Notre Dame Cathedral

Address: 6 Parvis Notre-Dame - Pl. Jean-Paul II 75004 Paris
Cost: FREE for entry to the church; Audio guides are 5 Euro per person; Entry into the treasury is 3 Euro for adults, 1 Euro for children ages 6-12 and FREE for children under 5; to walk up the towers is 8 Euro for adults and FREE for anyone under 18.
Hours: 9:30 am - 6 pm; Sundays from 1:00 pm - 6 pm
Website: http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/spip.php?rubrique2 

Notre-Dame de Paris or "Our Lady of Paris" is a French Gothic Cathedral that sits on an island known as Ile de la Cite in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. Construction of this church began in 1163 with the remaining elements completed in 1345. During the French Revolution in 1793, the cathedral was taken and rededicated to "The Cult of Reason" and many artifacts and treasures of the church were destroyed as well as the building itself being widely damaged. In 1845, a 25 year long restoration occurred only to be damaged again during World War II and finally in 1991 another restoration began and lasted until 2010.Today I imagine it is as beautiful as it has ever been.

Below the Square in front of the church lies The Crypt. It was discovered during the excavations in 1965 and holds the remains of buildings erected on the site during ancient times through the classical era. Move on to the church itself and you will be amazed by the experiences that lie ahead. If you are up for the 387 stair climb of the bell towers you will come face to face with the famous gargoyles and some breath taking views of Paris. For an additional fee you can visit The Treasury where holy objects are housed. The Treasury is interesting but it seemed poorly labeled to me as most times we didn't know what we were looking at. A little research prior to going would help out a great deal. Some of the precious relics include one of Christ's original nails and a fragment of the true cross. It is said that a portion of the original crown of thorns placed on the head of Jesus at his crucifixion is kept at Notre Dame and is put on display the first Friday of each month. For more info click here http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/Veneration-of-the-Crown-of-Thorns 

Overall I say that to miss out on Notre Dame Cathedral would be to miss out on Paris. This is where the city of Paris literally began, it is the heart and soul of this vibrant, unique and romantic city. The beauty you see here will last a lifetime in your heart. 

The church still regularly holds services for times and dates click here http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/spip.php?article310

The Louvre Museum

Address: Very hard to find an accurate one...so I'll post the map!
Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Louvre+Museum/@48.860611,2.337644,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x47e671d877937b0f:0xb975fcfa192f84d4
Cost: 16 Euro per Adult; children 18 and under are FREE
Hours: Monday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Friday: from 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
Closed on Tuesdays
Website: http://www.louvre.fr/en

Wow, the Louvre has so much history in it I couldn't help but fall head over heels for her. Originally built as a fortress in the 12th century, it once served as a Palace to the royals but fell to the common people during the Revolution and in 1793 the Revolutionary government opened the first portion of the museum to the people. Upon it's public opening date it housed 537 paintings that were mostly confiscated property from the royals and churches during the Revolution. The collection has certainly grown in the last 200 years to house more than 35,000 pieces of art and more than 380,000 objects displayed in this 652,000 square foot building! There are several collections to view including Egyptian Antiques, Sculptures and my favorite The Greek, Etruscan, and Roman collection.

The Louvre has several iconic pieces it has acquired over the years such as the Venus de Milo, The Winged Victory of Samothrace and the beloved Mona Lisa (which let me burst your bubble now...the original Mona is only 30 in × 21 in - yea, I was shocked when I saw it).

The Louvre provides maps upon entering that give information on the displays and their locations in the museum but here is a link for an interactive floor plan so you can plan ahead and make sure your "must see" things are made priority http://www.louvre.fr/en/plan. 

There are places to eat inside as well and enough rooms and collections to easily fill a complete day or two. For parents with young kids, it's a little hard to maneuver a stroller around and paranoia is all but contained as you watch your little ones walk by these priceless objects but it is well worth it - just plan to move a little slower than most and keep a close eye on the kiddos. This is a wonderful chance to educate tweens and teens on art, culture and history. Here is a link for a book to help kids get educated on the pieces in The Louvre before your big trip http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811855104?ie=UTF8&tag=parmus-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0811855104 

 For the latest exhibitions & events click here http://www.louvre.fr/en/evenements

Rue Cler 

 Hours: Weekdays - all day; Saturday and Sunday mornings.

