The new addition

Here's Suzanne's new car, parked in her rightful place.

Cuteness 1 - Practicality 0

Meet Suzanne's new car. The suitcase doesn't fit in it when all four of us are in (in fact, not much fits in it) but it's still a cool car.

The new car

The luggage that doesn't fit

We brought back the broken luggage to the store and went looking for ski boots for Suzanne, and ski pants for me. In the process, Sabrina lost her gloves. While Suzanne and Mathieu went back to the car, Sabrina and I went back to the sports store to find her gloves.

We couldn't find them. We retraced every steps, looked everywhere, then mobilized some personel to help us find the gloves. No go. After leaving our names, we went back into the mall to retrace our steps there. We found them at Starbuck's.

Coming back I realized I didn't have my keys.

In a mild panic we retraced all our steps in the sports store, looked everywhere, then mobilize some employees to look for my keys. No go. Back to Starbuck's. No luck there either. Sweat going down my back, Sabrina and I went to the mall's service counter and stood in line to get access to the lost and founds, and to leave my name in case a set of car keys (Ford, Mercedes, Fiat) shows up.

I texted Suzanne to tell her: "Found gloves, Lost keys, At Lost & Found" to which she replied: "Mathieu has your keys"

In the car, when Suzanne told Mathieu that I had lost my keys, he "took out this big heavy set of keys" with a smile and proceeded to tell her not to tell me...

Of cars and Sushi

Today my own car is getting nearer to a milestone of sorts; I got to 94,000 kilometres.

We're also going to the Fiat dealership to pick up Suzanne's new car, but not before eating a good sushi dinner.

Waiting (long) for the car. The person who sold the car to Suzanne kinda laughed at Mercedes because they have free coffee and pastries, but I don't think she understood that it was only a small part of the client experience. As a whole we've gotten used to getting crappy service even when we buy something that's a few tens of thousands of dollars, so much so that we only expect it when buying luxury items. I don't agree. As soon as someone gives money for an item or a service, s/he should be treated like a king.

Look what we got last night

It's starting to smell like ski :)  Mathieu just couldn't help himself this morning. He had to go out.

Suzanne's New Car

Today's the day! Suzanne bought the car of her dreams. You would think that her Mercedes was it but no. A Fiat 500 is the car that got her love. It's kinda interesting to be shopping for a car on Saturday.

Very soon, this amazing car is going to leave us. I can honestly said it was the best car we've had in terms of quality, comfort and performance. It was also quite pricey. I could take it out of a foot of snow without a complaint. Quite a car, I'm going to miss it.

You know when they just feel like playing...

They're not in front of computer and television all day, and I don't need to monitor. They're pretty much all over the place by themselves.

Post Halloween Celebration

They weren't allowed to touch their candies while we were away. They were also able to wait patiently before actually seeing their loot for the first time. Today, two kids were really happy :)

One stress gone. Darn peanut allergies!

A trusty companion

I don't want to forget it, so here's the map we used so much in Paris (with a metro ticket). The iPhones were excellent to get us from place to place, but the map was invaluable when it came to metro lines and places to see.

A bit of competition?

This morning Suzanne was looking at both kid's report cards. Both cards are amazing. Mathieu did beat Sabrina with a 98 (she has 95s, but nothing higher). She was quick to point out he was under class average in music (by 1 mark). For the first time I think she's feeling a inkling of competition with her brother. Brings back memories :)

Welcome Back! and Mathieu reads his first book

Mathieu read is first real non-baby book by himself tonight. He was surprised that he could. It begins.

A great traveller from China. Maybe the reason the plane was delayed by 30 minutes leaving Paris?

Our luggage has travelled more then we have...

FROM	:	SHANGHAI PUDONG INTERNATIONAL APT
TAG NO	:	AF2xxxxx
BAG TYPE	:	Type 22: UPRIGHT DESIGN SOFT MATERIAL
COLOUR	:	PATTERN / PRINT / PLAID / CHECKED / STRIPED / TAPESTRY / FLORAL / SPOTTED
NEW FLIGHT	:	MU581/10NOV   CA7467/11NOV
NEW ROUTE	:	YVR / YUL

Thursday in Paris: Le Louvre and le Marais

We took a Four day museum pass when we were at Versailles and it really paid off. Except for the Eiffel Tower and the Catacombs. We start our day with the Catacombs, waiting half an hour before entering this unassuming green building a few blocks away from our apartment.

