Woohoo, we're actually here. We spend much of the morning just getting organized and sleep in a little after yesterday's long day. The boys were angels and occupied themselves well with the Leapsters, maps of Paris, books, etc.
When we finally got organized, we headed out in the rain to the Eiffel Tower to mail our postcards. We spent a lot of time taking pictures and running around chasing pigeons, but decided because of the clods and fog not to head up today. After a quick and unimpressive lunch (hmm, two in a row), we headed back to the flat to get ready for dinner and the Champs Elysee.
We took the Metro during rush hour again; we have amazing timing. But we finally made it to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysee. The lights along the Champs Elysee were spectacular. But before we walked down the Champs Elysee, we took the subway (what the Europeans call a pedestrian passage under the road) to the Arc de Triomphe and climbed the 284 stairs to the top. The Arc de Triomphe is built on a hill and many major roads branch out from it, so the views were, again, incredible. The boys enjoyed finding the other major Paris landmarks all lit up at night almost as much as they enjoyed running and jumping along the tiered terraces found at the top of the Arc.
After the Arc de Triomphe, we walked along the Champs Elysee and marveled at the decorations in the various flagship stores. It was clear that many of the "stores" were simply huge ads for the brands. It was still cool to experience. We stopped into the Swatch shop so Heather could reminisce about her youthful hoarding of Swatch watches, and we could pick up a couple of birthday present for each other.
When they finally threw us out of the Swatch store at 9:00 when they closed, we hiked the rest of the way down to le Relais de l'Entrecote, one of a small family of great restaurants in Paris with an unusual premise. The only item on the menu is grilled steak with Hotel de Paris Sauce, served with fries. When the server greets you, she only asks how you would like the steak cooked and what you want to drink. The meal starts off with a small salad with a basic dressing and walnuts. No variations are allowed. The lines are always out the door and no reservations are accepted. The meal was excellent and enjoyed by all. This reaffirmed my repeated mantra to the boys: the best food in the world is in Paris. There is a choice of desserts and Matthew chose profiteroles while Erich went with some decadent chocolate ice cream. The perfect finish to a perfect meal.
We then Metroed home around midnight and fell into bed.
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