Starting to organize my thoughts on potential activities with the kids. We’ll arrive on Saturday July 25th and depart on Saturday August 1. Wow, really 6.5 days on the ground.

Because it’s a trip to celebrate their b’nai mitvah, I do feel strongly that we should make a visit to the Musee d’art et d’histoire du Judaisme. I’ve been before, it’s a good museum, with provided audio guides and won’t take too long to walk through.
There will definitely be a day at Euro Disney. I know, I know, but actually, I’m really curious too. And they’re teens. And this is their trip.

Realized that we’ll be there for the last day of the Tour de France, so hoping we’ll be able to glimpse the riders on one of their laps on Sunday the 26th. Oh and while we’re talking Sunday, I really want to get to the Richard Lenoir market that morning too!

I saw this article in the NY Times, Paris Sights and Activities for a Teenage Boy and someone else on the Paris Forums also mentioned the Catacombs and Jake is all over that.

Hoping to do one of these activities with Meeting the French.

Thanks to this discussion, I learned about the fashion shows at the Galleries Lafayette on Friday afternoons at 3:00pm, so we’ll either do that on Friday July 31st or we’ll risk attending a show at the Bristol, the day we arrive (July 25th), which they hold on certain Saturdays from 3:00 – 5:00. They hold them in the bar and the cost is €55 a person but includes afternoon tea.

Other suggestions I received from this discussion include:

  • The Sewer Museum
  • La Conciergerie
  • A Segway Tour (though Mom will probably pass on this
  • Crypte Archéologique which I’m thinking we can combine with climbing to the top of Notre Dame
  • la cité des Sciences in La Villette
  • A Bike Tour (again Mom won’t participate)
  • Shopping on Rue Cler
  • The Centre Pompidou aka the modern art museum – this should be easy as our apartment overlooks the museum.
  • Deyrolle – famous taxidermy store
  • Visit the animalleries (pet stores) on the Quai de la Megisserie
  • walk through of Bon Marche’s gourmet store (we’ll either do this or hit the food floors of Galleries Lafayette, if we go there for the fashion show)
  • car showrooms on Champs Elysee
  • Perhaps a trip out to Versailles?
  • And of course the standards, boat ride on the Seine, going to the top of the Eiffel Tower (btw – Sammi still wants to dine her so we’ll need to work something out), the Louvre and perhaps I can even get them to the D’Orsay.

I think we need more time. Any other ideas for us? Please feel free to leave your comments.