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Les Bannetons de Charonne
When I researched the available breakfast options near our Airbnb, the closest was Les Bannetons de Charonne (literally across the street). This place received mixed, and somewhat negative reviews, but I still wanted to try it due to its sheer convenience.
There seemed to be a light, but steady stream of customers, which I took as a good sign. The smell of freshly baked goods wafted into the street corner.
I attempted to use a couple of French phrases while ordering, and the older woman behind the counter smiled and said “good”!
I brought back plain, chocolate and raspberry croissants to eat for breakfast. They were so light, it did not feel like we were consuming tons of butter-haha. The prices were quite reasonable compared to specialty bakeries around here (e.g. the raspberry croissant was 1.40 euros).
There was a small learning curve, but we successfully navigated the Metro around Paris. Once we bought the Navigo Easy Passes at a station with a live attendant, it was easy to track/refill all of our passes via the app. One tip is that you only have to tap your card when entering a station, not on the way out.
The Musee d’Orsay was originally a train station (Gare d’Orsay) that opened in 1900. In preparation of our visit, my son read The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick. We also watched the movie Hugo, which is based on the book. The story is set in Gare d’Orsay, and it was neat to recognize parts of the building.
The sparseness of this painting made me do a double-take.
Doesn’t Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles remind you of Goodnight Moon? I did a Google search about there being a connection, but was unable to find anything that mentioned it.
Always exciting to see a Monet.
Cool-looking restaurant
Gosselin Saint-Germain: A Great Lunch Near Musee D’Orsay
After an art-filled morning, we were ready to fill our stomachs again. I found a boulangerie called Gosselin Saint-Germain that is a quick walk (<5 minutes) from Musee d’Orsay.
Such an enticing display case!
Since there was no seating, we had an impromptu picnic next to the Seine, which was nearby.
We had a little dilemma regarding dessert because everything looked so delicious, but we also had to be careful of the kids’ nut allergies. I had a pocket-sized card explaining their allergies to the woman behind the counter, but the language barrier did not leave me feeling too confident about her suggestions. We settled on eclairs (coffee, vanilla and chocolate), and they ended up being a tasty and thankfully nut-free choice.
The first snafu of our trip occurred when I went to the metro station (literally across the street from our AirBnB) with the intent to buy all of us Navigo Easy passes. I found the Philippe Auguste station easily, but there was a metal gate blocking the entrance…no! I eventually figured out that there were some maintenance issues, and the station was not in operation (thankfully it returned to normal the next day). Our only alternative was to walk several long blocks to the nearest station that sold passes (Nation).
Unfortunately, we were unable to make our reservations at Musee de l’Orangerie since it took us longer than expected to arrive at our AirBnB. Therefore, we headed straight to dinner.
Happy Caffe
If you are looking for a place to eat near the Louvre, I would recommend Happy Caffe. The service is quite friendly and the person who took our order spoke English. We ordered baguette sandwiches and crepes to go.
I need more crepes in my life.
This crepe had cheese, tomato, spinach and egg and was very tasty.
We brought our food across the street and ate in the picturesque Tuileries Garden. Luckily, we found some metal chairs in a somewhat shady area.
We had timed tickets for The Louvre for 6:30 p.m. on Friday night (the museum closes at 9:45 p.m. on Fridays). Even so, we had to wait a good 15-20 minutes in order to get through security. We had to throw out our water bottles before entering (although water was allowed in all of the subsequent museums that we visited).
As you can see, it was quite crowded!
Once we were inside the pyramid, we still had to show our tickets to be admitted. The ticket taker asked to see k’s ID to prove that she was under 18 (and eligible for free admission). She did not have her driver’s license at that time (now she does!) and I did not read anything that said this was necessary. Fortunately, I still had her passport on me, so he let her in. Phew! Again, this was the only museum where this was an issue.
So, where does one begin when seeing the largest museum in the world for the first time? (D was the only in our party who had been before).
We decided to follow the signs (and crowds) to the Mona Lisa, because why not? There was a long queue to get up close and personal, but I thought that standing off to the side gave us a perfectly adequate view.
That mysterious smile…
Directly across from the Mona Lisa is a masterpiece by Veronese, Wedding Feast at Cana. It felt like the Louvre was as crowded as the depicted wedding feast!
k was excited to see Liberty Leading the People, a painting she had learned about in her world history class.
The Napoleon III Apartments were a sight to behold. It is crazy to think that the Louvre was a palace before it was a museum.