The Catacombs of Paris or Catacombes de Paris is an underground ossuary inParis, France. Located south of the former city gate (the "Barrière d'Enfer" at today'sPlace Denfert-Rochereau), the ossuary holds the remains of about six million people^[1]and fills a renovated section of caverns and tunnels that are the remains of Paris'sstone mines. Opened in the late 18th century, the underground cemetery became a tourist attraction on a small scale from the early 19th century, and has been open to the public on a regular basis from 1874. Following an incident of vandalism, they were closed to the public in September 2009 and reopened on 19 December of the same year.^[2]The Catacombs are one of the 14 City of Paris' Museums that have been incorporated since January 1, 2013 in the public institution Paris Musées.
The official name for the catacombs is l'Ossuaire Municipal. Although this cemetery covers only a small section of underground tunnels comprising "les carrières de Paris" ("the quarries of Paris"), Parisians today often refer to the entire tunnel network as "the catacombs".

Interestingly, the whole of Paris is dug up, the rocks used to create the city. It's huge, really huge, and we're only going to visit a small percentage of it where the ossuary is located, walking a few kilometres under ground (and about 60 steps down). Our visit is divided in two parts. First the tunnels:

We then enter the ossuary. It's very impressive and a bit humbling to see all those bones taken from different cemeteries around the city. My photos are dark because we can't use the flash, and once in a while someone yells "No Flash" when one goes off. Some people have really depressing jobs.

The exit is as unassuming as the main entrance. In front is a boutique where we'll buy some gifts for the kids. It's just about time we do :)

Next stop is l"Arc de Triomphe, again. We split up, Suzanne going to her business lunch and I walking down les Champs Elyses toward Le Louvre, our meeting place. My goal is to eat at a McDonald's and have a Starbuck's coffee, and to mix with the locals, something I like to do.

I find a McDonald's on Les Champs-Élysées. It's the biggest McDo I've ever seen and it's so pack it takes me ten minutes to find a tiny place. I don't go to McDo very often, but it's the first time I can't sit. The cost of the food is similar to what we pay here, but in Euros (so 1.4 times the cost, really). I leave after some light conversation toward Le Louvre where I know there's a Starbuck's.

When I arrive there's still a lot of time for me before I meet up with Suzanne so I go have a Latte at Starbucks. Cost is the same but in Euros, again, so quite expensive. It's the exact coffee I'm used to drinking back on the other side of the Pound. I sit with a group of Parisians and we have a lovely conversation, trading stories about our different countries. Interestingly, I learn they find Starbuck's coffee and of match with what they drink. I'll think of that next time I have a latte at home.

With another half hour to kill I go back into the museum to visit yet another wing. Here are a few pictures...

When we get together, Suzanne and I walk toward Les Marais. When Suzanne came to France a few months ago she stayed there on her short stay.

Wednesday in Paris: The day of a Thousand Steps

Today we climbed a thousand steps. Literally. We begin the day with a stroll to l'Arc de Triomphe. We get to it by walking through the pedestrian tunnel that links one side of the road to the middle of the insanely busy roundabout where the Arc stands.

Then it's time to climb the 300 winding steps to the top, before the roof. There is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a bit of art, and a gift shop.

Beneath the Arc is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. Interred here on Armistice Day1920,^[15] it has the first eternal flame lit in Western and Eastern Europe since the Vestal Virgins' fire was extinguished in the fourth century. It burns in memory of the dead who were never identified (now in both world wars).
A ceremony is held Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every 11 November on the anniversary of the armisticesigned between France and Germany in 1918. It was originally decided on 12 November 1919 to bury the unknown soldier's remains in the Panthéon, but a public letter-writing campaign led to the decision to bury him beneath the Arc de Triomphe. The coffin was put in the chapel on the first floor of the Arc on 10 November 1920, and put in its final resting place on 28 January 1921. The slab on top carries the inscription ICI REPOSE UN SOLDAT FRANÇAIS MORT POUR LA PATRIE 1914–1918 ("Here lies a French soldier who died for the fatherland 1914–1918").
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy of the United States paid their respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, accompanied by French President Charles de Gaulle. After the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy, Mrs Kennedy remembered the eternal flame at the Arc de Triomphe and requested that an eternal flame be placed next to her husband's grave at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. President Charles de Gaulle went to Washington to attend the state funeral, and witnessed Jacqueline Kennedy lighting the eternal flame that had been inspired by her visit to France.

Next it's time to go up on top. At first, Suzanne stays in the middle. She slowly gets her mojo and is able to stand near the edge. A feat for someone who's afraid of heights, ladder level. Going up 50 meters is a milestone :)

Next step is a metro ride to Sacré-Coeur, the basilica that stands high on la "butte Montmartre". Another landmark, we found ourselves walking many steps up just to reach the base of the hill. We did the last 20 meters in a funicular not because we couldn't walk anymore, but for the experience. It did help our decision when we realized the cost was handled by our daily metro pass. At the foot of the Church, the view is simply spectacular.

