The Arc De Triomphe

OK, so you see the "Come fall in love with Paris" advertisement on the back of the city bus?

Yes.

 Well, I did.

 This was my very first view of the town. Our hotel, Le Meridien Etoile, was literally down the street from where this picture was taken. So upon stepping out and turning the corner after a quick espresso, this was what I saw.

And I almost choked on the thick French air. 

It was absolutely enormous. 

But it was absolutely stunning.

The Arc De Triomphe was ordered in 1806 by French Emperor Napoleon after the Grande Armee had conquered most of Europe and was considered pretty much unstoppable. The thought process behind the construction of this building was that Napoleon's soldiers would have a monumental, dignified and elegant arch to walk through after returning back from another triumphant conquest.

 "You will return home through archs of triumph"

It's cost was 9.3 million French francs and at the time, that was an unfathomable amount of cash. 

The Arc sits directly in the middle of Place de l’Étoile which is basically a traffic circle like you've never seen in your life. It is the crossway of 12 major streets with no yield signs, no traffic lights, no stop signs, not even any lines painted on the cement to tell you which lane you're in. Our hotel was just a few short blocks away down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, so no matter where we spent the day, we always had to risk our lives in a taxi on the way home. I swear to God I saw my life flash before my eyes at least a dozen times. Imagine French taxi drivers as the stereotypical temperamental New Yorker taxi drivers except on crack and steroids. It is absolutely intense.  

Anyway, so clearly it's against the law for pedestrians to cross the street. There are underground tunnels for tourist and locals to get to and from, but if you can imagine the foot traffic around such an epic piece of history, the tunnels are just as...um... for lack of a better phrase, just as much of a clusterfuck as the auto-circle.

The tunnel is full of photographs and information about the Arc De Triomphe. It's one of the top 5 most used pedestrian tunnels in all of Paris. It is also the entrance line if you want to climb the stairs to the top. So you can only imagine the amount of people stinking up this place. It's beautiful, it's informational, it smells like a locker room.

Signs are everywhere to beware of pick pockets.

It takes over 300 steps in this spiral staircase to get to the top so your legs feel like water and you're incredibly dizzy once you finally get up there. There is an elevator but, come on! Suck it up! It's something you'll never get to do again in your life!

This totally cracks me up. Once you get to the top, you step around the corner to this statue. I'm sure it's supposed to be a French warrior about to kill the enemy in the line of patriotic duty, but it looks to me like he's completely offended by a loud French fart. The look on his face is just hysterical to anyone with a juvenile sense of humor like mine. It's worth the ride to the top just to see his flared nostrils.

Of course there are other views as well...

I guess these will have to do. (!!!!)

On a clear day you can even see The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, locally referred to as the  Sacré-Cœur Basilica. The Basilica is located on the highest point in Paris which is a summit called Montmartre. There have been dozens of famous artists with studios on the Montmartre such as Salvador Dalí, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh. You know, no big deal.

You can squish the Eiffel Tower from up there too. 

Back down at the bottom you have a great view of the belly of the Arc De Triomphe. Engraved on the inside and at the top of the arch are all of the names of the generals whom fought mainly during the Nepoleonic wars. 

There are 4 main sculptures on all sides of the legs of the monument all depicting different scenes from 4 different artists. 

Many countries have a "tomb of the unknown soldier" and France is no exception, There is an eternal flame ahead of the tomb as well as a ceremony held here every November 11th to pay homage to these unknown remains from World War 1.

The tomb reads "Here lies a French soldier who died for the fatherland 1914–1918"

Seeing the Arc De Triomphe in person was extreme. It was the first part of history that I was able to visit on my vacation and one that I'll never forget.  I can't believe that one city can be just as beautiful as it is beautifully historical. 

Pardon My French: International Traveling

I swear to you, international traveling is one of the most exhausting things I've ever done in my life.

It rivals childbirth.

I drove to my sister's house at 7am Tuesday, left for the airport by 8, sat at Denver International from a delayed flight until 11:45, ran as fast as my tiny legs could possibly take me to catch my connecting flight in Philadelphia, and then flew 7.5 hours to Paris with an arrival of 9am the following Wednesday.

