These things occurred on Wednesday August 21, 2024 in Paris, France
It was our final day in Paris and it began well. The bedbug situation was under control, Shai was feeling somewhat better thanks to Dr. Shira’s guidance, and the boys woke up at a decent time. We went to the market to get some breakfast and then back home to eat. Unfortunately for me, the boys were taking their sweet time transitioning into the day and were enjoying hanging out at the flat. After two days in Paris without the ability to really go explore, I lost my patience and may have yelled something like, “I’m in freaking Paris and I want to go out.” Sometimes, adults struggle with emotional regulation, too. Miraculously, my moment of vulnerability catapulted the boys out of what they were doing and into getting out of the flat. Later, I apologized for what felt like an overreaction on my part and we discussed the struggles of transitioning in a timely manner. Something that has been a struggle in our family for years and would likely come up again and again.
We finally took a bus and a tram to Jardin du Dragon, a park that is designed so that the playground structures look like a dragon. Disappointingly, the epic tongue slide, and real reason we were heading to the park, was closed when we got there. As it turned out, this was where the Paris Olympic Village was. It was neat to see signs for the different countries’ houses, knowing the Olympics had just ended and the Paralympics were about to begin. Although the boys were disappointed about the slide, they made the most of their time in the park, creating obstacle courses all over and eventually playing on a merry-go-round with several other children who were at the park. No one spoke the same language, but body language and facial expressions were enough for them to communicate with one another.
After the park, our goal was to eat at a kosher restaurant. Paris is known for having a plethora of tasty kosher options. However, it was August. And in August, everything in Paris is closed. I had been trying for three days to call different restaurants in the hopes that one that would fit within our budget would be open. I had even stopped a fellow Jew on the street the day before just to ask if he knew which restaurants were open. He had no idea, though he did try to call a restaurant for me. No one answered.
The internet insisted that these restaurants were open. Amichai said his gut was feeling positive so we took a tram to our desired restaurant without knowing for certain if it would be open. We showed up hungry and ready to eat only to find the restaurant was closed. More than just closed. The security shutter was down and locked. Clearly, no one was home or intending to be home for a while. The internet had failed us.
In a desperate attempt to find an open, meat restaurant, I went old school. I started dialing every number I found. On my fourth try, someone at Mitbach picked up. Using a combination of broken English, French, and Hebrew to communicate we were able to determine that the restaurant was 1) kosher, 2) open, and 3) serves meat. As soon as I told them the good news, the boys hugged each other and began dancing and cheering like they just won a Superbowl championship. Their excitement was so genuine it caught the attention of passers-by who were very confused by the scene. At some point, I had the boys reenact their reaction for our Instagram followers because I was too caught up in the moment to video it when it happened.
We met up with Chaim, who was coming to meet us for lunch, and caught a train to the new restaurant of choice. We were so grateful when it was, in fact, open. However, we were slightly disappointed when we were told there were only chicken options because the meat patron was on vacation. Wow. No matter. Chicken was already better than eating more tuna fish. It would do. The boys enjoyed scrumptious schnitzel, falafel, pasta, olives, fries, and Israeli salad. Chaim and I enjoyed their leftovers.
Bellies full and hearts high, we returned home for some downtime before our next outing that evening. At 5:20PM we left for the Louvre Museum. We had a 6:00PM entry time. After our experience with The Royal Observatory, the boys were nervous about getting there on time. Chaim and I seemed to think Paris would be different and felt much less worried about it. We showed up right on time. Fun fact. There are no lines to get into the Louvre at night. It was incredible. After playing with photography optics in front of the iconic large pyramid, we walked right in and straight to the Mona Lisa. Shai was in shock that he got to see the Mona Lisa, just like on the TV show Miraculous. I had no idea what he was talking about, but was overjoyed to see him so excited. He felt like a celebrity. I think he was also ecstatic because he finally got to go out after two days of stomach woes.
There was a big crowd at the Mona Lisa, but our boys found their way to the front and enjoyed staring at her for about fifteen minutes. We moved them along, since the crowd was beginning to jostle them a bit and headed to the Roman sculptures exhibit per the boys’ request. We were only at the Louvre for an hour, but it was the perfect amount of time to inspire them. Each of our children said that he wanted to come back and spend more time there when he was older.
After a toilet break, we walked slowly toward the Eiffel Tower. We had 9:30PM tickets. Late, but that was the only time we could get to be able to visit the top floor. We were finally seeing Paris in all of its glory and we were going to make the most of it. The boys thought it was beautiful. I was reminded of why I don't prefer the city, while acknowledging that it is stunning. When I visited twenty years ago I found the thematic facades of the buildings strangely eerie. It made me feel like I was in a weird, alternate doll house universe, especially after coming from London where the architecture is extraordinarily diverse. I felt the same way this time, too.
We walked along the Siene, stopping to buy and ice cream at probably the most expensive kiosks there were, and to enjoy the views. As we walked along the Siene, we came across a small slide. After the disappointment earlier in the day, the boys were elated to find a slide and stopped to play on it for a while. Forget the Jardin du Dragon. This small slide was fast and bumpy. It was the most fun they’d had all day.
Just as we began approaching the Eiffel Tower, someone had to pee. Urgently. Thus, our relaxed stroll transformed into a frantic race to a toilet. Score! We found a public option. Damn! It’s closed. We rushed to the Eiffel Tower, knowing that there are toilets inside. The line to get in was short, but took forever. Finally inside, we rushed to the toilet line. What the heck? The line for the men's toilets was thirty minutes long. Don’t tell the Parisian police, but we found a bush and our child let it go. The only other option would have been a colossal accident and that was not going to happen.
Calmer now, we began walking to the elevator. As we entered the main plaza, Shai began jumping for joy, again. “I can’t believe we’re really here. Like it’s Miraculous (the TV show)! First the Mona Lisa, now the Eiffel Tower. And I didn’t even know the Louvre was here!” The smile from ear to ear on that kiddo was priceless. I hope he remembers how excited and special he felt for many years to come.
We spent two hours on the tower before taking an Uber home because it was almost midnight and we were exhausted. A bad choice for our budget, a wise choice for our boys. We sent the boys to sleep while Chaim and I began packing because we were scheduled to leave the next day.
Though our time in Paris wasn’t everything I’d imagined due to a few minor setbacks, this particular day was full of incredible memories and experiences that I hope our children hold on to for a very, very long time.
