Notre Dame weekend

Yesterday turned into an activity-packed Saturday for us.  After a morning outing at the Champ de Mars playground to meet some fellow Malaysians, we had a nice, relaxing lunch at W & P's place, due in part to Ju's unexpected toilet call.  Since we were unexpected guests, our hosts made a quick trip to Picard, when YL was formally introduced to this formidable French frozen food chain, which makes everything from pizza to paella to pastries, all displayed in cool white freezers.  

Twas a busy day for the skies as well

OK OK, we do have too many Eiffel Tower shots.  This is the last one.  We promise to venture further out away from the tower so you get to see the rest of Paris.  

 Sophie insisted that we put up this picture of Snowy climbing the Eiffel Tower

It was also a very hot day, so a gelato was the perfect antidote

In the late afternoon, we went to stock up on my Lush essentials (yes, they have Lush here!!) albeit at exorbitant prices.  We somehow ended up in nearby Marais for dinner.  Everywhere was packed, but we found this relatively calm brassiere which served an excellent agneau (lamb) and the best fish we've had in Paris (which isn't saying much, since the French somehow do not seem to be able to cook fish very well -they tend to be bland, soggy, and with a considerable amount of scales intact).  What made this a great experience was the waitress who was very friendly and warm towards the children, especially Ju, who lapsed into his half-pretend, half-serious cries every so often.  This is such a refreshing change from the usual snobs we encounter.  I am still convinced that the restaurant down the street from our apartment lied when they told us they were "complet" when we went there for lunch one afternoon with Ju in tow.  I think they just didn't want a mean-looking toddler messing up their nice tables.  


After a very satisfying meal, we took a slow stroll to the RER station to catch our train home, and stumbled upon a trio of musicians doing their stuff on a street behind the Notre Dame church.   

Infectious jazz-on-the-move

A nice way to end a Saturday evening

With music in our heads, we continued towards the Notre Dame before catching the train home.

Behind the scenes: Figuring out how to get home

The famous North Rose Window above.  Notre Dame is the most visited site in Paris, with 10 million people crossing its threshold each year.  Completed in the 14th-century, it is a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture.

 Watch out for the gargoyles! 
 This nasty lot repels demons, but probably have the more practical function of diverting rainwater away from the facade of the church.  

Sunset

Ju clinging on to his Che Che 

Notre Dame in the background  

OK, just one more.  The tower is lit up with thousands of blinking lights on every hour.