Day 7: Montmarte has captured our hearts!

 Today was another long day for us...but it was an amazing one too!

Our group in front of the Sacre Coeur in Montmarte

We began our day a little later than normal. As I said, it is because of our driver's time allotment. While I don't know all of the regulations, I know that coach drivers in Europe are limited to the amount of time they can be on the road with passengers. It is a safety measure and it is very strict. Our driver, Joris, is on top of these things and made sure that we departed our hotel a little later this morning so that he'd be able to pick us up at the end of the night. 

The breakfast at this particular Ibis is similar to what we've already experienced and with several more locations ahead of us, it might be the last breakfast food plate picture that you see, lol.

I specifically waited until France to have a chocolate pastry for Breakfast. #BlogSacrifices

We boarded the bus and headed into the city. Our first visit is one of my favorite sections of Paris. The Montmartre district, historically, had been one with a mixed complexion. On one hand, it is a religious district because of the Basilica Sacre Coeur. On the other hand, it is filled with stories of artists and others proving that Paris is the city of love. 

On our way up to the Basilica, we saw the Moulin Rouge

Maria is providing some historical background and Kyle is helping her!

J'taime le Metro. I love the Paris Metro
We aren't riding it this year, but I love these signs.

The Love Wall. The words, "I love you" are written in over 300 languages on this wall. It's closed because of the Olypmics.

There was a bike race in front of the Basilica today. 

We ascended to the top of the hill at Montmartre and began our day. Maria explained some of the historical tidbits of the area and shared some local lore as well. The group was able to break apart for souvenir shopping and lunch as well. I forgot to take a picture of it, but I had a cheeseburger with faux grois on it. It was delicious. 

The view from our meeting place

The artists square at Montmartre 

When we rendezvoused, we began our walk down the hills and to our bus. It was at this time that some of the local street merchants interacted with some of our kids. It is a bit of a scam, but it is a safe one. Street merchants approach tourists and ask for their wrist. They start putting strings on the wrists of unsuspecting tourists. They build a bracelet on the person's wrist. The whole time, they say it is free, but when they finish, they collect money. I missed a couple of kids who got caught in the scenario, but was there for Nevaeh. 

A free bracelet!

When we returned to our bus, we met Sendhil, our afternoon guide. He was going to work with Joris to navigate the busy city streets and show us all that he could. Sendhil was an incredibly knowledgeable guide. 

Sendhil introducing himself to us.

Guided tours are always a challenge after a few days on the road. John, Nikki, and Sendhil are very good at their job, but it is nearly impossible to fight against the exhausting road. Many of us were tired, but Sendhil did his best to keep the group informed and entertained. Some of the most iconic landmarks of the world reside in Paris and we saw so many today. I have collected a few important pictures below.

Group photo at the Arc d'triumph

Some of the boys and me!

Napoleon at his coronation as Emperor

The Marseilles or those who fought for French independence 

Check out: www.facebook.com/lavoie76 for this 360' photo

The Tomb of the Unknown Solider in France

The Eiffel Tower

Les Hotel Des Invalides (The soldiers home). Napoleon is buried inside of that church

Looking sophisticated inside a French cafe

The National Assembly...or lower house in the French legislative branch

I was thrilled to have the group see the model of the Statue of Liberty inside the Luxembourg Garden

National sailboats for rend in the garden's fountain

Our bus tour concluded at the Luxembourg Garden and Sendhil explained the differences between French and English gardens to our group. The kids were enthralled! lol. That said, it was a chilly day here in France and our guide allowed us more bus time to avoid the weather. He also spent an extra 30 minutes with us too. It is a testament to the pride that city guides have for their work. 

When we departed the garden, we headed towards Montparnasse. This region of the city is home to two iconic locations. First, is the Montparnasse Tower. The second is Flams. Flams is where we had dinner tonight. It is a fast food chain serving pizza-like treats made with a version of creme fresh. Some of the kids devoured their meal. Others picked politely and focused on the salad or desserts. I forgot to take pictures because I was off helping set up the evening activity. If you are curious, check out any earlier blog posts about Flams in France!

The evening activity was to ride to the top of the Montparnasse Tower to watch the Eiffel Tower light up at Sunset. As I type this, I realize, I did not take any pictures...only video. I will edit the video tomorrow on our bus ride and post it later on. I am slapping myself for the mistake!

And that's where we wrap it up for the night. Tomorrow, we head to the Lourve and then to Brussels. I will be sure to post updates throughout the day, but it is becoming more and more clear that we are starting to wrap up this amazing adventure. I can't believe it is going so quickly. 

A sneak preview of our view!

Thanks everyone for the kind words and encouragement. I appreciate the feedback and love that so many people read!

Mr. Lavoie, in a hotel room far away from home but feeling at home in Paris nonetheless.