Pomp and Pleasant Surprises

Escalator action with photo bombers

It's the first Sunday of the month, which means Christmas is 24 days away and also means, it's freebie day at Paris museums! To parents everywhere this roughly translates to you can get the heck outta dodge if the kid or kiddos hate it, without any “do you know what I paid to get in here?” confrontations.

Pierce has asked repeatedly, as in every single hour of the trip, to got to the Pompidou.  Make no mistake, while Art is his favorite class in school, this is all about the irresistible escalators.  Seriously even I admit they are cool looking.

To indulge the child and get some art on while we are here, we relent.  And, mostly because it is 50 meters from our apartment, so there’s just zero excuse. Really, we need some culture people.

Appreciating the art, by far the coolest piece

We arrive at  the opening hour of 11 a.m and it’s perfectly sans crowd.  As in galleries to yourself.  This is after we trek the escaltors a few (hundred) times.

We confer with the petite art aficionado to gauge his interest in checking out the galleries on floors 4 and 5 and he agrees like a French waiter (formerly known as garçon, when you ask for a check), which means it is with utter indifference that he accepts his fate.  And then the fun begins.  He is absolutely fascinated,enraptured by the  works of art.  I suspect this has to do with the fact that most of it looks approachable, and like something that a say. 6 year old could do?

Draw Yourself

No knocking modern art, but it absolutely appeals to the 1st grade demographic.  Pierce’s commentary throughout the galleries is unmatched.  Really we would have been bummed to get the audio tape tour , it would have been far less enlightening then his proclamation of modern art.  Needless to say, the boy had us going for nearly 2 hours through the exhibits.

Because Frida is everyone's homegirl

A stop at the galleries enfant (which was a Frida Kahlo tribute) and the trip is nearly complete.  With one important exception, the gift shop at the Pompidou is seriously swank and addicting. Funky little finds can keep you occupied for hours.  Pierce walked away with a spongy Lego notebook.  Not an official Lego product mind you, but an ‘artistic’ representation.  Even more than the real thing.

Starving for lunch, we retreat to the heart of the Marais.  A quick circle of the hotspots for food and it’s clear, it’s another Sunday Funday and we need to go seriously local.  Back to our old standby, Le Sevigne. It’s definitely not the best food, but it is cozy and familiar and best of all has available seating for us.

Refueled and ready to roll, we hit up Places de Vosges. Really one of the singular best places in Paris.  So Victor Hugo lived there and all, but even better there are joggers who case the square wearing Burberry and boots (not kidding), this never changes.  One thing that has changed is the playground, major upgrade!  Some pseudo mini ninja warrior creations and Pierce is ready to blow off steam.

International playground rules are in effect and Pierce hits his stride . Mitch and I listen to gorgeous Opera singers  a la street performers and it’s pretty much the perfect Paris Sunday.

After Vosges, we head home and stop for a quick aperitif, just something before the Bears game.  Like a pregame cocktail, only in a swanky bar.  The people turn out to be wonderful and Pierce indulges in a Nutella Crepe, while Mitch and I indulge in pints of Leffe.

Here’s the part where I skip the crap show that was the Bears game.  Suffice to say, we’ve now watched the Bears in more than 5 countries and I don’t want to remember this one.

On the plus side, I get some crepes sale from this women down the block that literally has been a serious Grinch on previous visits and somehow is insanely polite on this visit (insane, may be a theme with her).


To bed early, the TGV and the capital of Christmas awaits…..