Now, I'm not an expert on international traveling, however I'm pretty much an expert on being bored and uncomfortable and I hate both. So with that being said, here's what I did to keep myself from jumping out the airplane window after the 5th hour passed me by:

1: Keep comfortable. I'll go from top to bottom. Don't put your hair in the sort of pony tail that you can't lean back on when you want to sleep. Keep it loose and easy to manage. Wear something that makes it easy to move and sleep. I decided on a over sized shirt and spandex jogging pants. Bring along a giant sweater that can double for a blanket. It gets cold on those flights! Flip flops or any other slip on shoes are the easiest to get on and off when you're going through a million security check points, but if you decide on sandals, make sure you pack socks or slippers to pull out on the airplane so your toes don't fall off from hypothermia. I packed my leg warmers as well for extra precaution and I wasn't sorry I did.   

2: Plan ahead.  My sister got us these little deflatable neck pillows from Ikea that rolled up into their own carrying bags. They took up virtually no space and they were softer than a chinchilla. I also made sure to pack my eye patch for sleeping.

3: Stay connected. Most international flights let you purchase wifi now so bring along your tablet or laptop or whatever portable thing you have that will allow you to Pinterest and read interesting blogs like The Brighter Writer. Flights mostly provide a wide range of movies to watch but it never hurts to bring along a few of your favorites and a portable DVD player. Ours came in especially handy when we discovered our flight had been delayed an additional million years. If you're traveling with a friend or family member, pick up an earphone splitter so you can share (and don't forget your plug adapters for foreign outlets!) I also looted the local library for all the best romantic movies about France just to get myself a little more hyped up. Like I needed it.  

4: Pack reading materials. Bring your favorite book or magazines along with you. Sky Mall is interesting and all, but 20 minutes later you're back to square one.

5: Stay hydrated. Ikea makes these water bags that are just perfect for traveling. They conveniently clip onto your purse or bag or whatever but they are also completely collapsible. They take up hardly any space and when they're empty you can walk them right through security with no hassle. Fill them up at the nearest water fountain and you're good to go without having to spend $5 on a bottle of water from the gift shop.

6: Sedate your boredom. OK, so obviously this step isn't for everyone. But here's a little hint: airplane bottles of alcohol are called that for a reason. They're under the 3.4 ounce liquid rule and as long as you can fit them in your 1 allowed quart sized zip lock baggie, you're completely acceptable. Don't spend $7 per drink on the in-flight beverage menu if you don't have to. Mixers are free so there you have it. If you aren't a drinker and having a couple cocktails to take the edge off isn't your thing, try talking to your doctor about prescription drugs. If you're of normal health, your doctor will most likely write you a script for a just a couple of sleeping pills or anxiety medication to make the flight not so uneasy. Sleeping away the boredom never hurt anybody. 

But if neither one of those options appeal to you and you're braving the flight the old fashion way, don't be afraid to get up and wander around! By all means, stretch your legs! Those international airplanes are gigantic and you'll have more than enough time to make a couple loops around them. Go people watch and check out what everyone else is doing.

Speaking of liquids, instead of packing your bulky mini-bottles of shampoos or conditioners, hit up your local Walgreens or other drug store and ask the cosmetic counter for samples of their hair care products. They're flat so they take up less room.

We made it!

So enough on the flying advice.

Once we got there, everything was different. The same, but different. I was thinking the first thing I would see would be some sort of french architecture clad building or maybe even the Eiffel Tower, but alas, I was greeted with a giant Ikea. Which somehow was sort of comforting in my jet lagged little mind.

First thing first. We checked into our miniature but gorgeous hotel suite at Hotel Le Meridien Etoile.

Which, by the way, if you've never been in one, the first thing you'll notice about the bathrooms is that their showers have no doors. It's the strangest thing I've ever seen. But I guess this makes sense since the French don't spend much time in the shower anyway (I kid, I kid!! I'm completely joking...)

Anyway, it was time to hit the ground running. Time for an espresso. There is no regular American coffee in France. All they drink is espresso. It was strong, it was bold, it was everything I was looking for in my first taste of Paris.

