Next we flew from Barcelona to Aéroport de Paris-Orly, which was not as nice or spacious as Barcelona or Madrid’s airports. But it received the plane just fine! Signs in the airport seemed to be in English for the most part, but I was looking forward to seeing how we got along with whatever amount of French my brother Tim knew.

Aéroport de Paris-Orly

We found the taxi place and asked a driver to take us to the hotel. Cab prices in Paris were noticeably more expensive than in Spain. It seemed the base rate was higher, the distance rate increased faster, and they charge an extra euro for each person and large bag. Since there were four of us, it generally took twice as much money to get around by taxi in Paris.

When we got to the property management office in Montmartre, where we were to sign papers and get the keys, we were early. They stored our bags in a garage across the street while we walked around the neighborhood, got food and visited a church building.

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur

Paris from Basilique du Sacré-Cœur

This was the first time we accidentally attended a Catholic mass (at Basilique du Sacré-Cœur). We were just going in to see the building… not realizing many of these people were going to the service.

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After seeing the basilica, we took a taxi to the Musée d’Art Moderne for a Keith Haring exhibit.

Keith Haring exhibit at Musée d’Art Moderne

Keith Haring exhibit at Paris’s Musée d'Art Moderne

Keith Haring exhibit at Paris’s Musée d'Art Moderne

Keith Haring exhibit at Paris’s Musée d'Art Moderne

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I don’t wear hats often

Then we went back to Montmartre to get the keys, which was a bit of an ordeal since they presented us with a typical lease type legal document and wanted a security deposit. We had to spend some time reviewing the documents and getting them to change some things so we couldn’t be held liable for damages from previous tenants, and so we could get the security deposit back immediately. We also got a staff member to accompany us to the apartment in the Quartier latin to do a full inventory, since we were apparently obligated to replace anything they deemed missing. Not the typical three night stay procedure, but we handled it.

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Mom going through the inventory with the staff person

Once settled, we headed out to visit Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, which was a few minutes away from our apartment, just across two bridges.

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Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

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