Now that’s a crowded dining table.
We started to feel stuffy with so many people, and no air conditioning. This air duct gave us minimal relief. It made us realize how much we take air conditioning for granted in California.
We also tried to take a rest whenever there was an open seat.
Each hallway seemed to lead to another endless hallway filled with priceless artwork.
The Louvre can feel overwhelming, but I was satisfied with the amount we were able to take in.
I wanted to take a cool nighttime picture of the pyramid, but alas, sunset was not until close to 10 p.m. and it was not lit up when we exited. This was the scene right outside the Louvre around 9 p.m. I was aware that Europeans eat dinner later, but it was still baffling to see (our family sometimes goes out to eat dinner at 4:45 p.m., which I know is ridiculously early to most!)
We also caught our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower! It was refreshing to witness all these people relaxing on a warm summer night in Paris. However, since we were fighting jetlag, we called it a night. We headed back to the Metro, and had another long walk (since the closest station was still not in operation). We also stopped in a Franprix right before it closed to buy water and fruit. Bonne nuit!
We successfully met up with our driver at the airport and he drove us to our AirBnB in the 11th arrondissement during Friday afternoon rush hour traffic. I was relieved to see that the apartment was just as fabulous in real life as it appeared in the listing. The only aspect that came somewhat as a a surprise was the long spiral staircase that we had to traverse to make it to our second story accomodations.
Living Area/Kitchen
Doesn’t it look like an IKEA showecase?
Such a cute spot for little ones. Love that rhino stool!
Full kitchen with hidden washer and dryer. It took us a while to figure out the laundry, but it was supremely helpful in that it allowed us all to fit all our clothes into our carry-on luggage.
Bedrooms/Bathrooms
This was the bedroom where D and I stayed. I appreciated the thoughtful details, including USB ports at each bedside table. I did not even need the plug converter that I brought with me.
The toilet was located in a separate water closet right next door.
This is the room where my mom stayed.
My sister’s bedroom.
This is the bathroom that my mom and sister shared.
Another bedroom on the second floor. (My sister realized she should have chosen this room instead at the end of our stay-oh well).
The kids chose to stay in the kids room on the main floor because it had two sets of bunk beds. This room also had an adjoining bathroom that I did not take a picture of. If you have not been keeping track, this place can house up to 12 guests, with five bedrooms and three bathrooms!
Courtyard
When we first arrived, there was a group of about six small dogs running around in the inner courtyard. I am not a dog person, but these dogs were adorable and non-threatening.
After we quickly settled in, it was time for our first outing in Paris!
Last month we fulfilled one of my lifelong dreams: we visited Paris and London! After months of planning, I was ready to embark on our European adventure.
We took an Uber to LAX and had no problems going through security.
Our 5:10 p.m. flight was on time. It was convenient that we did not have to wake up super early to arrive at the airport. Of course, we had plenty of time to spare. I would much rather be waiting around with nothing to do than to be frantically running through the airport to catch a flight.
Our Comfort+ seats came with a travel kit that had earplugs, toothbrush/toothpaste, and eye mask.
Since this was a redeye flight, the pillow and blanket were especially appreciated.
We managed to pack everything into carry-on luggage.
My mom and youngest sister also came along. Unfortunately, my dad was unable to make the trip with us. This made me very sad, but I also realized it was probably for the best.
This was the dinner that we were served. The caprese salad was ok, but I did not eat too much of the grains. The chicken, which tasted like Indian curry, was on the dry side. Overall, the food was not bad, but I started to feel motion sickness right before receiving it. Therefore, I did not enjoy dinner to its full potential. I just tried to relax and watched A Man Called Otto with Tom Hanks.
As luck would have it, we had a crying baby in the row behind us. It was difficult to sleep, but I managed to get a couple of hours, at least? n found the open snack bar in the back of the plane, so he was happy to have multiple midnight snacks.
For spring break, our family took a cruise to the Mexican Riviera via the Carnival Panorama. We originally booked a similar cruise for winter of 2020 with Norwegian Cruise Line, but we all know why we had to cancel that one. When I was looking to rebook this cruise for spring break 2023, I have to admit that Carnival was not my first choice. Both D and I had preconceived notions that Carnival was only for those into the crazy party scene (not us) and honestly, that it was kind of cheesy. However, when comparing the prices and itineraries, I decided to book the seven night Carnival Cruise to Mexico.
