Paris Day 4

Monday was another rainy day in Paris.  We had a private tour of the Louvre scheduled for the morning.  This tour is catered to children and involves them in a treasure hunt through the museum!  According to our tour's website, the tour "Gives children an entertaining background to the history of art while sharpening their "detective" skills of observation.  Their own answers to the clues lead them to discover a prize hidden under the Louvre's glass pyramid."  Our tour guide was wonderful and Harper and Ethan truly enjoyed the museum.  Alex and I loved watching them interact with our tour guide and discover art in ways they hadn't before.

        

We started with a yummy breakfast from our local pastry shop.

       

We loved the ease of the Metro!  I used the Bonjour RATP app for our metro rides.  I would enter the station I wanted to end at and it would figure out which lines we needed and what stops to get off or switch lines.  It was so easy!

     

         

The Louvre! 

    

      

I hadn't seen the Code of Hammurabi before.  It is just sitting here not protected by glass or anything!

    

     

    

      

Ethan found a clue!

    

           

We saw remnants of the original medieval fortress under the museum!  The Louvre was initially built as a fortress in the 12th century and then transformed into a royal palace by French monarchs during the Renaissance.

       

      

       

        

       

    

      

Venus de Milo

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

      

The Winged Victory of Samothrace 

   

    

   

    

    

   

    

Mona Lisa

    

   

    

      

      

    

   

    

       

   

Ethan took this photo of us and it is one of my favorites from the trip!

   

   

   

   

     

     

We went out to lunch after our tour.  It was pouring!

    

      

I had steak tartare for the first time and it was delicious!

   

    

       

I had to change plans again due to the rain so we got tickets to the Paris Balloon Museum exhibit.  It is a temporary exhibit at the Grand Palais dedicated to air and inflatable art.  We loved it!

   

       

The kids were playing on a table that was then projected onto the walls.

   

   

    

We went from room to room, each one more unique and fun than the last!

     

      

This one would scan your wrist and the lights would flicker and music play to the tune of your heart beat.

    

   

   

    

    

       

Harper loved this room with dropping carbon dioxide bubbles.

    

    

   

   

Harper went back to this room again to catch more bubbles.

   

     

Ethan loved this house full of balloons.

     

   

I spy Harper!

     

      

The rooms all had great music playing too!  The light orbs in the middle changed colors and moved to the music.

        

   

    

    

This room was my favorite.  It was a giant ball pit! 

    

    

    

     

    

    

   

   

   

    

     

The kids had a little treat after the balloon exhibit.  It definitely tired us out!

         

I had my treat at home on our balcony. 

     

We had tickets for a performance at the Palais Garnier Monday night, the famous Paris Opera House.  We saw Red Carpet, a ballet that lasted about an hour.  The dancers were ballerinas, but it was more of a hip hop, funk choreography with a live band.  It was amazing and I would see it again if I could.

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

   

   

   

    

Pre show macarons, of course!

     

Harper had brought her new book to read.

     

We had great seats!

   

   

   

   

   

   

     

Despite the loud music, Ethan fell asleep.

    

    

      

We were near a couple covered passageways that I wanted to checkout.  Most stores were closed by the time we made it there, but I was happy to see the hall!

    

     

Harper found a cat on our way home.