Paris--Notre Dame and the Louvre

Point 0. This is the center of Paris and France.  It is just outside Notre Dame.

Traveling with kids means that everything takes more time and more patience.  We found we could really only do a couple of things a day and there needed to be some "playtime" in the mix.  Keeping that in mind we were kind of worried about seeing the things we wanted to see and hoping the kids would enjoy the trip.  Preparations had been stressful so we were nervous about how everything would pan out.

Hyrum kept an eye the weather to see when rain would hit and when we would have sun so we could try to be outdoors with the sun and indoors with the rain.  We managed to do that pretty well.  We really only had rain when we arrived on Wednesday.  Thursday we were planning on some rain but as the weather approached Paris, every time the rain bands would split and go around the city.  We were really grateful for that tender mercy.

We saw Notre Dame and the Louvre on Thursday.  We started off at Notre Dame Cathedral.  It was breath taking.  The architecture was just amazing, especially considering the lack of power tools and equipment.   I loved the stained glass windows.  It was fun to walk around and have the kids point out scripture stories they recognized.  Since we don't have crucifixes in our churches, the kids, especially Charlotte and Spencer, have really noticed them.  It has given us a great opportunity to talk about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

      

     

After walking around the cathedral, we climbed the tower stairs to get a closer look at the famous gargoyles.  They were amazing.  The views were pretty good too.  Paris is an enormous city.  The belfry was closed for work so we weren't able to see the big bell.  I was disappointed and I think some of the kids were too but it was a good experience anyway.

Hyrum asked for their best gargoyle faces.

                 

After Notre Dame, we wandered around the Latin Quarter and then up to the Tuileries Garden and the Louvre.  We went to the playground in the gardens first and ate lunch there.  Then we made our way back to the Louvre.  

The Louvre is enormous and of course we knew the kids wouldn't last for the entire thing, Hyrum and I wouldn't last for the entire thing.  Hyrum found a scavenger hunt online for kids to find themed art.  The Kids picked the trail about food.  The great thing is that it keeps the kids busy and takes you by some of the Louvre Highlights.  This trip is also one we were grateful to be on in the Fall.  The crowds were really manageable.  It only felt crowded in the entrance.

We made our way through the exhibits.  We stopped to see the Venus De Milo, Mona Lisa, Wedding at Cana, Winged Victory and then many other things.  Mostly we just glanced, but Hannah and Jonathan were excited about the Mona Lisa and we all enjoyed Winged Victory.  At one point, the kids were ready for a break so we pulled out a sketch pad and colored pictures and had them draw something.  Charlotte was really into it.  They loved making their own art there in the museum.   It was fun to talk about the Wedding at Cana as well.

        

    

After a couple hours, we hurried out since Ben was having a major tantrum.  He was done and didn't calm down until he had eaten two cookies and drunk about 12 ounces of water.  All in all it was a great day.  The kids enjoyed the Louvre and we are all ready to see it again someday.

We were really nervous about the day but we've learned how our kids work and know when to push and when to give in.  We had planned another stop for the day but after Notre Dame it was clear that another church would not be a good idea.  Flexibility is so crucial when traveling with kids.  We adjusted expectations and it paid off.

Paris--Montmartre Steps and the Sacre Couer

We took 5 days and headed to Paris.  The 5 1/2 hour train ride was long but uneventful.  We brought plenty of candy and cookies to pacify the older kids and Ben just liked running up and down the aisles.

After pulling into Paris, we dropped our bags in a locker at the train station and went to the Montmartre Steps and the Sacre Couer.  We had drilled the kids on the con artists found in places such as this so they were nervous but prepared when we found a few congregated on the steps.  I had Charlotte and Spencer by the hand and we just put our heads down and walked on up.  After we had passed them, one of the called out to Hyrum, asking of they were all his kids.  He sounded impressed.  It is really funny to see people's reactions when they realize the seven of us belong together.  We made our way up the steps which were, by far, the easiest climb we would make the entire time in Paris.  We occasionally turned to check out the Parisian skyline as we climbed higher up the steps.

At the top, the Sacre Couer loomed large and beautiful above us.  We weren't able to take pictures inside the church but it was lovely.  We enjoyed a short walk around the interior and then went back outside.  We wandered to the artist plaza but due to the cold and rain there were only a few people out.  We made our way back down the hill and the kids really wanted to play at a playground so we stopped at the play set at the bottom of the steps.  After a warning that things would be slippery and to be careful, followed several slips and many tears we decided it was time to head to our apartment for our time there.

We arrived without any problems and quickly got settled in.  I hurried to the grocery store and to pick up food for the next few days.  I'm happy to say I didn't experience any anxiety this time.  One foreign language is just about like any other at this point in time.  I must say though, that as time went on I could read more French that I had anticipated.  It was a happy surprise.

We used Airbnb to find a small apartment that would provide enough beds.  The kitchen was tiny and we only had a microwave and a stove top for cooking.  The boys shared a room, the girls slept in the living area/kitchen/dining area and then Hyrum and I had a room.  It was tight but worked great for our time in Paris.

We had made it and we were looking forward to the next few days with a bit of trepidation and anticipation.

Flugwerft Schleissheim

Gliders large and minuscule.

Our Saturday adventure took us to the Flugwerft Schleissheim, a branch of the Deutsches Museum dedicated to airplanes.  The museum is located on an old military airfield.  It was established in the early 1900s as Bavaria worked towards independence and then served as a Germany air base through both World Wars.  The Americans used it post World War II and turned it back over to the Germans in 1975.  The Museum acquired the land in the 1980s, after the buildings had fallen into disrepair, and began the long job of prepping the space to what it currently is.

How many planes can you count?

All five in one picture, Hooray!  There was a real cockpit here.
They enjoyed pushing the buttons and moving levers.

Jonathan said he loved the museum, I think everyone enjoyed it.  We were all in awe of the planes.  There were early prototypes of flying machines that mimicked birds wings, hot air balloon baskets, gliders in all different shapes and sizes, military planes, research planes and aviation prototypes.  They had a blimp that we saw fly around a bit as well as a miniature glider circus as they called it.  These tiny gliders were powered by a cable attached to a pot in the middle of a small section of the room.  It was funny to watch the kids follow the gliders around the space, around and around and around again.  The kids had a great time exploring and leaning.  A lot of the information was in English so we could absorb a lot.

Everyone wanted a chance in this cockpit.  Can you believe all those dials and gauges?

Hyrum was telling the boys about his grandpa who flew in the Air Force.

One of the most interesting stories was a plane built by a family in East Germany.  They were caught and imprisoned the day before their planned escape from East Germany.  They had built a tiny plane out of what they had available.  The longest piece of equipment was only 4 meters long.  At their trial, the plane was deemed flight worthy.  They were found guilty and imprisoned for a year before they were deported to West Germany.

The gliders from above.

The military planes from above.  Jonathan couldn't miss those.

On the way home, we walked through the gardens at the Schleissheim Palace (or Schloss if you want a tongue twister!).  It was beautiful Fall afternoon.  It was definitely a day I could do again.

Carpet of leaves down this perfect row of trees.  I love it!

Hannah decided she didn't want to live here.  Too many toilets to clean!

In other news . . .

When we're not gallivanting around the countryside or entertaining guests, which really is most of the time, the kids and I are grocery shopping and playground hopping.  We several of each of these within an easy walk of our apartment so when the weather is decent off we go.  Hyrum goes to work so we can play! He's great.

Today we went out and I am sad because I know our days at the park are coming to a close.  We didn't bring warm enough gear to head out there once the snow starts flying.  I'm glad we can go to the Museum and a few other places so we can get of the apartment and be warm.

