Paris Surprise

Yesterday morning, the girls found out about the surprise. Early birthday present for Maëva. Late one for Laureva. Day and a half trip to Paris for King Tut exhibit. Laureva's first train trip and first Paris trip.

Stopped at the bakery in Napollon for lunch fare on our way to the Gare Saint Charles. TGV left for Paris five minutes late due to a medical problem with a passenger. Depart about 13h10. 

Short stop at Hotel Lyon Bastille very close to station, then off on foot for a surprise treat. 20 minutes later, we arrived at La Chocolaterie, a patisserie by a French TV celebrity chef. As Maëva savored her chocolate hazelnut cake, she exclaimed upon how she'd been wanting to taste the cakes she'd seen on TV. Score one for Papa whose idea it was to go there!

After, we walked down to the Seine through the Marais district, the Place des Vosges and the Hotel de Sully. When we got out onto the bridge with a view of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, Laureva's face lit up and her eyes twinkled. Yeah!

We stopped for apero near l'Institit du Monde Arab et La Sorbonne Campus Curie, then had dinner at a bistrot, Le Passage, around the corner. My gaspacho and tartare d'espadon with cucumber and cashew salad were quite tasty. For the first time ever, both girls claimed to be too full and tired for ice cream! After a 20 minute walk back to the hotel, they got to go to bed!