Luxembourg Garden

For our last full day in Paris we debated visiting the Science Museum or going to another park. Since both kids still had colds & coughs we decided to steer clear of enclosed spaces, so off to Luxembourg Garden we went. Once again, we were treated to a walk through beautiful grounds complete with statues, ponds and fountains. The Palace itself is currently home to the French Senate.

In the southwest corner of the park we found a very large playground. This playground actually charged an entrance fee but it was well worth it. There were a ton of play structures, more than enough room, and soft landing material for falls (of which there were a few).

My favorite part was the sand pit and pully system.

Here is some video of it in action (and two parents micro-managing the operation).

After a couple of hours, rainstorms were threatening so we packed the kids up into the stroller. They promptly fell asleep so J and I got to enjoy a relaxing lunch at a little cafe. Ah. Finally.

Rather than trying to manage the metro with the kids & stroller we decided to walk back to the apartment (note: the paris metro is not stroller friendly. There are no lifts, hardly any escalators, and the Phil&Ted's stroller is about 2 inches too wide to fit through the exit.)

We had a nice walk home, strolling through the latin quarter and then Ile St. Louis. I love all the quaint streets and cute boutiques. It really is a beautiful city.

Even the roads are pretty.

I had bought tickets to the Cirque D'Hiver for Saturday night. I wasn't exactly sure how the kids would react to the circus but for the most part they loved it and miraculously sat quietly for 2 1/2 hrs. I'm still amazed.

I asked C what part she liked best and she said the horses; 3 women on horses that pranced around the ring in unison. I was most impressed (and even a little scared) of the Tiger act. One tiny lady and 4 humongous tigers. My heart was in my throat the entire time (seeing the 3 extra men just outside the cage with electric stun guns didn't make me feel any better).

At the end of the show the kids got balloons to take home which lasted no more than 5 minutes before popping. There were tears. It was inevitable.

Before bed, the kids played around in the closet - the perfect hiding and climbing spot.