Paris
Flat Stanleys
Second week in a row without leaving Paris. Last week was such a hit we thought why not try it again.
Exciting start to the week as several of Charles’ Sydney classmates arrived … in the post!
The class were reading Flat Stanley and had gotten into the spirit by making their own replica Flat Stanleys. Several of them had jetted to Paris and were determined to see the sights…
Jardin d’acclimatation – reprise
Niamh and Aisling were justifiably jealous when they heard Charles’ and Simon’s descriptions of their adventures in the Jardin d’Acclimatation the weekend before, so come Sunday we decided a rerun visit was called for, with all the family.
Aisling was straight into the mix, checking out the roller band, jumping behind the wheel on the dodgems and dominating the playground climbing equipment…
But for this thrill seeker, it is really all about the rollercoasters.
The bigger, the higher, the faster the better.
How about that one, Daddy? The rocket ship one?
Ah yes, of course, the rocket ship one!
Mummy not looking so convinced in the back, but check out that smile in the front!
Mostly we were all just looking nice and relaxed…
Highlight of the day for Charles was tackling the big zip lines and tree-top course with his friend Deniz.
Helmets and harnesses in place, it was up through the nets and out into the course.
On the line, and ready to zip across the lake!
Courageous boy thrilled with himself, as he should have been.
Time for a quick snap with the Flat Stanleys on the way out of the park (in front of the impressive architecture of the Fondation Louis Vuitton), then it was off to our next appointment, Lucas’ birthday party in the nearby Bois de Bologne.
Another successful trip to the Jardin d’Acclimatation. Give us this over EuroDisney any day!
Bois de Bologne Birthday
All go this Sunday. Charles and Deniz were both off to Lucas’ 8th birthday party, a short distance further into the park, on a picturesque little island…
Great fun with the class racing around the park, building forts, and launching surprise attacks and sorties with water pistols.
Who’s that who’s once again muscled his way somehow to the front of the cake line?? It’s important to develop core skills in life…
Tired but happy kids on the ferry back at the end of the day.
School visits for Mum & Dad
This week there were a few different opportunities to visit Charles’ school.
First, to check out the lego after-school activity, with Aisling quick to get in on the action…
Last Sculpture Evening!
Undaunted by the sight of his fellow sculpture classmates consistently turning out masterpieces while he toiled away to learn the basics week after week, after 6 months of great fun, Simon finally finished his first work.
The Louvre won’t be calling anytime soon, but Tuesday night sculpture classes were a real highlight of Simon’s time in Paris, and certainly provided the most authentic experience. Plus he had a lot of fun, made some new friends and learned a lot.
He even finished with 20 mins to spare on the last evening.
Not cutting it fine at all!
Plenty of time left over to scratch out a little moon face to celebrate the beautiful evening…
Fun around Paris
Now that we were within 3 months of leaving the EU, it was duty free shopping time!
Simon dispatched to the fancy boutiques in Au Bon Marché to pick up some trinkets.
His strategy was to buy only from whomever could serve the finest tea in the finest china cups.
Let the sipping begin 🙂
Aisling meanwhile putting the final touches on the scooter tricks she had been working on all year in the streets of Paris.
Look out world!
We stumbled upon pigeon eggs in our window box, and gay pride marches in the streets…
… Charles finished his world cup soccer card collection after months of frenzied and focused trading in the playground and careful use of pocket money (hooray!), and we also admired this man’s panache.
He is the Chanel boutique poop butler.
If your pooch needs to poop while you’re shopping for some trinkets, he’ll take it for a stroll around the Place des Voges until it does its business on the most fashionable cobbles in the world, and then neatly scoop them up for you before returning Fido.
Ah, the romance of Paris!
Aisling’s school show
Could this week get any more exciting? Yes it could!
Time for Aisling’s end of year school play and ballet performance.
All in a large professional theatre.
Quite the event of the season 🙂
Fantastic performance by everyone involved, and a very proud girl and parents at the end.
Time for a shot with our two teachers (one for French, one for English) and a big thank-you for a great 6 months together.
Can’t believe it’s nearly all over!
Our little graduate
And just like that it was the last day of school. Yes, we’ve graduated from French pre-school. Quite an achievement and worth celebrating with a special graduation hat:
Then it was off to celebrate at lunch with Mum & Dad. And what better menu to celebrate with than our favourite ham and our favourite cheese, all washed down with a generous glass of Orangina.
Happy days and happy memories.
Saving the best ’til last
Charles’ school year was drawing to a close too of course.
Time for one last “sortie”, and they had saved the best until last – a trip to the chocolaterie Ducasse to see how chocolate is made, end to end.
Complete with making our very own bars of chocolate, if you don’t mind!
Chocolate lovers, eat your hearts out!
Puttin’ on the Ritz
Not to be outdone, Niamh and Simon were also rapidly thing to close out their Paris bucket list.
This week – an evening of class at the Ritz, with the mission to sample all the bars on offer 🙂
The secluded back bar and terrace cafe with its fountains and mountains of cocktails was all very nice, as was the private arcade of boutiques bursting with baubles.
But none of that compared to just stretching out in our own cabana in the lush interior garden courtyard with a glass of fine Bordeaux and some hors d’oeuvres – which proved surprisingly easy to negotiate if you were willing to speak a bit of french, smile a lot and be patient.
Here we are doing our best to look fabulous…
Of course, no trip to the Ritz would be complete without a trip to the iconic Hemingway Bar, and we were only too glad to oblige.
Dry cocktails de rigueur as we contemplated the plot lines of our next masterpieces of literature…
Team Barlow!
But is that all, you ask? Of course that’s not all!
The biggest event of the week was still to come: the much anticipated arrival of Team Barlow.
We discovered them down the end of an elegant Parisian street, peering down at us from a rooftop Airbnb ledge:
There was nothing for it but to pile on out into the streets, to sample the summer sights, sounds and tastes.
Starting with a trip to Les Invalides, and the markets of rue Cler for a bit of wandering and exploration, followed by dinner in one of the local bistros…
And here is what happens when you finally get back in the lobby door after a VERY busy week:
