The Travelling Kid: Destinations!
The Travelling Kid: PARIS!
The land of
oooh-la-la!!!
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![I love Paris! Oh yes, oh yes I do love Paris! I have recently returned from taking my toddler to Paris. It’s his 4th trip to the land of ‘ooh-la-la’.
Why so many times? Because Paris is surprisingly super kid-friendly…there are so many amazing adventures to have for kids of all ages. The first ‘kid’ I took to Paris was my then 13 year-old stepson who showed me a whole new Paris. Then, seeing the City of Light through the eyes of my 4 month old opened my mind and my soul to new and marvelous things. This last trip, my son turned three the day we flew home and he enjoyed the longest birthday of his life as we chased the sun across the globe. Again, I was leaving behind a Paris that I had not seen before, despite the dozens of times I have been there.
I have often said, “If I have to change a diaper it might as well be in Paris.” It’s kind of my little travel philosophy. So, since I actually HAVE changed quite a few diapers in Paris…I have decided to share some of our favorite things to see and do in what is possibly the most beautiful city in the world.
WHERE TO GO & WHAT TO DO:
I always tell every one to ‘run, don’t walk’ to The Jardin Du Luxembourg on the left bank in the 6th Arrondissement.  It’s a grand ‘Parc’ with people ‘flaner-ing’ all over the place. The Parisians live to ‘flaner’ [fla-nay] – which is to wander, people watch, window shop, etc. hopefully in the company of a loved one). So, prepare to join the Parisians in their favorite sport! I usually head there the first day we arrive and when we get to the entrance gate, my son takes off like a puppy that has been just let off of a leash. He usually makes a ‘b-line’ to the giant, gorgeous, very French ‘pond’ in front of the Palais Du Luxembourg. You’ve probably seen it in movies… ducks are paddling blissfully in and around little barges that kids are pushing around with sticks and people are sitting around it on those groovy little green Parisian chairs, chatting and reading and soaking up the sun. There are also playgrounds (yes, plural) and we love the POUSSIN VERT playground. You have to buy a ticket, but it’s really worth it – my son could stay there all day. There is every kind of slide, train, cars and animals on springs, wild climbing things, etc. that you can think of. The large structures that are painted green are only for kids 7 years and up, but there is plenty to do for kids of all ages. If you don’t want to spend the whole day in the playground, just meander. As you wander in the park, look for the signs for the puppet theatre – maybe you will be lucky and catch a show. They usually are Wednesdays at 4pm because Parisian school children have Wednesday afternoons off. I don’t know why…but they do. There are also shows on Saturdays. All shows are in French, but my son loves the shows anyway. http:/guignolduluxembourg.monsite.orange.fr If you miss the show, no worries, because there are lots of other things to do! There are large areas of grass to run on, but be warned that only certain ones are open at certain times. So if a gendarme comes up to you, he is likely telling you to find an ‘open grass’ section. Just move on until you see one with people on it. You may also want to check out the small carousel, the beehives or the small seasonal gardens. Oh, and did I mention there are clean bathrooms? All in all, this is the park of one’s dreams and my guess is you will want to spend hours and hours here.
[LEFT & ABOVE: RACING AROUND THE PARK; BELOW RIGHT: PLAYING IN THE POUSSIN VERT PLAYGROUND]
When you’re good and hungry you can head over to rue Vavin and Rue Notre Dame des Champs that crosses it. There are a lot of food choices here. A cafe/restaurant called ‘VAVIN’ (I believe) is on the corner of Rue Vavin and Rue Notre Dame des Champs, where you can get a good salad or a Croque Madame. Just across the street is a sandwich shop where you can get take-out and picnic in the park or just park yourself on the bench in the little triangle shaped square there. Just down the street on Rue Brea are a couple of very small friendly cafes and some cute little shops. My son had his very first haircut at the Jean Louis David salon on Rue Brea. This whole area is also kids’ store heaven…ranging from the very expensive to the very reasonable.
You will find Petit Bateau, Jacadi and other French brand name stores here. I love the one on the corner of Rue Vavin and Notre Dame des Champs called DPAM (Du Pareil au Meme) which has very nice, very reasonably priced stuff. Don’t miss the FNAC JR. toy store, filled with great toys, books and DVD’s. AND by all means DO NOT miss getting a gelato at AMORINO (4, rue Vavin) – it is possibly the best gelato in the world. Too cold for Gelato? No worries...according to reader Stefano Alberti, Amorino is a great place for hot chocolate in winter and is available in more than 20 flavors! All in all, this is a great area for you and your travelling kid.

SPEAKING OF FOOD....
Not too far from the Jardin Du Luxembourg is: Bon Marche: the famous department store where you can find virtually anything. [http://www.lebonmarche.fr/] But more importantly it is home to a GIANT FOOD PLACE – where you can buy the freshest breads, fruits, veggies, yummy French goodies of all kinds…like cheese and croissants and all sorts of ready to take out salads…not to mention the desserts! This is also a great place to buy fab French teas, spices, mustards and things like that to take home if you want. I never leave without some Fleur de Sel and some Cous Cous spice. You can either stock up for a little picnic or you can go to the futuristic very kid friendly Delicabar restaurant and hang out with Parisian parents the their kids. 
Delicabar (D-E-L-I-C-A-B-A-R) is located in the Bon Marche Building next door to the food building. If you opt for the picnic…JUST outside Bon Marche is a lovely little park to enjoy your bread and cheese and a charming carousel. My son could have spent all day there…he just simply fell in love with that carousel.

[LEFT & ABOVE: MR. SQUARE CHECKING OUT THE BON MARCHE SPICES; RIGHT: DELICABAR; BELOW: THE CAROUSEL OUTSIDE OF BON MARCHE]
MORE ON THE LEFT BANK
Not too far from the Jardin Du Luxembourg - on east side of the park is Rue Mouffetard, perhaps the most famous street market in Paris. We love strolling down rue Mouffetard in the mornings. Rue Mouffetard sits on the remnants of an old Roman Road and is lined with stalls selling the most delectable fresh foods you can imagine. The stalls close at noon but by then you will be hungry for lunch…so you can take your picnic fixings to the park or try one of the several little family friendly restaurants there. We enjoyed a wonderful fondue in the cutest little restaurant (La Vielle Tour) where the proprietors treated us like family. If you decide to picnic, head over to the flower filled Jardin Des Plantes. http://www.monument-paris.com/jardin-des-plantes.htm. The Jardin Des Plantes has a great little carousel and also is home to the Natural History Museum filled with heart-stopping big animals and dinosaurs. www.mnhn.fr My son also loves to run and run on the paths and lawns. Oh, did I mention that there is also a small zoo? Parisian parks rock!

After running around the Jardin des Plantes you can head to the south entrance of the park to the Mosquee de Paris where you can enjoy sweet mint tea for a euro. When we were there it was packed with kids and the tea was delicious. [http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/paris-mosque.htm]
While we’re talking Jardins… one of our favorite adventures was in the Jardins Des Tuileries near the Louvre: This is a great stroll. My son loved the futuristic playground and the trampolines. You’ll also find ponds, cool statues and crepe stands on your journey. If you start at the end opposite the Louvre and work your way down you will end up at the Louvre. [www.louvre.fr] Yes…museums can be fun with kids. My son had tons of fun running around the Pyramid outside the Louvre and inside, he enjoyed sculptures and creepy Egyptian stuff. He also loved the
Rodin Museum in the 7th...which has a huge sculpture garden that he actually enjoyed at the tender age of 4 months. I guess big stone things are cool to look at when you’ve only spent 4 months on this planet. By the way, there is an outdoor café and two hidden sandboxes behind the circular pool there as well. [www.rodinmuseum.org] I’d like to mention one more museum: The Musee d’Orsay which was a former railway station built in 1900 for the world’s fair and home to an impressive impressionist collection for moms and dads and kids will like the cool architecture. [www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html]
Paris is filled with museums and kids under 18 are free at most of them. Moms and Dads can grab a 1, 3 or 5-day pass at www.parismuseumpass.fr.

