City of Guldan Light: June Visitors Round 1

In addition to being a busy travel month, June is also a busy month for visitors for us. We're not complaining though! :) It's fun to be a tourist in your own city sometimes, and thanks to a visit from Mom and Dad, and Nick's cousin, Chris, and his girlfriend, Lindsay, we were able to do just that!
Mom and Dad spent a total of 3 weeks in Europe, so in addition to our trips to London/Bath and Burgundy, we were able to do some fun things around Paris too!

To celebrate Dad's birthday and Father's Day, we attending a wine tasting class at O Chateau. Even for me, it was pretty informative and we tasted some great wines: 1 champagne, 2 whites, and 3 reds. We learned a lot about the regions of France, the types of grapes used in each region, and a bit about how grapes are grown and what to look for on a French wine label. A very fun way to learn something new! Interestingly, France makes it illegal to water vineyards or use any form of irrigation. This is why some years are so much better than others, but I mean, isn't it time to get with the technology of today for more consistent wines?? (I'm sure French people would be horrified to read that last statement.)

In addition to Invalides museum, we toured the Opera Garnier, which was incredible! So grand and ornate, and their version of Versailles's Hall of Mirrors was to die for. Sadly, the auditorium was closed for practice, so I guess we will just have to attend an opera or ballet to see the inside. Definitely a recommended tour if you have some time to spend in Paris!

We ate some delicious meals while they were here, as well. One at La Mere Michele, which continues to be one of my favorite restaurants because it's so small and they are incredibly nice there.

Dad's Birthday Cake courtesy of Aux Merveilleux de Fred

We had wanted to go to Les Papilles for dinner, but they were already booked weeks out, so we settled for lunch. Luckily, they serve the same menu for lunch, but this meant we left stuffed!

And of course, no trip to Paris is complete without some picnics. The weather has finally turned summer-like, so we were able to take advantage of the nice weather and picnic in Champs de Mars, in the Bois de Bologne after a bike ride, and along the river with Chris and Lindsay. This also means gorgeous sunsets. I love summer!! :)