  Many of the stores are closed on Mondays.

     Located in the 7th arrondissement this street market is the must see for any food lover. There is everything from fruit and vegetable stands (Halles Bosquet) to flower stands to my favorite CHEESE (La FermetteFromagerie) there are cafes, bakeries, butchers and chocolate shops! A one stop shop for anything and everything you could possibly dream of. Shopping a market like Rue Cler is not simply shopping in Paris...it is an experience. It's a time to socialize, to purchase groceries for that day (lets face it, kitchens are small in Europe and that equals small refrigerators so a lot of things are purchased daily or every other day to ensure freshness), to smell the fruits and vegetables and get a euphoric vision of how to treat them and love them in the kitchen. The food in Paris is just...well, better. The French actually refer to our American strawberries as "plastic" - at first I didn't understand this but when we actually bought some of their strawberries - well, lets just say I don't really eat them here in the states anymore. The strawberries in Paris are deep red in color, all the way through...no bitter white center and the tops look like fresh little trees, not wilted and dead. They were sweet and delicate - AND THAT'S JUST THE STRAWBERRIES!

You could easily spend a half a day strolling Rue Cler trying samples, buying items to take back home (I bought some fresh vanilla beans, Herbs de Provence, jams and jellies - just make sure everything over 3.4 oz is in your CHECKED bags at the airport.) or picking up items to keep in your hotel or flat for snacking late at night. I found all the shop owners to be very pleasant and they just loved and adored that I was an American trying my best to speak French. They would laugh with me, talk to me about their food and why it was such good quality and share samples. This was where I tried my first authentic baguette...when you're in Paris walking around you will notice an abundance of people literally carrying a full size baguette in a paper sleeve that they picked up from the bakery minutes ago and just taking bites out of it as they get to where they're going - when in Paris, do as the Parisians do...I bought a fresh baked baguette from the bakery and I do believe it was love at first bite. I'm embarrassed to admit that I refused to share (even with my son - way to teach him how to share mom!). As if the baguette wasn't filling enough, we found an outside cafe to sit and had lemon and sugar crepes and people-watched as all the Parisians went about their busy day buying groceries and socializing with the fish monger over a table of freshly caught fish from the English Channel. I really could go on about Rue Cler for a couple more paragraphs...but I'll spare you from it. As you could probably tell, I absolutely adored this famous little street and everything it contained. It makes for a tranquil afternoon of enjoying company and stuffing your face with everything delicious.

For a list of all the shops on Rue Cler click here http://www.parismarkets.net/RueCler.html 

TRAVEL TIPS FOR EUROPE

We've all been there before, you have a big trip coming up and you want to make sure all of your bases are covered before you leave. There's nothing like setting off on vacation just to realize part way through that you've forgotten something important or even just something small - suddenly that feeling of bliss and excitement for your to come adventures dissipate and panic begins to take over. Sometimes everything is going smooth and we have an amazing trip and then we come home a realize we missed out on something awesome that was taking place at our destination that we had no idea about and would've liked to have known about ahead of time so we could've had another incredible experience. While I can't guarantee these things will never happen to you or I again, I've decided to assemble a list of Travel Tips to help prevent it from happening. 

IMPORTANT TIPS

These are crucial MUST DO tips that will make your European adventure smooth, easy and painless. 

1) Go to your bank and exchange dollars for the currency of your destination. Make sure you know the current rate exchanges so you ensure you receive an accurate amount. 

2)  Make sure you call your credit card companies and banks before you go. Let them know the dates and locations you will be traveling to so you don't experience any problems using your cards while there. 

3) A week before you go call to verify airfare, hotel, rental cars etc. and make copies of your reservations to carry with you. (I take an entire folder on the plane in my purse carrying all of our information just in case our luggage gets lost we still had documentation of everything.)

