Travels with Martina Day 8 Part 2 - An evening cruise down the Seine on Bateaux Mouches

While the Seine is famous as the river that winds its way across Paris, in reality it is,
at 777  kilometres long, the second longest river in France and one of the major waterways
of Europe.   While it may take some difficulty to sail down the entire length of the river, 
a short cruise down the Seine is one of Paris' more worthwhile "tourist traps". 
You have to do it at least once.
   

Since it was Martina and Tsirol's first visit -- we did the Seine River Cruise of Bateaux Mouches.

There are different cruises to choose from ... lunch, cocktail, dinner and and dancing cruises.  

Most are expensive and except for the usual overpriced tourist meal, you see the same
views anyway. 
We opted for the no-frills 70 minute cruise and chose an 8:30 p.m. sailing time. 
In summer, the sun sets past 9 p.m. and we wanted to see the Eiffel Tower lit up against a dark sky.

The boats are parked at the Bateaux Mouches'  dock by the Pont de l' Alma.  It turns around and heads the other direction, going towards Notre Dame and passing through seven bridges along the Seine.  

It was a gorgeous summer evening -- the heat had dissipated and it was nice and breezy on the open deck.  While there were many tourists taking the cruise, the boats are big enough that you can claim your own little corner where you can  watch Paris go by.

I felt a slight pang of regret as we passed by the Musee d'Orsay.  It was not on our itinerary for 

this trip as we thought  Martina may not enjoy spending too much time inside museums.  

For me though, this a must see when you go to Paris -- I find it much more manageable 

than the Louvre.

Speaking of which -- across the Musee d'Orsay on the right bank is the venerable Louvre, perhaps 

the most well known museum in the world.  The Pont du Carrousel which spans the Seine links the two great museums to each other. 

Our boat glides slowly towards Pont au Change, in the distance you can catch a glimpse of 

the  Notre Dame.  Look, my initials are carved on the bridge! 

Sunset softened the outlines of the Cathedral -- even with the damage from the fire, it stood 

majestic and graceful in the fading light.  Just beyond Notre Dame, the boat would make a 

u-turn back towards the Bateaux Mouches dock.

As the boat headed towards Pont de l'Alma I looked back at Place Louis Aragon, 

the northern tip of Ile Saint-Louis, one of two natural islands on the Seine (the other 

one is the slightly larger Ile de la Cite on which the Notre Dame stands).    

Place Louis Aragon was crammed with tourists.   Many were  picnicking - wine glasses 

were raised to us in various toasts.  

Jay and I usually walked here during our previous visits -- in the winter,  it's very cold and 

no one is hardly ever around.  It's a good place to sit and enjoy a view of the Seine.

We would have wanted to take a photo with the pilot but he was too busy steering!

So many riverboats of all sizes line the banks of the Seine.  Some are restaurants or cafe/bars  and there are even  houseboats for rent.  Imagine spending your vacation on a boat and waking up 

on this lovely river every morning! 

We spied the Eiffel Tower in the distance and oh no! It was still unlit and it was almost 10 p.m.  

Would Martina get a chance to see the lights of the Eiffel Tower?  

Perhaps we should have opted for a later sailing time, but then we would not have seen the 

landmarks on the right and left banks.

The boat passed the Tower before it turned around again to park.  

And yes, finally just as we passed it, the lights turned on! Merci boucoup, M. Eiffel!

We disembarked and walked back towards the Alma Marceau metro stop that would whisk us back 

to the apartment.  It had been a most pleasant evening with Bateaux Mouches -- 

after all, what better way to spend a summer evening than to take a boat down the Seine?

Oops, one last stop before we headed home.  The crepe kiosk was doing  brisk business selling sweet crepes -- butter, sugar and chocolate.  It made a tasty and quintessentially French midnight snack!

Traveling with Kids Tip #8A

When bringing kids to a place for the first time, let them try the  iconic experiences.  

What may be a "tourist trap" for you, as a frequent traveler,  may very well be exciting and 

unique for the child who is seeing it and enjoying it for the very first time. 

Travels with Martina Day 8 Part 1 - Paris for Kids at the Parc Zoologique and the Aquarium Tropical

A trip to the zoo may not be on a tourist's "must visit" list but if you have an 8 year old in tow, it is definitely part of the agenda.  Martina loves animals and insists on visiting a zoo or an aquarium when she travels.  In this case, we were lucky have done  both and on the same day too. 

There are many ways to get to the Paris Zoo but via subway to Porte Doree station in the 

12th arrondissement was the most convenient for us.  From our apartment in the 3rd, it took
us 12 minutes to get to Porte Doree.  And even better, from the subway exit, the Zoo was
just a 600 meter walk away.

