5 Takeaways From Our Family Adventure in Paris
“A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life.”
Eiffel Tower construction began in January 1887 and was finished on March 31, 1889.
It’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the entire experience of Paris. Everywhere you go, it feels as if the very city is a piece of artwork. It’s not just the monuments and famous sites, it’s the goodies in the windows of the abundant patisseries and boulangeries. It’s the beautiful and ample flowers adorning the hotels and balconies. It’s the architecture of the famous bridges, churches, and residential buildings everywhere you look throughout the city!
We are not really city folks. All five of us have lived mostly in the suburbs and in rural areas our whole lives. Trips to any city can be an overwhelming experience, but an iconic city like Paris had us all really excited. During our first stay (of 3) in the Paris area, we had the opportunity to venture into the city a couple of times with our girls.
The world-famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a must-see on any trip to Paris.
L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped!
Our first task was to navigate the transportation system to get us from our hotel to the sights we wanted to see. First, we took the complimentary shuttle bus to one of the major train stations. From there, we were able to board the RER train and ride into the heart of Paris.
When we emerged from the train station in downtown Paris, we had a sudden and immediate view of the Arc de Triomphe! At first, we were a bit confused and disappointed because it looked as though the Arc was undergoing renovation. Then, we noticed all the reporters and television cameras around us and realized something bigger was happening. We soon figured out that the Arc was being wrapped as part of an artist’s exhibit. The temporary exhibit was just being completed and would be unveiled the very next day.
The Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris, 1961-2021, or as the French call it, L'Arc de Triomphe Empaqueté, was conceptualized by Christo Vladimirov Javacheff and Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon. Known as Christo and Jeanne-Claude, they were artists noted for their large-scale, site-specific environmental installations. Prior to his death in 2020, Christo expressed his desire to have the project completed. Almost 6 decades after the idea took root, the project was finally brought to life. Over 25,000 meters of recyclable silvery blue polypropylene fabric and 3,000 meters of red rope was used in the project. It was on view for a limited time in the fall of 2021.
Cristo’s L’Arc de Triomphe Wrapped
Eiffel Tower, Flame of Liberty, and Tribute to Diana
We saw the Eiffel Tower from several viewpoints and spent some time relaxing in the park at the base of the tower. It was surreal to stand under this famous structure that we’d all only seen in pictures! We were here, in Paris, under the REAL Eiffel tower (not the one Sophie thought was the real thing on her 1st trip to Las Vegas).
Did you know that there are 8 replicas of the Statue of Liberty in various places around Paris? The largest is over 37 feet tall and the smallest is actually incorporated in another statue as a tiny adornment emerging from the breastplate of a centaur. While we did not go on a hunt for any of the replicas, we did find her flame. The Flame of Liberty in Paris is a 1:1 replica of the flame that adorns the Statue of Liberty that was gifted to the US by France in 1885. The monument is made from gilded copper, covered in gold-leaf, and it is supported by a pedestal of gray-and-black marble. It was quite interesting to see the flame up close and get a better understanding of the scale of the iconic statue back in our home country.
Flame of Liberty and tributes to Diana, Princess of Wales
You can find the Flame of Liberty above the entrance to the Pont de l’Alma bridge on the Right Bank (of the Seine River). The replica has become an unofficial memorial to Princess Diana, who died in the tunnel below in 1997. There were several tributes and flowers displayed there in her memory. Both the flame and the tributes gave us an opportunity to have conversations with the girls about the history and events that were represented.
More Highlights from our Time in Downtown Paris
Authentic French Crepes – After arriving at the Charles de Gaulle – Étoile train station in Paris, we stopped at a restaurant attached to the station to have crepes and milk shakes for lunch. We’ve had crepes before, but these were our 1st official French crepes, and they were absolutely delicious!
Click on photos to enlarge.
Église Saint-Eustache – We stumbled upon this church shortly after leaving the Charles de Gaulle – Étoile train station. Sophie was intrigued by the statue of the head and hand in front. From the exterior, the church looked beautiful so we decided to take a peek inside and ended up doing a self-guided tour. This was our first church tour in France and it was magnificent. The architecture, stained glass, ornamental statues, crypts, pipe organ, etc. It was all so overwhelming that Rachel started to cry in wonder at it all!
Passe Sanitaire – We knew from our research that traveling in France during our time frame would require us to obtain a passe sanitaire (a French health pass, equivalent to a CDC card, but with a QR code) in order to visit most indoor locations and restaurants. What we weren’t sure of was how or where to get one. Big shout out to Ryan, the concierge at the B&B Hotel, who provided excellent service. We asked him a couple questions about where we could go and, though he wasn’t sure, he tried to give us a few ideas. Then, as we were getting ready to board the shuttle outside the hotel later that day, he chased us down. It turns out that Ryan had called multiple pharmacies in Paris for us, asked whether or not they could help, identified the best one, and gave us the address and specific directions to find it. We located his recommended pharmacy and the super friendly pharmacist helped us convert our CDC cards into passe sanitaires in just a few minutes. Without those passes, we would have been very limited in what we could do and where we could go so we were (and are) very thankful for the awesome help we received!
