My Bags are Calling

No, not the one's under my eyes, but the one's I strap onto my back and wheel behind me as I take to the skies for another French adventure. Somehow, I never feel so empowered as when I'm walking through the airport, especially with a backpack on. Happy memories of taking off into the unknown with my L.L. Bean frame pack and my Rick Steves' guide book and my best friend and really, not many clues between us!

No, the travel part is no longer fun. I remember the days when my mother dressed me up in a nice suit to make the trip to Europe, the meals I picked from a fancy menu weren't bad and the Stewardesses didn't look over-worked and under-paid. They were glad to bring me head phones and another soda. They didn't look at me as just another pain-in-the-butt child.

Despite the numerous complications of modern travel, I still love it. I plan ahead for the food, don't really plan on getting sleep and don't worry too much if I'm called aside to get patted down - I'm just not that proud. I've had babies and the idea that someone might feel my boobs while looking for a weapon just doesn't freak me out as much as the idea that they might not even look. I'm perfectly willing to explain to my children why a stranger should not touch them but that a security guard at the airport may have to and that there is a difference. They're just doing their job and I'm just another stranger passing on by.

I feel like I'm late, like I should have been working on this packing list months ago. Only 7 weeks more and I'd better have everything worked out. Of course, I'm not just packing for myself, so there's a bit more than just me making sure I have enough underwear.

So, when I go for two weeks to the most chic city on earth, what do I pack? Ok, I admit that when I was only slightly younger, I poured across the internet to see WHAT they were wearing. I do believe in "blending in;" it's the best security tip I have. Plus, I just like to be "in fashion." But I've now matured enough so that if my orthotics don't fit into the 5 inch heals and my Chanel suit hasn't made it to the dry cleaners lately, I'm OK with that.

In fact, I am freed of that for two reasons:  (1) I'm getting more, ah-hem, mature, and (2) the last two trips have revealed a whole new generation of French women who feel OK wearing comfortable shoes and jeans! So while there are still plenty of the chic, beautiful people crowding chic bars and strutting down boulevards, I still fit in with the rest!

So the picture is of the luggage I use for the two weeks. A rolling suit case that's actually small enough to be considered carry-on in a pinch, a great L.L. Bean backpack that is very comfortable and leaves my hands free, a shoulder bag (which can be packed away,) and a small backpack for days in the city (it will be packed away in the suitcase.) These are things I can easily handle myself and can even carry up/down escalators and stairs in the Metro. Never mind what the airlines will let you bring. Be sure YOU can handle the bags before and after the airport!

Stay tuned for the actual packing list!

For more about preparing for a trip to Paris, visit ParisMadeSimple!

Fête des Mères

Today may be Mother's Day in the States, but France celebrates Fête des Mères on May 27th this year. It's celebrated on the last Sunday in May (unless Pentecost falls then, when Mother's Day moves to the first Sunday in June.) This is a day that was initiated by the little Emperor - Napoleon - and made official by France in 1950.

With everyone so busy today and my love of all things French, maybe I'll declare the 27th as a 2nd Mother's Day chez moi!

Happy Mother's Day to all my fellow Francophiles!

Election Day in France

Today is a big election between Sarkozy and Hollande. There's a lot riding on this election, not just for the French but for the entire Euro zone. Will the French decide to stay conservative or go socialist again? Hollande is in favor of winning, but we shall see.

Either way, I'll be watching the Euro as I need to convert some cash to pay for our apartment and would like to do it when the Euro is low. Today it's at $1.30 per Euro. That's already pretty good, but hoping for lower.

The transition of French Presidents is pretty quick - same month, no long lame duck session as we have in the United States. So we're hoping things will have settled down by the time we get there in July!

Good luck to both candidates!

Paris Guide Review - RICK STEVES' PARIS 2012

First off, I have to say that any time I read a guide by Rick Steves (and friends,) I feel like I've come home and am snuggling comfortably on the couch for some a good trip. This was true immediately when I received this guide, perhaps because I know Paris pretty well and love the city more than almost anything.

I also appreciate his attitude about being a "temporary local." This is how I like to travel, perhaps somewhat because that's how I learned to travel from my Aunt when I was young and from Rick Steves during my trek across Europe in 1986 - see my post: Travelling Through Europe with Rick Steves - 1986 Style.

Touring Paris, even if just while reading this guide, will be exciting, entertaining, and fun. Rick Steves' descriptions and tours bring Paris alive. For me, it just whets my appetite and tempts me to fly out of here TODAY!

What I LOVED about RICK STEVES' PARIS 2012:

• The descriptions of sites are fantastic. Having been there many times, I still learned a lot and found many places that I need to work into my bucket list. His hints about lines and which passes are useful are great!
• The neighborhood tours, complete with maps of the route and descriptions of the suggested stops, make them easy to follow. It's a great way to save money and avoid getting trapped on a touristy tour.
• The guide is small but packs SO much information. It's easy to store in a backpack and not look like a dork when you whip it out to see what's next.
• The guide briefly covers all the details needed for preparing for the trip, including wonderful cultural clues. I especially loved that he included my most important tip: Up your level of manners - never forget to say "please" and "thank you" EVERYWHERE! Believe me, even if that's the only French you learn, you'll get a long way with those two phrases used generously.
• He did a good job finding a variety of places you'll love to stay. Although my list of places to find apartments is different, I agreed with his assessment that if you stay in Paris more than a week or are traveling as a family or group, get a place of your own instead of a hotel room.
• As usual, I found his attitude respectful and reverent. He shined with the historical backgrounds presented and his cultural sensitivity.  