It's pretty much life as usual though.  Being on vacation 24/7 for an extended period of time really isn't feasible, at least not for me.  I need routine and time to breathe.  The loneliness of our situation and the constancy of having the kids with me is challenging but we'll make it.

Next week we're headed to Paris and then a week to recover and prepare for more guests and then  Thanksgiving in Germany followed Christmas season in Germany!  I am so excited.  The next few weeks are going to fly by.

Grandma and Grandpa

Hyrum's parents popped over for a quick visit November 1st and 2nd.  They came to London to see Hyrum's brother and his family and decided that a mid-visit break might be good since Ian and Charity's place is pretty tiny.  The break meant a quick stop in Munich to see us!  We were glad to have them.  

Like father, like son.
Hyrum was just pretending but they do share a lot of mannerisms.

We met them at the central station in Munich on Tuesday morning since we knew it would be hard to get back out if they came straight to our apartment.  We took them to see Munich.  The funny thing was that All Saint's Day is November 1st and Bavaria observes it.  The streets were very quiet, stores were all closed and the churches were filled.  We popped into a couple and found ourselves part of a catholic worship service.  We didn't understand anything but the call and response section of the mass we heard in one church was really lovely.  It wasn't something I do often but it was touching to see the people united in their worship. 

View from the tower at Old Peter's Church

After walking around the old town we stopped for some lunch and then walked to the English Garden.  We had to show Mom and Dad the surfers and then walked to the Chinese tower at the Biergarten so the kids could play on the playground.  

The leaves at the English Garden were great.

It was a sunny but cool day.  The leaves on the trees were gorgeous.  I am so glad we didn't miss out on Fall by being in Europe this year.  It was fun to show Mom and Dad a bit of the place we call home right now.  

We gave Grandma a giant Kinder egg and everyone wanted to help open it. 

These boys love their Grandpa!

They spent the night at our apartment and we got up nice and early on Wednesday to catch a train to Salzburg. We had high hopes for this trip but quickly realized it might be an interesting day.  We went prepared for rain and it was a good thing we did.  

We did pop into a church in Salzburg.  I love ceilings!

Hohensalzburg Fortress

Upon arrival in Salzburg, we took a bus to the Old City.  We decided to make our first stop the 

Hohensalzburg Fortress.  Honestly, I didn't get a whole lot out of the experience as I was trying to keep and eye on Ben as he was having a hard time that day.  As we got to the top, the rain started.  It was pretty tame at first and then right as we sat down to have lunch it poured.  We quickly ate our sandwiches in the rain.  Ben tripped and fell in the mud but that was the only mishap.  

Looking down on the city from the fortress.

We found shelter in the museum and wandered through that.  The rain let up a bit as we rode back down to the town.  We wandered through the streets, admiring the old buildings and looking at the modern wares in their windows.  I am falling in love with dirndls, not so much with the lederhosen, though.  We decided we'd take the kids to the Natural History Museum since it was dry and would keep their attention before we left Salzburg.  They enjoyed the bits we saw and it was a good way to keep them busy. 

I enjoyed this representation of a revolt by farmers for taxes the Archbishop imposed on them.

Mom and Dad by the fortress wall.

I love this guy.  Another view of Salzburg from the Fortress.

Mom and Dad had a plane to catch back to London so we caught the 4:15 train back to Munich.  We were able to get seats facing each other with tables between them.  It was nice with the kids.  We snacked on leftovers from lunch and a plethora of candy.  We were trying to keep everyone happy for the train ride home.  We said our goodbyes as Grandma and Grandpa stepped off at the stop where they needed to catch a train to the airport  and then we continued on to our stop.  It was a quick visit but we loved it.  We'll take a quick visit instead of no visit any day.  Thanks, for coming to say Hello, Grandma and Grandpa!

A church at the end of a busy shopping street.
I love the pop of color from the leaves around it.

Getting situated on the train.