartre.

Montmartre

Sacre Coeur

Putting their lock on the bridge.

Making cards for the homeless at the American Church in Paris.

Jardin du Luxembourg - Brent and Otto

Trish and Otto

US verses New Zealand

Opera Garnier

Waiting for Aunt Betsy on the steps of the Opera Garnier.

On Thursday, the Bash family went outside the city to visit Versailles.  This gave the McLaughlin family time to catch up on some school work and pack for our upcoming ski trip.  Once they got back, the four adults went out to dinner at a restaurant in our neighborhood called Le Murat.  The kids snuggled in and watched the Parent Trap.  According to Otto, it had a lot of "cringy" moments.

Breakfast at a cafe, while waiting for the train.

 

Oh, Marie Antionette...

Just a boy and his swan...

The grounds of Versailles are beautiful any time of year.

The Hall of Mirrors!

Finally, riding the RER C!

Their last day here - it came too fast!  So we were sure to cram as much as we could into their last day!  We started the morning with delicious pastries from a shop a few metro stops away.  This gave the kids an excuse to ride the train by themselves to get the treats.  Then Will accompanied the Bash family to Les Invalides for his 10th visit.  They explored the World War 1 and World War II museum as well as Napoleons tomb and stuffed horse.  After a brief stop at another lock bridge, they went back to the Jardin du Tuileries to jump again on the trampolines.  

We then walked a great deal of the right bank of the Seine.  We saw Place Vendome, which Brent, Trish, and I remember Madame Williamson talking fondly about during our high school French classes.  (It is just a bronze column that Napoleon had constructed made from 1,200 of his enemies canons.)  We then walked through the gardens at Palais Royale before heading past Saint Eustace, through the big shopping complex, Les Halles, to the Lego store for Otto and Will.  We then headed to the Centre Pompidou to grab Amorino one last time, while staring at the unique facade of the building.  We then explored part of Les Marais, stopping by the Elisabeth chocolate shop for a champagne truffle, and then Aux Merveilleux de Fred for a last cramique. We swung by Parc Voges and the monument to the Bastille, before finally riding the kids favorite metro line - line 14!  This is a driverless train that goes really fast, due to the long distances between stations.  Whew! 

Our last breakfast together.

Heading out on the train.

Les Invalides

 

 

Napoleon's Tomb 

Looking towards the Louvre, across the Seine.  

 

Watching the men play boules at the gardens of the Palais Royale.

These two are always hand-in-hand. 

Place Vendome - for Madame Williamson, Shawnee High School, 1991-1996, 

Otto and Anna wanted to make sandwiches for the homeless.
They spent the day delivering the sandwiches to people in need 

Amorino outside the Centre Pompidou.

Always plotting and planning...

A great last picture, for a great last day!

We finished the day as we always seem to do, with a late dinner and lots of play time before finally crashing into bed between 11:00 p.m and midnight.  No one can say we didn't make the most of our last day.  

Thank you, Trish, Brent, Anna, and Otto for bringing a big part of home here to Paris.  Home has always been synonymous with all .  Having you here brought both of our homes together, in a city we love.  Thank you for coming to see us.  We miss you already!

A tough goodbye!

While we are sad to see them leave, we are ever mindful of our time coming to a close, and that before long, we will be home.  Just last week we let Yann and Hortence know that we would be vacating the apartment on July 1 and that if they needed to, they could start showing it for the next renters.  This was a rather tough moment for us, because it is hard to imagine this time coming to an end.  As I shared before, our minds are starting to drift to things back home and we are starting to realize we can't get all the travel in we would like to.  (Did you now that France is a big country?  It is roughly the size of Texas.)

Trish asked me if we have any regrets or things we wish we would have done differently.  I emphatically said, "NO!"  For me, everything that we have done, or has happened to us, has led us to this moment right now.  If I have regrets or wish things would have been different, I wouldn't be appreciating the moments now.  And that is what I am trying hardest to do with this year abroad as a family - live in the moment.  I want to cherish and love the moments for what they are - at times fun, at times hard, at times joyous, and at times a challenge.  I can't look back and think, "if only," because in my mind that devalues where we are now.  And I am loving the right now, whatever that moment looks like.

And now we are off to ski!  Until next time...

Betsy