Immediately after I took this picture of my espresso and baguette at La Terrasse, I began my whirlwind tour of the most beautiful city I've ever been in. But more on that in a couple of days.

For now, I sleep. 

Find me now on Instagram! @thebrighterwriter

Mountain Kids

So my daughter has been "dancing" since she could stand.

(Yes, the word dancing wholeheartedly deserves the "".)

The sweet little thing does her twirls, her bows, her leaps and her spins but 9 times out of 10, she ends up on her butt in a pool of her own tears. 

We took her to the doctor to find out if it was just part of being 3 years old, gaining her balance and growing into her own skin but after a few simple tests her pediatrician told us that she's just "a little bit off" with her coordination. I asked if this was something she would grow out of and they basically told us that it's just a part of who she is and that she's just going to be a clumsy kid. 

So when Kalynn asked if she could take "ballerina class," I was a little concerned. Not only with how she would do physically, but also how she would do socially. She's never been in a class of any sort. No daycare, no preschool, no play groups, nothing. She's a stay at home only child with a very protective and nervous mom.

 This is a combination with high danger potential.

I started checking around at our local dance academies, preschool and daycares just to sort of see what I was dealing with here. 

We don't have a ton of spare money but I refused to send my kid to just any place in the neighborhood. This isn't just a child. This is my child. There's a big difference. 

Anyway, I sort of stumbled on Mountain Kids. The diamond in the ruff. The ray of sun on a cloudy day. The needle in the haystack.

I went and toured the school, checked out the class rooms, observed the teachers and totally fell in love. This place is absolutely amazing. After looking through all million classes they have to offer, I found a 3 day summer class, an hour and a half per class, called "Princess Camp."

Seriously, read this:

"In this camp we’ll celebrate being a princess.  Learn to dance with ballets like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, Giselle, Coppelia, and more.  Join us in our magical castle as we practice manners, have tea parties, curtsy, make crafts to transform you into princesses, play games, and read princess stories and then bring them to life.  During this magical week you will do all of the above and prepare for the grand performance at the Royal Ball at the last class."

Are you kidding me?

She could practically teach this damn class.

So we read her the description and watched her eyes widen and her jaw drop. She was so all about this class it was all she talked about for the entire 2 weeks leading up to it.

Now, correspondingly, there had been a Sofia the First dress she'd been eyeballing at Target this last month or so. After begging and pleading and please-please-pleasing, we came to the agreement that if she did good in class the first 2 days, she could have her new dress for the last day of Princess Camp as a reward. Bribery goes a long way in this family.

The first day went better than expected. Since she already has half a dozen princess dresses as it is, she got to choose her favorite, get her hair done, and wear a tiara. This clearly made her very happy.

The part about saying goodbye as she left for her classroom was the part that made me the most nervous. I know full well that toddlers can smell fear probably more accurately than a lion or a bear, so I put on my super excited face and she honestly didn't even acknowledged my exit. She made herself the teacher's shadow, sat right down and began her stretches.

Jason and I watched proudly from the one way mirror and wore out the battery in our cameras as all the kids learned their pliés, their toe points and feet positioning.  

About half way through the class they stopped for a coloring break and crown decorating session.

And then back to the twirls and the curtsies...

Day 2 and 3 went just about the same. There were a few minor set backs and a couple of "I want my Mommy"s but all in all, she did great. She got her Princess Sofia dress, and she's even signed up for ballet and tap starting in a couple weeks.

On our way to her ballet classroom every day we had to walk by this gymnastics center located in the center of the building: 

They have bars to swing on,

Trampolines to bounce on,

beams to balance on, 

Guess who wanted to sign up for gymnastics?

This class seemed to be more emotionally stressful for her but her teacher Miss Emily is like the child whisperer. She can take a melt down into a laughing fit in under 5 minutes. I've never met someone who could calm down my baby girl with such quick timing. She's awesome. This class is awesome. This school is awesome. I don't even have enough time to say all the things I want. Just know, it's awesome. 

