Mary: “The Opportunity of a Lifetime,” has become the mantra of Brianna and Dillon during our trip to Paris in October. We traveled from London to Paris on the Eurostar, the super fast train that travels through the Chunnel. In less than 3 hours we were in central Paris.
We started our trip, under cloudy skies, bargain shopping at the discount outlet, Tati. We didn't want to stand out as unfashionable. We dined that evening at The C'Amelot, a cuisine de marche (cuisine of the market, that is what is in season) in the La Marais district, on the Rue Amelot. Our courses included pumpkin soup, risotto with grilled mushrooms, grilled game bird, and pear tarte. Dillon bravely approached the French waiter and declared, “De l'eau!” (more water!), as it is not customary to keep the tables well stocked with water, but rather with wine. Later that evening, we observed the city's night rollerblading craze along our Boulevard de Strasbourg. We witnessed a street protest and a football celebration out our window. Our street also had an unbelievable number of hair salons: almost every other business. We did our best to keep up with the French fashions. 
Brianna: I thought France was very cool and worth missing 1 day of school for. As my mum said we got to see about 300 hundred roller skaters pass under our window.
Luckily for me and my brother the only abbey we went to was Notre Dame that is not even an abbey at all! We then went to a water park. We got to go to the Louvre where we saw the Mona Lisa. We also got to Tati, a cheep French design store (and all those who are planning to go to Paris to get some trendy clothes, go to Tati!).
But we did not got to go up the Eiffel tower because (we found out later) there was a bomb threat! In all, this trip to Paris was brilliant!
Dillon: The highlight of the visit for Dillon (who is away this week at camp in mid-Wales), was speaking French with the pigeons in Tuileries Garden. He sported a French chapeau and the pigeons were understandably mistaken that he must be French. He discovered the joys of marble slides at the Louvre – not to be missed.
The chef at the C'Amelot restaurant invited him and Brianna on a private tour of his kitchen. Again, his conversation with the waiter gave the impression that he was a local.
Unfortunately, there are no photos of him at his most ‘french,' in his French bathing suit at the Aquaboulevard. Aquaboulevard is a large, in-door water park with 7 slides, lounge pools, hot tubs, lazy river and wave pool. Dillon braved every slide and the tall waves for almost 5 hours. I can just hear him saying, “This is the opportunity of a lifetime!” Viva Paris!
Grant: My only complaint is that there were not enough abbeys, otherwise what a great visit to a beautiful city. We were blessed by fantastic weather, and we stayed in fascinating part of the City populated by many immigrants from Africa, very close to center city.
The Louvre was overwhelming and fantastic and the walk through the Tuileries Gardens was a highlight for me. Notre Dame was also quite impressive in terms of sheer beauty and size, all built so many centuries ago. We had a very nice dinner with an SEIU work colleague and his wife who are based in Paris. Brianna and Dillon were great sports about trying the new food. The French really are different from the rest of us, they know how to enjoy life. Paris is much smaller and more compact than London and you can really get around quite easily. So many interesting neighborhoods and beautiful buildings, and a people who really do have a different attitude about life and the World. I am sure we will go back.