Now that we have experienced a Carnival Cruise firsthand, I can definitely recommend it, especially this particular ship and itinerary. This series of blog posts will hopefully preserve our family’s memories, as well as offer tips and tricks for anyone else planning a similar trip.
Our Carnival Panorama Itinerary
Our cruise departed from Long Beach on a Saturday in March and returned the next Saturday. The itinerary was as follows:
Saturday: Departure from Long Beach
Sunday: Sea Day
Monday: Sea Day
Tuesday: Puerto Vallarta (9 a.m.-9 p.m.)*
Wednesday: Mazatlan (9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.)*
Thursday: Cabo San Lucas (6:30 a.m.-2 p.m.)*
Friday: Sea Day
Saturday: Return to Long Beach
*These are the times listed on the Carnival website. The actual times varied a little, but we were pretty much on track until the very last day (more on that later).
Carnival Panorama Embarkation
No matter how much preparation and planning I have done, I am always a little nervous on travel days. There are just so many opportunities for things to go wrong which can cause stress. However, our trip to the Long Beach cruise terminal and embarkation was smooth sailing (pun intended).
The Long Beach Cruise Terminal is only about a forty minute drive from us. (Since I grew up in Seal Beach, I tend to still think that Long Beach is only about twenty minutes away-ha). We drove and parked in the cruise terminal lot ($23/day, I believe) and it was quite convenient. I joined the Facebook group for our cruise (highly recommended) and I saw that our fellow passengers were flying in from all over the country (as well as a few outside of the U.S.). They were dealing with booking flights and hotel stays before and after the cruise, so our short drive seemed like nothing in comparison. If you live in Southern California, do not take having Long Beach Cruise Terminal in your backyard for granted. It is a highly sought-after destination that you should take advantage of!
This picture was taken from the Starboard side of the Carnival Panorama after we boarded. It was a little overcast, but not too cold.
This dome is where Carnival Cruise passengers go through the embarkation process and wait before boarding. To the right is the Queen Mary, which I heard is just reopening for tourists. This might make for an interesting activity if you are looking for something to do before or after the cruise.
Online check-in starts 14 days before your cruise. If you are on the west coast, you can check-in at 9 p.m. the night before the 14 day window, instead of staying up until midnight, which is nice. This is when you choose your actual check-in time at the terminal. The first slot is 10 a.m., but be aware that they won’t start letting people actually board the ship until around noon. Of course, I wanted to board the ship as early as possible, so we were in line by 10. This necessitated some waiting, but there was plenty of bench seating. We dropped off our luggage with the porter in the parking lot, so we just had our carry-on bags. I recommend bringing a book to make the waiting time go by faster. Also, make sure that you have downloaded the Carnival app before you board the ship. It will definitely make your cruise life much easier.
We were able to bring water in our Hydroflasks without being stopped by security, but I heard that sometimes they make you throw it out. Pre-packaged snacks are also allowed in your carry-on, so keep this mind if you anticipate people in your party from becoming hangry. There are also restrooms in the terminal, so that is not a problem.
Also note that you will not receive your Sail & Sign card (which also acts as your room key) until you go to your room on the ship. This was unlike other cruises we have been on, and it seemed to cause some confusion. One gentleman in particular was very concerned about it. So just sit back, relax, and wait for your group number to be called to board.
I thought this Carnival ship model on display right before your board was pretty cool.
First Lunch Stop on the Carnival Panorama: Guy’s Pig and Anchor Bar-B-Que
I believe we were on the ship by around 12:15. Since the staterooms are not accessible until 1:30, our first order of business was lunch. While the crew members will advise that you go to the Lido deck for the lunch buffet, insiders know that this is is not your only option. I decided to have us try out Guy’s Pig and Anchor Bar-B-Que, a BBQ restaurant which is open for complimentary lunch, including embarkation day. Our family has a tradition of watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives when flipping channels in hotel rooms, so we are quite familiar with Guy Fieri. It was fun to try out BBQ that he has put his name behind.
The food is served cafeteria-style, so you just point to what you want and the crew member will dish it out for you. The meat choices included Championship Pork Butt, Smoked Round of Beef, Smoked Andouille Sausage and Blue Ribbon Chicken. Sides included Mac Daddy Mac n Cheese, Old Skool Potato Salad and Collard Greens. I wanted to try a little of everything, and this is what my plate looked like. Of course, you can go for seconds, or ask for more or less of a certain item. I thought everything tasted delicious, but everyone in our family had a different favorite. D and n like the pork, k liked the beef and I liked the chicken best. The selection of signature BBQ sauces also added an extra layer of flavor.