What I didn't like:

• Although the guide covered a wide variety of sites and museums, he didn't really get off the beaten path. He covered the things most people know or have heard about. I will review another guide that really has me wanting to step "out of bounds" a bit more.
• The map of the city was poor, concentrating only on the central arrondissements, even though he covered some areas outside of these neighborhoods. There are plenty of great maps out there, but it's nice not to have to juggle more than one book at a time. 

Overall, I highly recommend RICK STEVES' PARIS 2012. My general attitude is to read many guide books BEFORE you go and only take one or two. This should definitely be on your list to slide in your day pack!

For more information about planning a trip to Paris, visit ParisMadeSimple.

Kids Books that Made Me Love France - Even Before I Got There

In the early 50's, my aunt married a young French doctor and moved to Paris to become a French wife. I've always admired her ability to jump into everything and just go. The result of this marriage is that my only first cousins were from France (how exotic in the 60's and 70's in Maine) and that I didn't get to know this family until I stayed a summer with them at 10. But it also meant that I received exotic gifts occasionally. There were clothes and games all wrapped neatly in exquisite tissue papers and a gold sticker with the store's name on it.


I also received some pretty cool books. Here are my three favorites:


Paris by Miroslav Sasek, Copyright 1960 - mine is in French  but it's available in English. This is  a cool exploration of Paris, with a beatnik sort of style

Babar's French Lessons by Laurent de Brunhoff, Copyright 1960 - I used to pour over this book, wishing I could live this glamorous life that Babar lived and wishing I could speak French! As a Paris-obsessed mom, I have used this over the years to interest my kids in the language and culture. After all, who can resist these little Elephants!

 La Cuisine est Un Jeu d'enfants by Michael Oliver, Copyright 1963 - Cooking is Child's Play is also in French and contains recipes that every good, little French girl (and probably boy) should have known how to cook. I always loved the pictures and the book was useful to learn the language of cooking. Recipes take you through the courses of a proper French meal,  from Soups and Hors-d'oeuvres to desserts. The recipes include classics like onion soupe, Coq au Vin, Rabbit in Mustard sauce, and Creme a la Vanille (vanilla custard.)

What to do with my family in Paris this summer?

I'm getting excited about my trip to Paris this summer. I've got the flight booked and the apartment deposit paid. I'm still deciding if we should use public transportation to our residence or just hire someone to meet us at the airport - which was so nice when we did it last time!

But I'm now starting to drive my family crazy with the question: What do you want to do on our Paris trip?? I'm not surprised with the blank stare my 11 year old gives me as she was 9 when we were there last and was more or less along for the ride. But I'm hoping to get her more involved with choosing the attractions in Paris to visit.

So far, the very preliminary list looks like this:

1. The Eiffel Tower. It's usually not high on my list since the lines seem so overwhelming to me which puts the sky scraper Montparnasse at the top of my list for amazing views of Paris. But I've learned from RICK STEVES' PARIS 2012 that you can reserve tickets ahead of time and jump the line with no guilt, at least for the first two levels. Yea, so now I'm psyched. After all, I think it's been about 38 years since I've been up there.
2. The Rodin Museum. Although I'd already thought it would be a good choice because it is small and has tangible things to see, my recent viewing of Midnight in Paris clinched it. I feel kind of silly that I'd never been there, especially since it was about a 15 min. walk from where I lived in the 7th arrondissement. It's also one of the listed sites from my beloved guide book  AROUND PARIS WITH KIDS - 3rd edition.
3. Sainte-Chappelle. This is the just-right-sized chapel of King Louis IX. It was built in the early 13th century. Since Megan has a new-found love for this time period which matches my long-time love for it, this should be a great place to visit. Once again, I haven't been there in 38 years!

So, this is all I have so far. The thing I learned from my trip with my older daughter when she was 11 yrs old was that it is amazing to discover your favorite city from the eyes of someone else. Planning trips to Paris with children means recapturing your casual, fun, wandering, child-like nature and putting away the museum, historical, scheduled grown-up tourist that can overtake us when visiting such a significant city like Paris.

Book Review: Fodor's Around Paris With Kids - 3rd Edition

As you can imagine, I have many travel guide books for Paris. Two years ago, I bought AROUND PARIS WITH KIDS - 3rd edition (there is now a 4th edition) in anticipation of visiting Paris with my 15 and 9 year olds.

The book is short and sweet (and small) which makes it easy to read the whole thing completely and  easy to carry in your backpack once you get to Paris. AROUND PARIS WITH KIDS covers 68 things you can do with your kids that you both will enjoy. The list includes everything from the Eiffel Tower to the Rodin Museum to the Aquaboulevard!

What I especially appreciated was that with each item in the list, there were helpful hints on how to enjoy it best with your kids. It included hints about eating, making the most of your time, and things to keep in mind (like best times to visit with kids, the hours, rules, etc.)

I loved the parental humor in the book. I also really appreciated the good information about saving money, getting around and resources for more information.

My only criticism was the lack of pictures. With no pictures, it was hard for my kids to stay interested when I tried to get them excited and help plan our visit. But it's a small problem and if you have other guide books, you can easily cross reference or just do your parental best!

No matter how many times you've enjoyed Paris as an adult, it's a totally different experience when you look at if from your children's eyes! I found it exciting to "have the excuse" to see things that the adult me wouldn't have made time for.

We ended up having a great time, sadly missing so much due to our schedule. But I'm using this book now to help plan for my trip this summer with my, now, 11 yr old!

I definitely recommend AROUND PARIS WITH KIDS - 3rd edition!