Train to Paris

These are three of his favorite things: Trains, cars and books. He doesn't get much more content than this. We had a few hiccups on our way to Paris. Ahhhhh...the French. Nothing quite like French culture to make you feel like a bumbling ugly American who just does everything wrong. After a couple of delays we got to Paris just in time for some rush hour traffic. The beauty of the city melted most of the traveling blues. We settled into our hotel room and inquired about babysitting at night. We have used hotel babysitting many times. It seems that it gets more and more expensive with each country we travel to. We always think it can't cost more than the last place. Well...it can. Paris takes the cake so far and I hope for the sake of our future we never see anything more expensive than Paris babysitters. Think of a price you think it might be, an expensive price you are still comfortable with. Now double it and then add on a really expensive taxi trip for the babysitter and you have the figure. We decided to do minimal activities without Alessandro but in Paris there are places you can't take a toddler. Living in Dubai has spoiled us rotten. There is always room for his stroller. There is always a highchair and there are always changing tables. I forgot how tiny most places are in Europe and how little patience people can have for people that take up too much room. We were very grateful that Alessandro was always an angelic patron at restaurants and he did charm everyone, even the obvious skeptics.