The Sunday after I went to London my family came to visit! My mom, dad, brother, aunt, and cousin all came to stay for a week.

I first met them at breakfast, and then we headed over to the Cluny Museum (since it is free on Sunday). On the way we ate macaroons, also known as little hamburgers. Then we went to Notre Dame in the rain because that is the only time I go there. Sadly the fighting irish didn’t have a game that day. For dinner on Sunday we went to my favorite restaurant in Paris. It just happens to be Italian and it is called Casanova. It is about 2 blocks from my house.

On Monday after class…. I took my family to the little creperie by my school and we had lunch. Then we went to get their metro navigo passes, which is much cheaper than buying tickets every day. We had to take everyone’s pictures for their passes in the metro photo booth which was quite an adventure. Next we had to go off to my apartment to play arts and crafts and put them together. Afterwards we went to L’orangerie in the Tuilleries Gardens to see Monet’s water lilies. Then we went over to Montmartre to see Sacre Couer. We walked to the top rather than taking the tram. When we went inside though and Blair tried to take a picture he got yelled at by a not so happy church man. Apparently you are not supposed to take pictures but when I saw a Sainte Margarite Marie sign I had to. We climbed down and ate dinner at this adorable little family place called le bon boc. The food was amazing and no one stared at us for being loud. The metro ride home though they stared.. a lot.

Tuesday I went to class and had a break from 1-4 when I met my family at the Eiffel Tower. This was my first time up to the top Eiffel Tower since I have been here and my first time to the 3^rd floor ever. Blair and I split a glass of champagne at the top. Then we walked the entire way down. That night my mom finally got her seine boat dinner. I guess 3^rd time’s the charm. It was a very nice trip and we had a great dinner and the even took portraits of all of us sitting before dinner was served. Blair won for best picture. Closely followed by my mom and dad doing their kissing picture. I guess it is customary for all couples on boat cruises to have the photographer take their picture kissing. Afterwards we went to the Shannon Pub next to my parent’s hotel to celebrate my 21^st birthday at midnight.

Wednesday after class I met my parents and we went on the covered passage ways tours of Paris that my architecture teacher took out class on. Then we headed over to the Madeline church and got something to eat and got on the metro and headed to our respective homes to get ready for my birthday dinner. We all went to dinner at l’orenoc and had an amazing dinner. Then half of us went to Charlie Birdy on the Champs Elysees followed by the Shannon pub where a quite drunk French man sang me happy birthday.

On Thursday during my 1-4 break we went to the catacombs of Paris which are right by my school. After that the girls went to lunch near my school and the guys went off to eat snails. After class I headed over to their hotel and we wandered around looking for a place to eat. Matt picked this really cool restaurant with seafood. The kind where you pick your lobster out of the tank. Me and matt split the biggest lobster I have ever seen. At one point the waited picked a fish out of the tank and was carrying it on a plate and it flopped off. I was sure that it was going to hit my mom in the head. Then they tried to make me kiss it. After that I was scared the entire time that they were going to sneak up behing me with some kind of fish.

On Friday we went to Reims (pronounced REEEENS) we got to ride the train there which was Blair’s favorite part. When we got there we saw l’hotel de ville and the cathedrale and the TAU palace. Next we went to lunch and then had an afternoon of champagne tasting. First we went to Martel. Then Veuve Cliquot (my dad’s favorite). Here we had the whole tour and all that jazz. Then we headed back towards the train station and had some beverages. Then we rode the train back and had Chinese food for dinner. My first attempt at Chinese food in Europe.

Saturday I slept in and met my parents at their hotel around 12 30. We went to a little street market near their and bought some souvenirs. Then we headed over to the printemps shopping center and window shopped. We had lunch in the restaurant under the dome. After we went to Place de Vendome, walking past the Opera house on the way. Then we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our last dinner together in Paris. We went to Le Sensing and had a very French meal. Tip: don’t eat the plate decoration… sometime it’s a pile of salt. We finished with my 21^st birthday present from my dad which was my bottle of 1990 Chateau D’yquem.

It was a great visit and Aunt Kris was never actually lost for more than 10 minutes. Therefore, a very successful trip.

Location: Paris, France