We walked alongside the broad Avenue Daumesnil.  The area seemed both commercial and residential with a lot of apartments and small neighbourhood cafes and grocery stores.  

The photo above is of the Square Des Anciens Combattants d'Indochine -- which pays 

tribute to  the French who died during the Indochina War.  

There are fountains of different levels which are barely visible in this photo and the square is 

bordered by palm trees -- because you know, Southeast Asia, right?

We walk a little further on and saw this statue which Martina wanted to have a photo of as she said it 

"looked important". 
Upon further inspection, this is a monument to the controversial expedition up the Nile and into Sudan led by Captain Jean Baptiste Marchand, a French explorer from the late 1800s. 

Two symbols of France's questionable colonial past -- within a few hundred meters of each other!

The way to the Zoo takes us by the edges of Bois de Vincennes -- also known as one of Paris'
"green lungs".  The word bois means woods in English. 

Bois de Vincennes used to be part of a forest and now encompasses over 950 hectares of trees, shrubbery and greenery with lakes for boating, beautiful gardens including the Parc Floral de Paris, an original 14th century chateau, an aquarium, a Museum, Asian gardens, bike and running paths  and of course the Zoo. 

We're finally here! The 600 meter walk from the station took quite a while as we enjoyed seeing 

the sights along the way.  The Parc Zoologique de Paris is set on 15 hectares within the Bois de 

Vincennes. 

No advanced ticket purchase needed and there was just a short line at the ticket office.

Opened in 1934, the Zoo was a much loved and well visited fixture in Paris.  

A giant boulder rising in the middle was its recognisable symbol.  After the 1990s, not much 

was done by way of  maintenance and the Zoo was closed in 2008 for a major renovation.  

It re-opened in 2014 and is one of the most impressive zoos I have ever visited. 

The overall objective of the Parc Zoologique de Paris is not merely to display the various animals 

but to have them live in recreations of their natural habitat.  The Zoo is divided into 5 bio-zones:  Patagonia, Africa,  Amazon-Guyana, Madagascar and Europe. 

We start off at Patagonia as it is nearest the entrance.

It turns out that Patagonia is an ideal introduction to the Zoo as it includes a giant pool where the penguin colony lives and where they swim, splash and generally show off for the adoring crowds.
Today the pool area was crowded with children who were there on a field trip.

We waited on the concrete steps for the crowd to disperse.   Martina couldn't help but laugh at
all of the seals' antics.  

Finally, we got up close enough and made some new friends!

From Patagonia, we crossed a boardwalk into Africa where the terrain is mostly sand, scrub and trees.   With the ongoing canicule or heat wave,  the weather seemed to have been transported from Africa as well. 

When you visit the Zoo,  do look for the white rhinoceros  -- it is the largest of the extant 

rhinoceros species and is extremely endangered.  We managed to catch a glimpse of one -- heartbreaking that there are very few of these animals left.  

Whatever you say about zoos,  they do their share in saving and protecting threatened species.

Feeding time at the Zoo!  Just beside the Africa bio-zone is a park with picnic tables and kiosks selling sandwiches,  snacks, beverages and even ice cream.  We managed to find a well shaded bench where we ate our lunch -- jambon-fromage for the adults and le hotdog for Martina. 

The antelopes are sunbathing  -- I guess the canicule does not affect them so much.

Behind the zebra enclosure the huge boulder,  the longtime symbol of the zoo can be seen -- this
has been  renovated and rebuilt from the original  dating back to 1934. 

We headed off to the Great Aviary, located in the Africa bio-zone where we dodge flying birds and

marvel at the real life pink flamingoes.

We decided to skip the Birds of Prey Aviary -- perhaps the animals had not yet had their lunch and
we did not want to take any chances.  Instead we headed over to the giant Tropical Greenhouse in the  Amazon- French Guyana bio-zone.   

We enjoyed seeing the lizards, the snakes, the strange insects, the monkeys,  the colourful birds 

and yes this gorgeous iguana that seemed to glisten and glow under the heat lamps. 

What a ham!  This South American manatee swam up to us and stayed for a long time -- posing for his photo.  This species lives in the rivers and swamps of the Amazon.  Ola cara! Boa tarde!

The people who run the Zoo are so clever -- to exit, you have to pass through the attractive and irresistible Gift Shop.  There was no avoiding it -- au revoir euros ...  it was nice to have 

known you!

