Back in Paris.

After I came back from Paris last year, I spun tales of the city's sweets to Shawn in a way that made his eyes pop out of his head... and the need for our own trip to go. Because I don't begin working over here until early July, we decided to tack on a handful of vacation time to the beginning for a little Parisian fun plus a trip to Bruges and London.

So, we are in Paris.

Yesterday, Shawn saw his first boulangerie. It did not disappoint. We got off the plane and went straight to a street market along Rue Mouffetard. We jumped in the first long line at a bakery we could find (it didn't take long). We sniffed out a few cheese shops and nibbled on some hazlenut chocolates, too.

We next wandered over to Notre Dame which Shawn found to be overwhelmingly beautiful, inside and out.

Jetlag hit us shortly afterwards, so we popped back to our hotel to check in. Our room is microscopic, but the view is well worth the squeeze. See photo in this post for proof.

Did I mention it's hot? Oh yeah, it's hot. Thankfully our room has A/C.

After a nap, we walked across the street to the Luxembourg Gardens. People were everywhere... mostly hiding in the shade. That is one magical park, so full of life and so well manicured.

On our way to dinner, we came across a man just off a major street with his pants down, proceeding to poop in a water bottle. Now, if that doesn't stir your appetite, I don't know what will.

That brings me to today. We woke up after 9 solid hours of sleep to head north to Montmartre. The Espace Dali sculpture museum was surprisingly delightful. There was a group of young children on a tour that seemed really into it. We were impressed.

Shawn spent a couple of hours in the Louvre this afternoon. I'll be there in a few short weeks, so I waited it out. He loved the giant French Neoclassical paintings and found Mona Lisa to be, well, Mona Lisa. Outside in the courtyard, people were jumping in the fountains to escape the 98 degree heat. Yikes!

We rounded out the day with a jaunt around Place Madeleine, home to many a wonderful food shop. Mustards, honeys, teas, jams, whatever you please, it is there to be found.

Two random funnies:
1) The Hangover 2 is being called "Very Bad Trip 2" over here. Seems appropriate.
2) The "Quality Burger Restaurant" near our hotel sells a Happy Meal equivalent called the "Magic Box". Comes with a toy and everything!