Unfortunately, the service here was a little curt/rushed and did not make the best first impression. We were one of the first in line, so it was not even busy at the time. However, this hospitality experience was an anomaly, as most of the staff we encountered throughout the week were friendly and accommodating.
Lunch Stop #2: Lido Marketplace (aka Buffet)
After finishing our BBQ, we headed up to the Lido Marketplace to check out the lunch buffet. I mainly wanted to try the gelato, but we could not help trying out some of their salads and fruit offerings as well.
The gelato station is located within the Lido Marketplace during lunch. This became a must-stop for us every day of the cruise!
There was a rotation of two flavors that changed daily. The first day we tried both the coffee and mango flavors (I would recommend separate cups as these flavors do not play well together). The gelato had a wonderfully smooth and creamy consistency. I can see why they have a worker in charge of doling out the scoops, since I can imagine some people going to town if left to their own devices. There is also a toppings bar, but I thought the gelato was excellent on its own.
The Convenience of Self-Mustering
After lunch stop #2, we headed to our assigned muster station to do the safety briefing. Carnival currently leaves the timing of completing this up to the passenger, as long as it is before departure. (Of course, the earlier in the day the better, so everyone is not waiting on you in the end). One tip is to figure out where your assigned muster station is before you board. There is a code provided to you once you check-in online. Each code (such as C4) correlates with a different part of the ship, (such as the Limelight Lounge). A quick google search done at home should tell you where to go.
Our safety briefing consisted of us checking in with a crew member and being asked if we wanted a life jacket demonstration. This was so much less painful than other muster station drills where we had to wait with thousands of other passengers at the exact same time in order to be cleared.
Once we were done with the self-muster, it was time to check out our stateroom!
After exploring the National Museum of American History, our next stop was lunch. We ate at District Taco, which received reviews of “ok” to “pretty good” from the members of our family.
I believe we ordered one chicken burrito, carne asada nachos, and two fish tacos for the four of us.
The next stop on our walking tour was 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, aka The White House. Unfortunately, tours are still not being given, so we had to settle with this obstructed view through an understandably tall fence.
It does not appear that taxpayer money is being spent on lawn upkeep.
Our next stop was the larger-than-life Lincoln Memorial.
It was amazing to see this magnificent statue up close.
Although there were a good number of people milling around, we were able to stand in a short line to take some pictures without anyone else in the frame. It was also nice and cool (because of the marble?) so we took a short rest inside.
This was the first time any of us had seen the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. I like the inspiring inscription: “Out of the Mountain of Despair, a Stone of Hope”
This is how the cherry blossom buds looked on the day we arrived.
I hope the kids will remember seeing all of these significant monuments for years to come!
I scheduled us to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of American History as one of our first stops because it was one of the few museums that was open on Tuesdays (at least at the time).
As soon as you walk in, the first must-see exhibit features THE Star-Spangled Banner. No photos are allowed, but take our word for it that this huge flag is impressive.
Industrial Revolution
The exhibits are set up to be a walk-thru of American history, although we did not always find ourselves looking at everything in chronological order.
This picture of a U.S. Customs uniform is for my dad.
Did my mom used to have one of these yogurt machines, or was it just my imagination?
This touch-sensitive wall lets you leave your mark, at least temporarily.
The Greensboro Lunch Counter Exhibit was a powerful reminder of America’s history of racial segregation. (We watched the short documentary film from these comfy chairs).
Dorothy’s iconic ruby slippers have their own separate wing in the museum.
The ruby slippers don’t actually look too glamorous up close, but they are still neat to see in person.
Can you imagine riding this bicycle around town?
I was excited to see my beloved Fisher Price Little People house on display. I used to love the ringing doorbell and rearranging the furniture.
This miniature dollhouse was fun to look at-so many details!
A replica of Julia Child’s kitchen is a main attraction in the FOOD: Transforming the American Table exhibit.
I ended up watching the 2021 Julia documentary on the plane ride home. Julia Child was quite a fascinating character in American history.
There was a small room that honored the birth of jazz. As a former jazz trombonist, I had to stop and take a picture.
This old school computer reminded me of the computers we used at my elementary school. It was fun to walk down memory lane!
n tried his hand at spinning, which was pretty cool.
I really enjoyed the National Museum of American History because we do not really have anything like it here in Southern California. If you are in DC, I would highly recommend making this one of your stops!