Jay and Martina can never pass up an ice cream stand!  They had soft serve ice cream cones at
Akita Cafe --  a small snack shop lying in wait outside the Zoo.   It sits at the edge of the Bois de
Vincennes and has a seating area in the back that looks out into the park. 

Halfway between the Zoo and the subway station is the Palais de la Porte Doree. 
If you like art deco, you should definitely visit this astonishing example of this architectural style.
The incredible bas relief fresco that adorns the facade showcases the vast riches of France's colonies, a tribute to the powerful French Empire.  

Opened in 1931 for the International Exposition, the Palais was the home of the Museum of the Colonies.  In addition, it included a Tropical Aquarium, which still is in existence today and which was the reason for our visit.

The Museum of the Colonies has been renamed as the  more politically correct Musee National 
de L' Histoire de L' Immigration.  To enter either the Museum or the Aquarium (or both)
tickets are sold in the imposing lobby.  From the looks of the beautiful floor tiles, I presume they
were part of the original design.

The Tropical Aquarium occupies several levels and large tanks are recessed into the walls.  

Each tank contains organisms - fish, mollusks, corals, etc that have common characteristics and thus are able to share an environment.  I am fascinated by the amazing  plants and corals -- more than 

I am with the fish. 

The Aquarium is as old as the Palais.  After an overdue major renovation in 1984, there are now 

90 spacious tanks with over 15,000 different organisms.  

The habitats mimic those from the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean as well 

as  environments from rivers, lakes, swamps, brackish water and mangroves.  It is an amazing display of richness and diversity. 

The living, breathing corals are amazing.  There are fluorescent, glow-in-the-dark species.

I am awe struck at the displays -- but also realise that many of these environments are under threat of destruction.

The Tropical Aquarium is very different from the other aquariums that Martina and I have been to -- where the focus was more on the fish and not so much on the habitat.  

Beside each tank is a plaque that explains the habitat, lists down the organisms you are seeing -- in both French and English. 

There are over 270 species of fish  but I am more enthralled by the corals and the vegetation.  

What an extraordinary world there is underwater -- and yet we are perilously close to losing it all.

The Tropical Aquarium is built on two levels in the middle of which is a fresh water enclosure

where there are three species of alligators.  They can be viewed from above and iron bars are in 

place so that no one falls in.

The pair of albino alligators seemed very peaceful -- sleeping side by side.  They did not even 

twitch the whole time we were observing them. 

The Aquarium closes at 5:30 and as we hurried out,  we said our au revoirs to this huge catfish 

who gazed calmly at everyone who passed by his tank. 

A bientot  M. Catfish!  See you at the next dive!

Traveling with Kids Tip #8

When planning for kid friendly activities, the easy choices are arcades and theme parks.  

But they weren't always around -- in simpler times, a zoo was an obvious first choice.  

And it still should be today.  

Introduce children to nature and conservation in ways that will both educate and entertain.

There are state-of-the-art, preservation and conservation minded zoos and aquariums in many 

cities around the world. 

Please stay out of the arcade  -- after all, there are so many of those back home. 

Travels with Martina Day 7 - A Poilane breakfast, a Ride on the Roue de Paris and a Climb up the Eiffel Tower

Self catering  is one of the pros of staying in an apartment versus a hotel.  And Paris is ideal for a self-catering holiday.   No matter where you stay, you will find a greengrocer, grocery, boulangerie, cheesemonger, traiteur -- food shops are everywhere!

On this trip the apartment we rented from our suki, Vacation in Paris was located in the upper Marais.  A two minute walk  from the flat was a Poilane Bakery, just one of its our locations in all
of France.  This shop is on Rue Debellayme, a short side street about 200 meters long.

Poilane is one of the great French bakers -- three generations have been at the helm, producing (to my mind) the best sourdough bread ever.  One whole boule weighs almost 2 kilos so people
normally buy just "un quart" as you can see in the photo above.  I also love their croissants and their
pain au chocolat --  every bread and pastry is tres bon!

Today's breakfast included fresh fruit, slices from Poilane's sandwich loaf and packets of cold chicken breast and speck -- a cross between bacon and ham. 
There was a Franprix on Rue de Bretagne, just a few minutes walk away. We ended up
shopping almost daily for ingredients and ready made salads -- it was all so convenient! 

Today was Monday and after suffering from a sore throat and an on-again-off-again fever (we think she picked up the bug from the plane), Martina was finally well enough to enjoy her breakfast of milk and cereal.  Eat up -- we have a long day ahead!

Since she had been cooped up in the apartment all week-end I felt that a day spent outdoors would be just what Martina would most enjoy.  First up -- a quick subway ride to Madeleine from which we would walk to our destination. 

