museums and sights

After we found an apartment, there was a lot of bureaucracy and paperwork that had to be dealt with so that we could actually rent it.  Hurray for Pierre for his patience and his fabulous French.  While we were waiting for everything to shake out, we had some time to explore.  The girls enjoyed most of the museums most of the time.

 Musee de la Decouverte in the Grand Palais

Mathematicians

(Pi)erre in the Pi room

Musee de la Decouverte is a science museum in the beautiful Grand Palais.  There is lots to see including a planetarium.  We did not see the planetarium, but we have a family science pass and we will be back.  Each day, about 40 different experiments are done to explain basic scientific facts or principles.  We sat in on a lecture about l'ecole des rats.  The audience was all families, but the scientist was all business.  He talked about the rats, their brains, their ability to learn and cooperate, and many other things for over thirty minutes.  There was the rat, the maze, and a few videos, but everyone was expected to sit and listen. And everyone did.  The experience seemed very French because in a North American museum I don't think that kids would be expected to learn in such a structured, lecture format.  There would be hands-on activities and the kids would actually be moving around during the thirty minutes.  Lil and Sylv managed to sit through, but were ready to move.

When we first arrived the weather was beautiful.  We left wintery Ottawa and within days were wearing shorts.  Now, it has cooled down and is a bit rainy and I believe it is warm and sunny in Ottawa.

When we first arrived Sylvia was very excited every time she saw the Eiffel Tower.  She became quickly jaded.  When I pointed out the top of it to her the other day,  she said, "Why is everyone always showing me the Eiffel Tower.  It is so boring."  She does enjoy seeing the whole thing up close.  She can see the top of it from her school.

 Our girls are in the trees.  Shortly after this I made the mistake of telling Sylvia that she couldn't take her shoes off and no, she could not have any more chocolate.  This sent her into a record breaking tantrum.  The thirty minute walk home was brutal and it took a long run the following day for me to fully recover.  I thought I might never recover, but now it has been a couple of weeks and it seems like a distant memory

 (I guess my memory is not as good as a rat's)

 Our first visit to the Louvre.

Sylvia and I learned about Egypt and Lillian and Pierre tackled Greek and Roman antiquities and the Mona Lisa.  Sylvia had read a Magic School Bus and was telling me all about canopic jars and other Egyptian facts.

 We visited Jardin des plantes and the Arenes de Lutece, a Gallo-Roman amplitheatre

L'Institut du MondeArab is a very cool building and it is free to take the elevator up to the top floor for a view.  The mechanisms on the walls of the building open and close depending on the amount of light.

view from l'Institut du Monde Arabe

Don't forget to wear your orange shorts and t-shirt if you go to l'Orangerie.