Dalia had several travel targets as her birthday approached this Spring but between family considerations and the ongoing (but improving) pandemic, we decided on a few nights in Paris, a destination that never seems to disappoint.
Aleksander was coming out of another one of the seemingly continuous colds that he was picking up at daycare so our nerves were a bit on high as we took off. Landing in Paris though, even from another grand city like Rome, is something special every time and we quickly remembered how wondrous and vibrant the city is.
For the first time in our several visits to Paris, we decided to stay near the Eiffel Tower to give us somewhere amazing to walk by in the evenings if Aleksander fell asleep. Our hotel was right near the Cambronne metro and even though neither of us ever remember venturing in this direction, we were not disappointed by the restaurants, cafes, baguettes and croissants in our adopted quartier.
As always, we walked and walked, staying busy, keeping Aleksander entertained and taking in all the city has to offer. The Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysses, Sacre Coeur, Montmartre and even a first time visit to the Opera.
For Dalia’s birthday lunch proper, we reserved a table at Le Hibou, one of our favourite left bank restos and close to my favourite Parisian landmark, the Jardin Luxembourg. We reminisced as Aleksander napped, clinked our glasses to another year around the sun for Dalia, and of course reflected on our accumulated good fortune to be in such a beautiful place on a wonderful bright and warm Spring day.
We continued to meander through the city’s streets and alleyways, passing by the Louvre, Shakespeare and Company, and the Pantheon. Aleksander took his first ever carousel ride in the Jardin des Tuileries and we started to consider whether Paris is a place we could eventually target to live.
Our quick weekend visit started to wind down and we learned an absolutely invaluable piece of travel advice: do not buy bottles of water from hawkers, EVEN IN PARIS! We lost a good chunk of the quality of our last day to a terrible bug but remained grateful for this opportunity to visit the city and start the Springtime season off memorably.
Paris is always a good idea. And it was nice to be reminded of that fact, coming out of covid, living in our own fabulous European city, and being able to create another set of wonderful family memories. A la prochaine Paris!
Dad In The World 