The Madeleine station is near the Jardin des Tuileries, one of Paris' most popular and also its
oldest garden.
It links the Place de la Concorde with the Louvre.  It's a favourite place for people to meet,
stroll,  enjoy a picnic lunch or a even a snooze.  We walked on the side, along the tree shaded
Terasse des Feuillants which is right by Rue Rivoli.

And here was my reason for taking Martina to the Tuileries -- the Fete des Tuileries was underway!

An annual summer festival,  the Fete has all sorts of rides and attractions that Parisians of all ages look forward to.  What can be more fun for a child than a carnival!

France was in the middle of a canicule or heat wave and it felt like we were back in Manila but with less humidity. 
Martina wasn't keen on any of the other rides but she wanted to get on the giant ferris wheel - the Roue de Paris which is usually on the Place de la Concorde but had been moved to the Tuileries for the duration of the fete. 

A ride on the Roue de Paris  is one of the first things I would recommend that you do on your first trip to Paris -- with or without a child in tow.
The ferris wheel is 200 feet tall and you get a pigeon's eye view of this gorgeous city and all her famous landmarks, within the short span of a 10 minute ride.   

Just behind Martina is the Louvre with the glass pyramid in front.

As the wheel goes up higher, you can see Paris' rooftops and in the distance, the Sacre Coeur 

Basilica atop Butte Montmartre.  

It's a beautiful, clear day -- just the perfect weather for a ferris wheel ride!

The Roue de Paris is secure and safe -- each of the 45 gondolas is enclosed in clear glass which lets you see as far and as much as you can while you enjoy the slow and leisurely ride. 

Beyond the greenery of the Tuileries, there is the unmistakeable sight of the Eiffel Tower. 
Paris has been able to preserve the beauty of her  skyline by limiting the height of all buildings to
180 meters or less than 600 feet. 
This means Eiffel, at 320 meters or 1,063 feet will always soar above all other structures in the city. 

But even Paris has had to make concessions to modernity and a growing global and business community.  In the distant background, you'll see the skyscrapers of La Defense -- a business
centre  a few kilometres out of the city. 
It's full of glass and steel buildings and would not feel out of place in any American city. 
We visited La Defense once -- one visit was more than enough.

I asked Martina if she wanted to ride the flying swings -- and silently breathed a sigh of relief when she said no.  

There were many food stalls at the Fete -- serving snacks, drinks, meals.  Martina decided she wanted chicken nuggets and frites -- how decidedly un-french!

We enjoyed the dazzling colors and the fun filled atmosphere at the Fete -- but the canicule was getting to us.  Time to head back after a full morning under the sun!

Chestnut trees planted in symmetrical straight rows make for a lovely green space. 
You can see benches and chairs placed so visitors can relax -- read a book, have a quiet conversation, or just stare out into the verdant gardens. 

The Tuileries is best enjoyed during summer when Mother Nature and the gardeners conspire together to create this sublime oasis in the middle of this busy city. 

Summer flowers abound in the gardens.  The lawns are immaculately manicured and laid out in geometric patterns.  Aside from being France's oldest garden, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.  

On the way out, we pass the Bassin Octogonal -- lined with green chairs, it's a favourite spot for relaxing and whiling away the minutes, or resting your tired feet. 
Since we've always visited in winter, we're used to seeing people sitting in the chairs,  huddled in their winter coats, holding hot cups of coffee.

It's a big (and not really welcome) change to see sunbathers in shorts and skimpy tops,  tanning
(or simply burning) under the blazing summer sun.  

From the Tuileries, we headed to the Eiffel Tower, getting off at the subway station of 

Alma-Marceau.  While it's not the nearest stop to the tower, we had plenty of time and decided 

that a walk by the Seine would be a pleasant and scenic stroll for Martina. 

Right outside the subway exit of Alma-Marceau is the gilded Flame of Liberty which has since become the unofficial monument to Princess Diana.  It was near this spot where  she had her 

tragic accident in August, 1997.   This little spot is now called the Pont Diana.  

Flowers, notes and photos are laid at the foot of the flame -- even after many many years, the 

People's Princess is well remembered and well loved.

We take a break by the fast moving waters of the Seine for Martina to hold up her little
Eiffel Tower for a photo op with the real, much bigger version.

I had reserved tickets for a 5 p.m. visit so we skipped the horrendously long lines and had 

just a short wait for the elevator.  

The Eiffel Tower must be the most visited attraction in France so please don't come without a 

pre-reserved ticket and time slot -- even during off peak seasons like winter, it is recommended to pre-book and buy. 