4) Go to the government website and check any travel warnings or alerts that may be issued.http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings.html 

5) If you have recently applied for a passport, make sure you track it and pay any extra fees to get it before you leave. If you currently hold a passport, make sure it's good for at least 6 months as most countries will not allow you to travel to them if it expires within 6 months.

6) Carry the number for your destination's local US Embassy in your phone and in your wallet. You can contact them should you have any problems while there (such as losing your passport).

7) If you are renting a car make sure you obtain your International Driver's license...it's quick, painless and cheap! The only place I know of to get one at is your local AAA office. You do not have to be a AAA member to get one. http://www.aaa.com/Vacation/idpf.html

8) Make copies of your itinerary and travel documents and leave them at home with a trusted family member or friend.

9) Call your cell phone provider to check international plans they offer. Nobody wants to have a perfect vacation and come home to a HUGE bill filled with roaming charges. Make sure you clearly understand what you're paying for and what is covered under their international plan. I spent 2 hours on the phone with my cell phone provider before I totally understood it all (however, that's not saying much as I'm not by any means tech savvy).

10) If you have any prescription medications make sure you have enough to last the duration of your trip and for a few extra days should something go wrong and your flight home is delayed. I also bought over the counter medications (for fever and pain) and put it in our checked luggage as it is much cheaper in the states.

11) Make sure all your bills are either paid or scheduled to be paid while you're gone.

ADDITIONAL TIPS:
1) Browse the web to find out what the weather it typically like for the season you're traveling. How can you know what to pack if you don't know what to expect? Set your weather app on your phone for your destination, this way when you wake up you can check the forecast for the day and know what to wear and if you'll need an umbrella.

2) Download the open table app on your phone so you can make dinner reservations while you're out and about during the day sight seeing and know you won't have to wait for a table when dinner time rolls around. 

3) Make sure you're carrying some of the local currency in various amounts with you when you land so you can tip your taxi driver, private car hire, concierge etc.

4) Check to see if your destination has a Groupon page for even more great local deals while you're there!!! You can find a ton of new experiences and save a lot of money by doing so. It will give you the opportunity to discover new restaurants or spoil yourself a little while there and not feel guilty about it.

5) Get any voltage converters/adapters before you leave the states. You can find these at stores like Best Buy and they cost about $20-$30. You won't be able to charge your phone or use your flat iron (GASP!!) without one. 

6) For 2 weeks prior to leaving, keep a note pad around the house and write down the things you use everyday that you'll need to pack. Most of us remember the obvious shirts, pants and socks but you'd be surprised how many of us overlook other things like toothbrushes, hairbrushes, body wash etc. Make a list for everything you need to pack so there are no surprises! 

7) We flew to Europe with British Airways, so before I booked the tickets I made sure to sign up with their mileage club and now we have a bunch of points towards another flight or to redeem other rewards with! Check the hotel you're booking with too to see if there are any reward cards worth signing up for.

8) I make a list of all the places that I want to see while at a destination then break it up into 3 group: "must go", "would like to go", "only if I have time to go". I get address and print out maps for each place going from my hotel to the tourist destination just in case my GPS doesn't work or the locals don't understand me enough to help get me to where I'm going. On each printed google map I put the name of the place, the times they open and close and the cost for each so I am well prepared.     

9) One thing I like to do while taking long vacations is to plan a day of sight seeing and acting like a tourist and then one day of rest or doing easy things (like shopping!!) to recharge my batteries and keep the trip enjoyable instead of stressful and go go go!      

I hope these are helpful to you in planning your journey! If you have any other tips you'd like to share or have experienced something that you think others would find beneficial please leave comments below!

Happy Travels!
Elisa        

NORMANDY - D-DAY BEACHES

"I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in
battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!" 

