Au Revoir, Paris!

I’m not sure if you’ve heard the phrase “When we make plans, God laughs,” but I’d like to adapt it slightly for our trip: “When we make plans, Isla _____.” This morning, our grand plans to get out and about early were thwarted by Isla sleeping until 11am after going to bed later than normal last night. Normally, I would be anxious to get the day started, but I was admittedly very tired, so we lay in bed until 10:30 and then got ready so that we could scoot our as soon as Isla woke up. We ate breakfast at the apartment, then went to Le Fregate for coffee before deciding to nix Le Musee D’Orsay and go to Le Marais. We stopped for an obligatory photo on the Lock Bridge, then wandered by Hotel De Ville on our way to lunch. We intended to eat at L’As Du Fallafel, which is very famous and delicious, but it was closed for the French holiday, so we ate at my favorite – Chez Marianne. I ate there all of the time when I was living in Paris, as it was affordable and you got a lot of food (bonus!).

After lunch, we looked at the time and realized that the walking tour we wanted to go on (with Paris Walks) started in 30 minutes, and we were a 40 minute walk from the starting point. Cue us speed-walking through the streets, anxious to get the Vavin metro on time. Arriving just a few minutes late, Isla woke up promptly as the tour began and was ready to roam around and not be held or confined to her stroller. So alas, we dropped out of the Hemingway tour (sob, sob, sob), got gelato and yogurt again at Amorino, bought Isla some new French shoes at Catimini, then went to roam Luxembourg Gardens.

After almost an hour of Isla making new friends all around us (photo evidence below), we walked back towards the apartment, stopping for a few necessities at the Monoprix, then having dinner at Cafe de Paris, where I ate with my dad when he visited me in 2009. Dinner was so tasty (Sasha’s favorite meal in Paris), but we were both ready to rest our feet (mine very blistered at this point). We came home, packed, then did Isla’s bed routine and put her to sleep in her BABYBJORN travel crib (which we adore).

We’re getting picked up by a car at 3am tomorrow to take us to the airport, so prayers for Isla’s mood for the rest of the day are appreciated. We didn’t book that early of a flight months and months ago, but flight schedules change and we can’t control them!

I hope everyone in the US had a wonderful Memorial Day! xo

Tiny hugs are my favorite