Our school district had their spring break early (mid-March), so our trip to Washington D.C. almost seems like a distant memory. I will try my best to blog about our trip so that the memories last longer.
I booked a red eye flight on United out of LAX to Dulles on a Monday night in order to maximize our time. We used LAX’s new economy parking lot, which turned out to be pretty convenient. We reserved a spot online ahead of time and took a shuttle to the airport. The kids were excited to have screens on the back of the seats. Too bad I was the mean mom who would not let them watch any movies since our flight left around 11:30 p.m.! Once we arrived in D.C. at around 7 a.m., we caught the 5A bus from the airport to L’Enfant Plaza, which was close to our hotel. We dropped our bags off and started our first day in D.C. on probably around two hours of sleep!
We needed to grab some breakfast, so we stopped at West Wing Cafe. This was more a choice of convenience than anything else.
Our breakfast burritos and sandwiches were not bad, but not really worth seeking out.
Smithsonian Castle
After breakfast we started walking towards the National Mall. The first building that caught our eye was the Smithsonian Castle. The Castle serves as a Visitors Center and museum for all of the different Smithsonian museums.
This is where we first saw these orange statutes of notable women in history (I believe they were on display in honor of Women’s History Month). The statues appeared throughout many of the museums we visited later on in the week as well.
Washington Monument Tickets Fail
As we made our way to the Smithsonian Museum of National History, we had our first glimpse of the Washington Monument. I had tried to procure tickets to ride the elevator to the top through their online ticket system. This can be done one day before arrival, starting at 10 a.m. EST. I was logged into my recreation.gov account, with my finger on my mouse, ready to go. However, it was not meant to be, as the tickets were literally gone within 5 seconds! Thus, we could only admire the monument from the outside.
The shiny iridescent walls give a hint of the interesting exhibits that are inside.
This huge display of guitars will stop you in your tracks. D took the opportunity to display his air guitar skills.
When I met D in college, he was in the middle of his grunge music phase. This museum contains a lot of artifacts and memorabilia from that era.
The Pearl Jam exhibit was particularly impressive.
There were several small video booths with concert footage. The kids were not familiar with any of the music, but we obliged D and listened to a few songs.
This video screen was massive. It felt like were at a live concert!
MoPop appears to be trying to add more pop culture outside of music, but it feels a bit disjointed. This Super Mario wall was kind of random, but it was a fun photo opp.
The same goes for the storybook exhibit. It was interesting to see some famous costumes though. Apparently we just missed the Disney Heroes and Villains exhibit, which I think I would have enjoyed.
Can you imagine working this sound board?
I appreciated all of the artistic details.
We tried to walk through the horror film section as quickly as possible since we’re not into that type of thing.
Overall, I would say this museum is worth it for Gen Z’ers who were fans of grunge music in the 90’s-00’s. There is no doubt that the Pacific Northwest played a critical role in developing that music scene and this museum does an exceptional job of documenting it.
If you have younger kids, they might be more interested in the Artists At Play Playground located just outside of the MoPop museum.
This playground is unlike any playground we have ever seen. n had fun climbing the ropes and going through the long slides.
D and I found a place to sit in the shade while the kids played. I know we missed the actual Pacific Northwest heat wave, but we could not help wish the weather was about ten degrees cooler.
After visiting the Space Needle, we went to Chihuly Garden and Glass which is right next door. This is definitely one of the places that you should choose as part of your Seattle CityPass. Again, they let us in earlier than our reserved time since it was not crowded.
I do not believe this place was here when D and I first visited Seattle. According to something I read (can’t remember where), it replaced an old arcade/carnival space. I would say this is quite an upgrade!
I did not know much about Dale Chihuly prior to visiting this museum. My only previous exposure to his artwork was in the Bellagio hotel lobby in Las Vegas.
Chihuly’s glass creations are truly breathtaking. The vibrant colors and incredible designs are a sight to behold.
I would recommend stopping by the screening room where they show short clips about Chihuly’s work and process on a continuous loop. Watching the glass-making process makes you appreciate his work even more.
This garden picture shows just how close it is to the Space Needle.
It is so cool how this glass sculpture blends in with the surrounding plants.
Here are a few of Chihuly’s famous “Chandeliers”.
Chihuly’s work goes beyond glass. These textiles show some of his other types of work.
We always like to browse museum gift shops, although we usually do not buy anything. This time I did pick out a print of the Glasshouse to remind us of our time together in this beautiful place.
