Day 3 of Paris 2022

After all the naps we had taken during the day, the night leading up to Day 3 was a rough one, especially for Lola and I, who had to deal with a tossing and turning Billie all night. Regardless, waking up to my mother-in-law making eggs and toast wasn't the worst experience! After finishing off breakfast, we got ready to head out. This day didn't have a specific itinerary, but instead was mostly to allow for some shopping/strolling time for our first full day in the city. 

We walked to the Les Halles shopping area, which was a mile and change. In my mind, that wasn't very far, but I would quickly learn on this trip that I needed to limit the amount of walking for everyone to make sure we enjoyed things. The walk was nice and easy and the streets of Paris, as always, inspire the mind with wonder and excitement. We arrived a little early to the area (the shops didn't open till 10a) and spent the time taking pictures in the area.

Once the stores opened, we visited the Lego store and several other chain stores in the shopping mall. The mall itself is an interesting architectural structure, as it goes deep into the ground instead of up.  

When we finished with shopping, we decided to walk down to the Île de la Cité, one of the oldest parts of the city and home to some of the most important buildings in Paris. As we crossed the famous Pont au Change bridge, we were struck with the large police force present in the area. While we never got specifics, we suspect it had something to do with a meeting of EU dignitaries happening this week in Paris. We passed the Concierge and walked the streets on the island. It's hard to believe how long this island has been filled with people doing things, living their lives, making a living, etc. You can feel it in every cobblestone. We turned left down the streets and walked towards the Notre Dame, still closed due to the fire that nearly destroyed it. Once we looked it over, we decided to head back towards our apartment.

On the way, we stopped at two churches. The Église Saint-Merry built in 1690 and Saint-Nicholas-des-Champs orginially founded in the 12th century. I am and forever will be thrilled to visit old churches. I love the feeling in the buildings. I love imagining the centuries of generations who attended mass there. I love walking the aisles, touching the walls, feeling the history. I'm a massive fan. Billie and Lola skipped the second stop and went ahead to find a place to eat, Le Pain des Copains. We all met here and at sandwiches, bread, and desert. Amazing food and easily accessible for us, who don't speak French.

When we got back to the apartment, we again went to our bedrooms and slept. After napping, Lola and I made ham sandwiches for everyone. After eating we planned for Billie's birthday trip to Disney tomorrow and decided to turn in again.

- Dan

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