Meanwhile, Kalynn is having fun making new friends and  I have time to run just down the hall to Warm Ups; their very own little espresso shop. I'm telling you, this place has thought of everything. 

They have an aquatic center for swim lessons,

(next summer for sure)

We've also signed Kalynn up for 2 day a week preschool. (Yikes!)

Their preschool is a mix of developmental and academic learning, with an hour of gymnastics included in the curriculum. This is not a daycare which has "preschool time" included, it is an actual preschool. The director of Mountain Kids was a kindergarten and first grade teacher for years prior which makes me truly more at ease that she knows exactly what needs to be taught during those years before she gets into "big girl" school.

Recess was always my personal favorite subject...

So there you have it. She's gone from baby girl to preschooler in under a month. I just can't believe it. She's got her new little Minnie Mouse backpack and her new school clothes to prove it. 

As for me, you probably wont see me doing twirls anytime soon. You can tell where she got her balance issues from... As they say, the nut don't fall too far from the tree...

Hermit Park: Bobcat Campground

Hooray for our 2nd camping trip of the season!

We made it both nights and all three days which is a first for our family. Bobcat campground in Hermit Park Open Space is absolutely amazing and I can't imagine camping anywhere else now. 

But before we get into that,  

Lets chit chat about these Hobo Meatloaf Bombs I made for the grill:

They're super duper simple to make:

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (or hamburger, whatever is your preference)

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 package meatloaf seasoning by McCormicks

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 small onion

1/4 chopped bell pepper

Combine it all together, roll into balls, slap some onion around the outside of each one, wrap in tinfoil and grill. The best ever.

Then for the cheesy bacon sourdough loaf:

Buy a loaf, slice it up, stuff with chopped bacon and cheddar jack blended cheese, wrap in foil, grill until cheese melts and then eat the whole thing in under 3 minutes because you can't stop stuffing your face.

These little Coleman one burner stoves are amazing and inexpensive. We used ours to make my famous camp veggies and again for coffee in the morning.

Because my sister's family was on a train ride across the country for a visit in San Francisco, she spent the weekend with us in the mountains and made it one of my very favorite camping trips of all time.

While Jason stayed with Kalynn back at camp, we hiked up Kruger Rock Trail and had an incredible view of Estes Park. You could see the entire valley from where we stood.

Meanwhile back at camp, Kalynn decided to use her paints to pretty-up this bush which is now a blueish hue...

And Guacamole hog tied herself for the millionth time.

I hadn't played Apples to Apples in years so when I saw the to-go version was on clearance at Target I picked it up. So much fun. Just add Smirnoff!

I swear Moles didn't move for 3 days.

So the morning after our Apples to Apples game, we needed coffee. We needed a lot of coffee. We had no instant crystals and the coffee machine wasn't working so I was forced to put normal coffee grounds in a coffee filter, use a zip tie to keep it closed and I seeped it like it was tea. It actually worked really well and in a bind, it does the job.

I bring whatever I can to keep our 3 year old happy and occupied while we camp. We have a long list of camping things to pick up at our local dollar store that are made for one time use. One of those things is glue and a package of google eyes. Kalynn LOVES to glue eyes on anything she can get her tiny little fingers on. Give her a pile of small rocks and she stays busy for hours. Honestly, kids love glue for whatever reason.

We made a rock concert with all her little creatures.

When it's time to clean up, this little portable sink comes in really handy for dishes. We found ours for $9.99 at a local camping store.

One of the things that is so great about Hermit Park is that they have gatherings for all campers to join. We were able to meet up and listen to a world renowned story teller tell Native American tales around the campfire. It's a great place to meet your neighbors and socialize if you're into that sort of thing.

So with Kalynn's ballet class, gymnastics class, preschool, Jason's work schedule, my work schedule, and my upcoming trip to Paris, it's proving very difficult to find time to do another camping trip. Although we originally wanted to camp 3 times this season, it unfortunately looks as though we'll be cutting our camping vacations short this year. I'm optimistic that they'll just get better with time because this last couple were so much fun, but until then we'll just have to pack away all our new stuff for summer I suppose.

Its been a great season!