Paris, France: The Family is Here!

The family is here!  After an all-night flight for them, and a six in the morning one for me, we had a rendezvous at the airport in Paris, and it was joyous!  After that, we trained and hiked it to the hotel, dropped our stuff, and set off the start exploring Paris.  Our first stop was the Arc de Triomphe, built by Napoleon to celebrate his victories in Roman style.  This is Jamiann and I in front, and 284 steps later...

...we all made it to the top!  The view was great, and yes, that is the Eiffel Tower in the background.  It was a great way to get a literal overview of the city on our first day.

We have also been getting well-acquainted with some of Paris's 377 Metro stops.  This is Jamiann and Grandpa as we were changing lines one time in the vast network that is the Paris Underground.

After the Arc de Triomphe and a stroll down the Champs-Elysees (and a long but fruitful search for ice cream), we spent the evening at the Louvre.  Undoubtedly far too big to see in one go, we decided to hit the highlights, then see whatever struck our fancy.  One of the highlights was certainly the magnificently ancient Venus de Milo, pictured behind Jamiann and I.  We also saw the Mona Lisa, but given the hordes of people around her, she just didn't photograph well.

This is the four of us in front of the Louvre, with it's famed pyramid.  We capped our first day off with a delicious dinner and more ice cream.  Pray for good sleep and no jet leg.  Also, a huge thanks to Jaylin for all the supplies and Mom for the Pringles...you both are wonderful!