Poor DS! On several occasions, she had mentioned that she was the "only one in her 1st grade class that hadn't been to the Eiffel Tower!" We just couldn't allow DS to endure that kind of peer pressure, so we decided we needed to get to Paris - and fast, since our time in Europe is coming to a close and winter is approaching!
We took advantage of a school holiday and left for Paris early on the morning of October 30th. Coincidentally, it was exactly a year ago that we went to France (Disneyland Paris, which is not really in the city...)
As luck would have it, the Eiffel Tower is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year! And in honor of this occasion, a spectacular nightly light show had begun for a limited time.
On October 22nd, the tower premiered its new light show, featuring LED spotlights that illuminate the tower with beautiful lighting and dancing colors, all set to music.
Just three hours from Brussels, we arrived at our hotel just on the outskirts of town, parked our car and took public transportation into the city. After a crowded "commuter" bus ride and two subway transfers later, we finally arrived at the Eiffel tower. The girls were extremely excited to finally see this world famous landmark in person!
Jo and I decided to take the Batto Bus, a hop-on/hop-off boat ride that takes you to many of the famous sites of Paris.
Cruising leisurely along the Seine, it allowed us to see many of the familiar Parisian sites from a slightly different vantage point.
We got off at the Notre Dame and the Champs Elysees (Arc du Triomphe) drop off points for the girls to see these sites in person.
Following a nice dinner on the Champs Elysees, we hurried back to the Eiffel tower to catch the first lightshow. And, although it had just started as we arrived, we were treated to a fantastic spectacle, and hopefully, a memory that the girls will have for a long time to come!
Afterwards, because of the late hour, all of the subway lines we took earlier had finished running, so we had to improvise an alternate way back to the hotel. When we finally arrived back at our hotel, the girls collapsed into a deep slumber.
The following day, we enjoyed a leisurely buffet breakfast at our hotel and decided to make a side trip to Giverny, to see the home of Claude Monet and the gardens that inspired many of his paintings.
It was here where Monet had lived his later years and painted many of his most famous artworks.
The gardens and lily pond that surround the home were his inspiration for many of his famous paintings. And of course, a great backdrop for some family pictures!
What a beautiful place this was!
Soon afterwards, we headed on home and got back in time for dinner and to prepare Jo for her Halloween night out.
At least, now DS can ask if her peers had seen the new Eiffel Tower light show!
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