There are several types of tickets available -- one is with lift access to the second floor or the middle part of the tower and the other is with lift access to both the second floor and the top of the tower.  There are also cheaper tickets for just stair access to the second floor.   

But who wants to huff and puff up and down those steps?  

On my first visit, I did use the stairs but I was young and twenty and now I'm decrepit and sixty (plus). 

In our previous visits, we had always booked tickets for the second floor -- as any tourist guide and local will tell you, the best views are from that vantage point.

You're high enough to see all of Paris as you walk around the north, east, south and west sides 

but you're still close enough to recognise monuments -- oh look, there's Place du Trocadero across the Seine and yes, La Defense looms (unattractively) again in the horizon. 

Go to the other side and see another view of Paris. On the extreme left is the gold dome of the Church of Les Invalides, where Napoleon is buried.

Champ de Mars is laid out before you and as if mocking M. Eiffel, the  Tour de Montparnasse 

stands almost directly across.  

While it is shorter than the Eiffel Tower, its modern and sleek  design is something Parisians love 

to hate, saying it destroys the significant and historic lay out of their city.

But here's a tip I got from a local guide -- the views from the top of Montparnasse are much better.  

Why?  Because you can see Eiffel Tower and you can't see the Montparnasse!  

Before we took the lift to the top, Martina stopped by this tower made of macarons.  

The lines to buy souvenir boxes of this typical french pastry were so long that we had to settle 

for this photo instead.

Please, no graffiti on this most renowned monument -- and thankfully there was none.  

I suppose violators will be thrown off the Tower.

We're at the top!  There's a very expensive, reservations only fine dining restaurant,  where a 

set menu starts at 190 euros.   Perhaps we should have lined up for those macarons after all.

It's our first time at the top of the Eiffel Tower! C'est magnifique!

As expected, the views from the top are almost Lilliputian.  But you can still admire the neat and orderly way the city is laid out --  and how all the buildings are almost of the same height and architectural style.

There are names and statistics of tall towers and buildings around the world.  I'm not surprised to see an entry from the Philippines -- Stratford Residences merits mention.  It is just 12 meters shorter than the Eiffel Tower. 

Bisous, M. Eiffel!  We had a most enjoyable visit!

It's past 7 pm when we finally set foot back on firm ground.  The sun is still high up in the sky.  

We would have to come back another time to see the Tower all lit up -- it's an amazing sight that 

we don't want Martina to miss.

A few years ago, one of Martina's favourite book characters was the little french girl Madeline 

from Ludwig Bemelman's book series of the same name.  

On "Come as Your Favorite Character" day at her school, she came dressed as Madeline, 

in a blue dress and a little blue cape.  

We brought along that cape and had her wear it while posing in front of the Eiffel Tower.  

Our little Pinay Madeline had finally made it to Paris!

Was it the memory of that book and Madeline that made Martina stop for quite a while to continue to gaze at the Eiffel Tower?   

But I completely understood,  and I knew how she felt.  I too have found it difficult to turn away 

from this view.

We took the subway back to the apartment from the Place du Trocadero  so that Martina could 

see what many say is the best view of the Eiffel Tower.  

Even the thick crowds of tourists, vendors (not to mention probably the scammers and the pickpockets),  could take anything away from the incredible sight of Gustave Eiffel's masterpiece.

It is way past dinnertime and bedtime for one tired eight year old.  It had been a long and 

exhausting day. 

It's almost 9 pm when we get back to the apartment.  Fortunately, the take out sushi shop at the 

corner was  still open and trays of fresh sushi were available.  It was  delicious and familiar treat -- 

we were all faim or in keeping with what we were having,  we are all onaka ga suita. 

A special treat for dessert -- a decadent pastry from the Pierre Herme boutique on Rue de Bretagne.  This scrumptious creation was called Sweet Pleasure and was a milk chocolate pastry with pralines.

Delicieuse!

Chocolate goes well with wine -- and whoever said that wine must be expensive to be good is 

pulling your leg.   This bottle cost just a little bit over 3 euros from our neighbourhood 

Franprix and it was one of the nicest white wines I had every enjoyed.

A ta sante!

Traveling with Kids Tip #7

Some kids may find that tourist attractions are not all that attractive -- gardens are boring and museums even more so.  Try to look for an attraction where they can have fun and work off that restless energy -- run around a park, get on a carnival ride,  go for a walk by the river.  

Before we left, we also talked to Martina about the sights that she shouldn't miss so she was excited and ready for her Eiffel Tower visit.