Pont Neuf – We walked the streets of downtown Paris taking in the Pont Neuf, one of several historic bridges of Paris. The detailed carvings of the faces all along the side of the bridge were stunning. The bridge itself, like so much of Paris, was a piece of stunning artwork and architectural design.
Notre Dame Cathédral - The cathedral was still closed for tours due to necessary renovations following the fire in 2019. However, we were able to read about the damage and the renovation efforts on the barriers set up around it. We were also able to enjoy a large exhibit of artwork created by school children celebrating their love for Notre Dame and their impressions of the damage the fire had caused. Clearly, this beautiful church is well loved by the people of France (and the rest of the world).
Italian Gelato at Grom – We stopped for super yummy Italian gelato at a street side café. We each got our own little cup with 2 to 3 flavors and enjoyed the cool treat after some walking and sightseeing. Overall, it was a huge, delicious hit!
Outdoor Preview of The Louvre – We walked around the grounds of the massive Louvre, enjoying the architecture of the exterior before venturing inside in a few weeks. It was yet another surreal moment to stand outside this museum with all of its treasures.
Restroom Emergency #1 – While walking the streets of downtown Paris, Sophie had a restroom emergency, and we couldn’t find the public restroom that the GPS was showing us. In desperation, we stopped at a restaurant and asked if she could use the facilities. A waiter took pity on our sweet girl and pointed us to les toilettes (the restroom).
GPS failure – As we headed for the train station, Kevin’s phone died and we were unable to use it for navigation. Thankfully, he has an amazing sense of direction and got us where we needed to go so that we could return to our hotel without a problem.
Restroom Emergency #2 – At the Châtelet–Les Halles train station, one of the largest underground train stations in the world, we learned that some public restrooms require a fee. Kevin paid and he and Rachel went to their respective restrooms. Kevin returned shortly but Rachel was nowhere to be found, even after about 5-10 minutes. Growing concerned, we went into problem-solving mode. Ellie ran around the surrounding area searching for her, thinking maybe she had walked right past us. Kevin and Sophie stayed put where we had been before in case she left and came back. I went into the restroom and found that she was stuck in the stall. Her door lock was jammed, and there was no way to crawl over/under the floor to ceiling stall. After several harrowing minutes with two staff and another customer trying to help, she was freed. The friendly customer smiled nicely and said “welcome to Paris.” 😂
Rush Hour on the RER – Our extensive exploring caused us to spend more time than we’d planned in the downtown area. As a result, we boarded the RER during the crowded rush hour. This was when jet lag really hit all three girls. In no time, they were all snoozing while we traveled back to our station.
Jet lag sets in on RER train back to hotel - Paris, France
5 Key Takeaways from our 1st Experiences in Paris:
Plan ahead for restroom breaks – Always prepare ahead and know where to find the bathroom - and be prepared to pay for it. If you’re able, plan your meal time strategically, keeping in mind when the restaurants are open/closed, as many are much different than the US. This will allow for free access to a bathroom (with the purchase of food) so you can better avoid emergencies. We also recommend keeping some tissues in your purse or backpack, just in case a public restroom is not adequately supplied.
Stay together – You never know when you might need a little help. It’s best to keep close, even when venturing into the restroom.
Have a backup – Always have a battery pack available when using your cellphone as your primary source of navigation. Kevin’s was the only phone that was enabled with Google Fi (the rest of us only had service with wifi throughout our trip) so it was especially important that his phone was charged and functioning properly.
Be spontaneous – Be sure to leave time in your schedule to wander a bit. You’re sure to find treasures that would not have been on your planned itinerary. We would never have seen Rachel’s amazing reaction to the art if we hadn’t taken the time to spontaneously walk into Église Saint-Eustache.
Don’t always believe what you hear – Parisians are way more friendly and helpful than we expected! Despite so many warnings that Parisians would be rude, we met genuinely friendly and helpful people as we navigated the city. From Ryan at the B&B Hotel to the pharmacist and the random stranger in the train station restroom, we encountered plenty of friendly Parisians who were willing and eager to assist us along the way.
Have you traveled to a foreign country with your family? What unexpected things did you learn during your adventures? Are there any commonly held beliefs or things that you’ve heard about countries, cultures, or communities of people that have kept you from considering a travel destination?