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica and often simply Sacré-Cœur (French: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, pronounced [sakʁe kœʁ]), is aRoman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Paris,France. A popular landmark, the basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. Sacré-Cœur is a double monument, political and cultural, both a national penance for the excesses of the Second Empire and socialist Paris Commune of 1871^[1] crowning its most rebellious neighborhood, and an embodiment of conservative moral order, publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was an increasingly popular vision of a loving and sympathetic Christ.^[2]The Sacré-Cœur Basilica was designed by Paul Abadie. Construction began in 1875 and was finished in 1914. It was consecrated after the end of World War I in 1919.

There are many people asking for money around the Church, may they be street hustlers (I'm trying to figure out the string thing) to beggars. Once we step inside the Church, we're in awe. Because a mass is being given, we're not allowed to take pictures of the interior. So here are the pictures I took.

I didn't take the main room, that would've been too obvious, considering that there were ushers going around telling people not to take pictures.  But there's more to a Church then just then the communal part, and we have to see it all. So we decided to go to the top, many, many more steps, where the ones at the top were barely wide enough for us to go through (and not my passenger friend on the plane)...

...and down to the Crypt under the Basilica (and more steps). Note that we really need to be in shape to walk those up.

A wow experience. I've always had a certain like to villages that are built on a hill. I really like the area of Montmartre where the Church is built. Here are a few pictures with one of the funicular we took going up. Note that we did walk it down though.

We have lunch at Le Quinze Vins, a nice little wine bar we wanted to come have dinner at a few nights back. It's good we didn't for there's no place to eat, really, except for the few tiny tables on the very tiny sidewalk. It was one of my favourite lunch of the trip, and the wines were excellent, of course. Thanks Kim for the discovery. I actually like their tasting table downstairs, giving me ideas for our next house :)

Our next visit is "La Sainte-Chapelle de Paris" on l'Ile de la Cité (same island as Notre-Dame, but on the other side). The strange thing about the chapel is that it's in the middle of a police station so we have to go through security to get to it. Inside the complex it's rather drab, very military like. Once we walk into the chapel, it becomes all worth it.

Next stop, Le Louvre. We're finally going to see the most famous museum of the world, something I've been looking forward ever since this trip was planned.

The Louvre or Louvre Museum (French: Musée du Louvre, pronounced: [myze dy luvʁ]) is one of the world's largest museums and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, France, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement (district). Nearly 35,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are exhibited over an area of 60,600 square metres (652,300 square feet). With more than 8 million visitors each year, the Louvre is the world's most visited museum.^[5]The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace (Palais du Louvre), originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century under Philip II. Remnants of the fortress are visible in the basement of the museum. The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace. In 1682,Louis XIV chose the Palace of Versailles for his household, leaving the Louvre primarily as a place to display the royal collection, including, from 1692, a collection of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture.^[6] In 1692, the building was occupied by the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettresand the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, which in 1699 held the first of a series of salons. The Académie remained at the Louvre for 100 years.^[7] During the French Revolution, theNational Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a museum to display the nation's masterpieces.
The museum opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings, the majority of the works being royal and confiscated church property. Because of structural problems with the building, the museum was closed in 1796 until 1801. The collection was increased underNapoleon and the museum renamed the Musée Napoléon. After the defeat of Napoleon atWaterloo, many works seized by his armies were returned to their original owners. The collection was further increased during the reigns of Louis XVIII and Charles X, and during the Second French Empire the museum gained 20,000 pieces. Holdings have grown steadily through donations and gifts since the Third Republic. As of 2008, the collection is divided among eight curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, andRoman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Paintings; Prints and Drawings.

What can I say. Our first order of business was to visit the painting that represents Art itself, the Mona Lisa. We found the lady herself within minutes of our arrival.

The Mona Lisa (Monna Lisa or La Gioconda in Italian; La Joconde in French) is a half-length portrait of a woman by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci, which has been acclaimed as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world."^[1]The painting, thought to be a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, is in oil on a white Lombardy poplar panel, and is believed to have been painted between 1503 and 1506, although Leonardo may have continued working on it as late as 1517. It was acquired by KingFrancis I of France and is now the property of the French Republic, on permanent display at The Louvre museum in Paris since 1797.^[2]The ambiguity of the subject's expression, which is frequently described as enigmatic,^[3] the monumentality of the composition, the subtle modeling of forms and the atmospheric illusionism were novel qualities that have contributed to the continuing fascination and study of the work.^[4]

Next we just walked around and snapped hundred of pictures. Here are some of them.

Next it's time for dinner. I don't remember where but I'm sure it was alright. We end the day with a stroll to Lady Eiffel to see her beautiful evening coat, then we head back home.

All in all, I find Paris to be similar to any big western city. I don't feel out of place here, like I could be in Tokyo or Karachi. Like any other city there are particularities that are striking. One I like is the three wheel scooter. I just had to take a picture.