- Dwight D. Eisenhower

...and full victory is what was ultimately achieved along the 6 mile stretch that is Omaha Beach. On June 6, 1944 a total of 160,000 allied troops, 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft bombarded a 50 mile stretch of beaches along the Atlantic coast of France in an effort to get a foothold of what had become a massive amount of Europe under Nazi control during World War II.  When we traveled from Paris to Normandy we had no idea how vast the amount of land was that was all part of D-day and poorly planned our entire trip there - I'm going to give you as much information as possible so you can properly plan your time in Normandy and really get the most out of it. One day we hope to go back to really soak it up for what it is and have a fuller understanding of what actually happened on the very ground we walked. So I will not have a lot of information about all the beaches and different monuments - mainly only for Omaha Beach, which is the most popular for visitors. I would highly recommend doing your research before you go (I did some but didn't spend a lot of time on it and I really regret it). For a list of books about D-day click here http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/29955.Best_D_day_books and if you're not really into reading, the History Channel has some videos and other media posted (http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day/videos) and there are also scripted movies (such as Saving Private Ryan or The Longest Day - just remember these aren't entirely accurate) for you to view and really grow a connection with everything that is D-day before you go. I guess a major TIP I would pass along to you is to stay for at least one night and two days as we did not get much done in a couple hours. Now, to give you all I got from our time in Omaha Beach...

I have to say it was the most humbling, awe-inspiring and "proud to be an American" moment I've ever felt. The feelings of just standing in solitude on a rainy day on a dock that went at least 100 feet out into the Atlantic Ocean over looking endless water as far as my eyes could see and being in the presence of where true heroes once existed fighting for everything they believed in and loved. Most of them knew they weren't going home as they rushed the beaches with gun in hand against an enemy they'd never met before and there I was paying homage to those men who are very likely the reason why I was able to stand there at almost exactly 70 years later and remember them. I can't explain this spiritual journey or emotions that came along with it...it was almost as if while I was watching the waves crash on the beach I was somehow seeing these men still crawling up that beach and fighting. It was almost as if I could see bombs going off, hear shots being fired and see the blood stained sand although none of it was there anymore...just the remnants of what once was. I still get teary eyed with gratitude, love and conviction just thinking about what these men endured to protect what they loved. I wish the same for you, take the time to stand there and just experience what once was going on on the very ground beneath your feet and I promise, very few things will ever match that moment. 

It's crazy for me to think that these men and this scene is what happened so long ago at the same peaceful place I stood.

Getting there from Paris is surprisingly easy by a rental car (if you don't feel comfortable driving across the countryside there are trains that go out to Normandy you can take). We entered a tunnel in the middle of Paris setting out to start off on our adventure to Omaha beach...we were under ground for about 20-30 minutes (I began to worry we would never get out!) we finally saw some gleaming sunlight and as we came to the exit of the tunnel we were suddenly in the middle of the countryside. It was incredible. That coolness aside, we were able to go from Paris to Omaha Beach in about 3 hours (spending a few hours there) and made a stop in Honfleur (for about an hour to an hour and a half) and still made it back to Paris just as the sun was going down. You must remember, sunset doesn't come until almost 10 p.m. in Paris so the day is nice and long to get things done. Make sure you bring various Euro with you as there are tolls along the way, none of them too expensive and almost no wait time as they have many bays for the cars. There are enough places to stop along the way to get gas and food and WATCH OUT this road is loaded with cameras that enforce speed limits. We actually received 2 traffic tickets mailed to our house about a month after we got home, insert sad face here.

This is what we saw when we came out of the tunnel

 Now onto what Omaha has to offer...     

1) Omaha Beach Museum

http://www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/ 
For a list of hours: http://www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/practical-information/hours-and-opening-times/ 
Cost: Adult 6.50 Euro, Child (7-15) 3.90 Euro, Children 7 & under are FREE

I would recommend visiting the Omaha Beach Museum located just at the shore of Omaha (Avenue de la Libération 14710 SAINT-LAURENT-SUR-MER – NORMANDIE FRANCE) before you go to the beaches and the other sites. It is thoroughly educational and helps you get a personal connection and understanding of the men who fought and the depth of what they had to go through. It is an amazing museum with original equipment through out. They use mannequins dressed in original uniforms on display in various scenes of what it would've looked like in 1944. They have original letters, dog tags, guns and more that were either found at the beaches or donated. I must put a warning on it though as some of the pictures are graphic and depending upon the age of your children you might want to monitor exactly where they go in the museum. There is a wonderful movie area by the restrooms that plays the original footage of the invasion and has some of the nurses, soldiers and rangers being interview about their life experience on the beach that day. On the way out of the museum there is a great little museum to get memorabilia for all ages. This museum is a MUST GO if you are around the D-day beaches. It will give you an entirely new understanding of the reality that happened that dark, but liberating day in 1944.