THE RIGHT BANK AND BEYOND...
As you can see…Paris is filled with things to do…each thing more fun than the next! Now, if you should find yourself in Paris on a Sunday you will want to read this next part. While most of Paris is closed down on Sundays - the Marais is happening! The Marais is the old Jewish quarter on the Right Bank. On Sundays there are gobs of people filling the sidewalks, checking out the trendy shops which have sprouted up right next to old world shops and restaurants. Rue des Rosiers is lined with these kid friendly Jewish delis and falafel places. Do yourself a favor and eat lots of food here. While in the Marais, you should NOT miss Place Des Vosges - possibly the most beautiful square in Paris and a perfect place to play and picnic and listen to music and pass the time away. Place Des Vosges is a park surrounded by amazing centuries old buildings. There should be a live orchestra or two playing in the acoustically perfect arcades and in the center there will be tons of kids playing. There are cafes right on the park – but on rue St. Antoine right near there you will find sandwich shops, cheese shops, Asian take out places, bakeries, fruit stands, etc. should you want to have a picnic. If that is not enough, the ST. PAUL METRO STOP CAROUSEL is located right at the metro stop on rue St. Antoine.
Near the Marais is the POMPIDOU CENTER. The Pompidou is one crazy building! The architects basically built a building from the inside out, which makes for cool stuff for kids to look at. Kids also love to ride up and down the plexi-glass covered escalators on the outside of the building. [www.centrepompidou.fr] Also outside are pop art fountains that kids just love (my son loves the BIG LIPS) and there are tons of places for food nearby. Inside the Pompidou, in the children’s gallery, kids can take pencil and paper and try to create designs in the style of Matisse and Picasso - but even if you hate the idea of a museum - riding the plexiglass covered escalators up and down are great fun and at the top there is an amazing view of Paris. Also at the top is: GEORGES, a very chic restaurant that has amazing views of Paris and is a good place for lunch and a great and very romantic place for dinner…but romance may involve enlisting a babysitter.

I also need to mention the most beautiful carousel of all. It is a grand carousel in front of the Hotel De Ville and should not be missed!
If you find yourself completely pooped with all the museum hopping and park playing…you might want to take a boat ride down the Seine on the Bateaux Mouche. These tourist boats leave often from the Pont d’ l’Alma in the 8th and it will give you a nice place to sit while the sights glide by. You can even go at night when the city of light and its bridges are dramatically lit up. Even my stepson at age 13 loved this. [www.bateaux-mouches.fr]
If your kids like boats you might also want to try the Batobus…it’s a kind of shuttle that makes 8 stops along the Seine and you can use it like a bus to get from place to place. You can get more info about the batobus on www.batobus.com.
Speaking of boats…The Bois de Boulogne – a park in the 16th has paddleboats in the small lake. Tons of fun! While you are in the 16th you might also want to stop by the Jardin d’Acclimatation – it’s a great amusement park in the 16th. www.jardindacclimatation.fr.
What else?
Let’s not forget the Eiffel Tower!! There is a carousel and tons of food places there where you can score a crepe with yummy hot nutella inside. If that isn’t enough – walk over to the Aquarium in Trocadero, which just reopened in May 2006. It’s supposed to be really great. [http://www.cineaqua.com/EN/index.html] If you venture out to the 19th Arrondissement don’t miss The Cite des Enfants – it’s a children’s science museum – that’s divided into 3 age categories and has a hands on interactive exhibit. [www.cite-sciences.fr]Last, but not least…you may want to visit the famous toy store, founded in 1836: Au Nain Bleu at 5 Blvd. Malesherbes [www.aunainbleu.com]
If all this running around makes you hungry for a little mommy and daddy time and your child still naps… duck out to have a quiet and elegant cup of herb tea – in the lobby Bar of the Plaza Athenee Hotel on Ave. Montaigne in the 8th.(http://www.plaza-athenee-paris.com ) Between 5 and 7pm you may find a harp player there. I have enjoyed many a moment over tea and a good book at the Plaza. It is the ultimate in rest and relaxation. It is also home to the quintessential cup of hot chocolate. This bit of chocolate heaven is served with one silver pitcher of molten chocolate and one silver pitcher of hot milk. The perfect waiter then perfectly pours the pitchers into a perfectly lovely china cup. The presentation is pure elegance and the hot chocolate is pure indulgence.
So, once you’ve rested up – you may want to head over to the famous Champs des Élysées! It is a gorgeous wide boulevard –and although it is now over-run with commercial stores (like the Disney Store)…it is still amazing to see the Arc d’ Triomphe and there is enough people watching to keep everyone happy. It’s also actually a great place to see a film…somehow it’s fun to see a movie in Paris and yes…many are in English…just look for the letters: “VO” for version original of an English speaking film and it will be in English…just like home – but different somehow because you’re in Paris!

Everything seems cooler in Paris…just being there is magic, somehow. Honestly…if I have to change a diaper…it might as well be in Paris.
For lodgings in France try ciaobambino.com
See Google Map below for Paris Live!
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