Explore Paris: 8th Arrondissement

As Chris and I skimmed our Paris guide books, making sure we didn't forget to see something we would regret, we came across a little walk through the 8th arrondissement. If you veer off the Champs Elysees to the North, you come into a quieter, mostly residential, rather posh area. We decided last Sunday to give it a try... and thoroughly enjoyed it.

We began early Sunday morning on an almost empty Champs Elysees:

And discovered a lovely park and fountain just after we turned off the main drag:

We walked past the ritzy Hotel Bristol, complete with earpiece-wearing drivers lining the walk out front:

Oliver sported Daddy's gloves for entertainment:

And we eventually ended up at Parc Monceau, an absolutely gorgeous and creative Park, full of Sunday-morning runners and families. The leaves were starting to change (I am SO going to miss living in a place that has a real fall!):

But the flowers were still spectacular:

There was even a little hill with a waterfall:

I found the carousel particularly charming and mentioned to Chris that it looked like something out of Jules Verne:

And was then pleasantly surprised to discover that my impressions were spot on:

Oliver wanted to walk in the park, so he looped the lake with Daddy:

Watched the ducks with utter fascination:

Walked down the main path with a little trepidation:

Until he spotted a dog, which he vigorously pointed out to us:

The exit from the park offered a fabulous view of the Arc de Triomphe:

And the neighboring streets provided a darling two-story home. You don't see many like this in the city:

Finally, our walk ended with a view of the Russian Orthodox cathedral in Paris. I don't think I even knew this was here! It certainly stood out amidst the Parisian architecture.

Best of all, we enjoyed a lovely Sunday morning as a family, took Oliver home for a nap, then enjoyed church in the afternoon. I will miss days like this the most.