Girls' weekend in Paris

One of the many benefits of living in Luxembourg is that Paris -- which is at least my 2nd favorite city in the world -- is only a two-hour train ride away.  Since Kate loves Paris as much as I do, we decided to take a little weekend trip there, just the two of us.  (Well, us and Lulu, Kate's constant companion of the moment.)


Bright and early Saturday morning, we boarded the train:

Doesn't she look excited??

...and arrived in Paris just two short hours later.  Then it was a quick metro ride to the hotel.... 

Kate and Lulu in the metro

...which was adorable.  We stayed here and I would highly, highly recommend it.  It was perfectly located, just a few minutes' walk from Chatelet and the Louvre but tucked away on a tiny, very quiet side street.  The room was small (as are most hotel rooms in Paris) but beautifully decorated.  As Kate said, "It looks like a princess lives here!"

Kate and Lulu testing out the bed

After we dropped our bags, we headed off for some shopping.  (Well, Kate and I did.  Lulu stayed at the  hotel.)  Galeries Lafayette and Printemps were just a short bus ride away.  Last time Kate and I were in Paris together, we shopped for hours -- and she was only three then!  So this time, now that she was a very grown-up five, I was sure she'd enjoy it even more.  And she did!

We really didn't buy that much.  I just made her carry everything. :)

 It was fun, but exhausting:

After our shopping marathon, we headed back to the hotel to rest for a little while and then freshen up for dinner.  I'd made a reservation at  this place  because it was a short walk from the hotel and I'd heard it had authentic French food at reasonable prices.  It was excellent.  Kate ordered a goat cheese salad and an omelette and I had roast pork.  Delicious!  The staff was extremely kind and attentive and addressed Kate as "petite princesse" throughout dinner, which she loved.  I was so proud of her because she even ordered her own dinner in French.  Such a big girl!

Once again Lulu stayed at the hotel.  But after seeing other dogs at the restaurant,
Kate was rather annoyed that we didn't bring Lulu.

The next morning we got up bright and early and walked through the Tuileries to the Musée de l'Orangerie where we got to see Monet's waterlilies, among other Impressionist works:

Then we headed across the Seine...

We couldn't have had better weather!

... to the Musée d'Orsay.  I was glad we'd bought a combined Orangerie/Orsay ticket at the Musée de l'Orangerie because the line at Orsay was very long, but with our combo ticket we were able to walk right in.  Of course the museum is a treasure trove of incredible art, but we also appreciated the architecture of the building itself.

And Kate particularly loved the clock.  Behind her is a gorgeous view of the city.

This was Kate's favorite statue:

A couple of hours in the museum and my intrepid little traveler was starting to flag.  So we had a quick pain au chocolat in the museum cafe and then wandered back across the river to our hotel.  

And then, all too soon, it was time to catch the train home.

Kate and Lulu boarding the train home

One very tired little girl heading home:

Kate loved our trip so much that she asked that we please go back again before we move and do exactly the same thing all over again:  same hotel, same shops, same restaurant and museums.  I don't know that we'll have time for that but I do hope to make this an annual excursion!