There are several displays like this through out the museum each in a different scene

This is original from D-day

2) Normandy American Cemetery & Memorial
http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-american-cemetery
Address: 14710 Colleville-sur-Mer, France

Located on a cliff over looking Omaha Beach and out into the Atlantic Ocean this cemetery contains the remains of 9,387 American soldiers. Upon entry, the rows of crosses and large monuments seem overwhelming, you almost don't know where to begin. To your left is a massive semi-circular colonnade made of French limestone, ceramic tiles and a floor made of pebbles taken from Omaha beach itself. Within it is a 22 foot bronze statue ("The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves") stretching up towards the sky and overlooking the Garden of the Missing. The garden is wrapped with semi-circular walls with the names of the 1,557 missing men who were never found or whose remains have never been identified. These men are so worthy of a silent moment and prayer as you walk by the flowers. They gave their lives fighting for freedom and made the ultimate sacrifice for so many, it's heartbreaking (especially for someone like me who is super emotional) and makes you really appreciate the acts of someone you have never met. As you continue on through the Garden of the Missing you will discover there are 5 paths that divide the garden - we only walked one and it took us a while to go down. You almost feel this desire and need to read every name and pay respects to each cross or star you walk by. Among the crosses you will see father & son together, brothers side by side and even twin brothers, who all died together fighting for their country. There is a chapel that marks they half way point of the cemetery (for an amazing aerial view click here: http://www.specialcamp11.co.uk/Normandy/Aerial%20View%20Of%20Omaha%20Cemetery.jpg. ).
Make sure you stop at the visitor's center before you walk through the cemetery as they have movies, brochures to take with you with a lot of great detailed information, pictures and more so that you can really soak in everything you see and understand the meanings of it all from the script written on the monuments to the time capsule on site that is not to be opened until 2044. Overall, I believe this was one of my top favorite things out of all of our European vacation. I think it's something everybody should see once in their lifetime.

This picture says more than my words every could

My husband took this amazing picture and I just thought I'd share it as a bonus

There are several other monuments through out Omaha, I'll post pics and small descriptions of what each one is. Stop at the visitor center to pick up maps of where you can find all the monuments and their meanings. It would be a shame to be in Paris and miss out on this incredible experience...my advice to you is to make every effort possible to go to Normandy to experience something that very few things in life can match. It's so educational for children and will help them understand how massive this day was for America and our allies. It will teach them to honor, respect & appreciate veterans and their sacrifices.

This is one of many German Bunkers around Omaha. You can walk up to it and go inside.

This is on the way up to the Second Infantry Division Memorial...To me, this is a MUST STOP as the original gun is still there from when it was under German control.

This is the interior...you can see the massive hole on the upper right, my husband imagines is from fire from the US Army.

This is where you enter, at first it was so eerie for me just to know what happened there but once I got in it as hard to leave as I felt a strong connection to the past. 

The Ranger monument at Point Du Hoc is to honor the American Second Ranger Battalion who scaled 100 foot cliffs and took over German artillery that otherwise would've been firing on American troops on Omaha.

World War II Memorial on Omaha

People still leave sentiments around the memorials to honor all of these brave men. It's very touching to see some even from children.

This will wrap up our Omaha visit. I hope you find it helpful and honorable to all the allied forces who fought that day.

If you have any further questions about something above or would like to know if I have more info on something not listed just message me or comment and I'll help out the best I can. Happy Travels my fellow Gypsies.