Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Beginning Paris -- Tell Me About THE FIRST TIME YOU SAW THE E.T.

Yes, dear readers, we did make it to France despite the volcano and strikes and all that wanted to hinder us.  More on that in a later post.

Today I want to write about something very cool that I did yesterday.  My friends are taking their 8-year-old daughter to Paris for her first time.  They asked me to come over to their house to tell her about what she would see and help get her excited about the trip.  (Are these great parents/friends or what -- giving me a chance to talk about one of the things I love best to their adorable little girl).

So I went over with a Paris picture book and a Paris magnet.  We talked  about all the wonderful things she would see.  This little girl, Belle, sat with rapt attention.  She did not act one bit bored.  She even got a sculpture that she had made to compare it to those of Rodin, when I was telling her about the Rodin Museum.   I told her about this blog, and she is going to send me some entries as a guest blogger -- Paris from a Kid's Perspective.  How cool is that?

But one thing I told her was this:  "For the rest of your life, you will tell other people about the first time you saw Paris.  You will say 'I was eight-years-old and with my mom and dad.'  How lucky you are to have so many years to remember that first time!
And you will always remember the first time you saw the Eiffel Tower. "

I do, don't you?  My hub and I had flown to Paris on Christmas Night.  The flight was a blast.  The movie  White Christmas with Bing Crosby was the feature (before individual sets) and the whole plane, including the crew, sang along to that lovely song.

We landed on a grey December 26.  I was humming "I Love Paris in the Winter When It Drizzles."  As our cab driver drove us to our hotel (Hôtel Lenox on Rue de Université) he crossed the Seine -- and there it was -- just as I knew it would look in my dreams, but this time it was for real.  I have seen the ET many, many times since, but I will always remember that first time. 

How about you?  What was your first time?  If you have not had that first time yet, how would you like it to be ?  (Don't hold back -- go for it!)