I've had a couple of family members visit Paris recently and have eagerly given suggestions, wanted or not. I don't know if it is because it was the first place in Europe I visited, but Paris is one of my favorite cities. We travelled there with the kids a few years ago and I was delighted to discover that it is just as enchanting for kids. Ava says that she wants to live in Paris when she grows up and whenever we ask the kids about locations for upcoming vacations her answer is always "Paris."

In looking up recommendations, I went through all of the photos from our trip and thought I would devote the rest of this week's posts to some of the more successful outings we had during our time there.

There are lots of places to eat around the Eiffel Tower but they tend to be a.) expensive or b.) touristy or c.) expensive and touristy. Looking around for something which was d.) none of the above, I found a recommendation for Cafe Carlu, the cafe in the Cite de Architecture museum. It is about a 5-minute walk from the Tower and you can eat in the cafe without paying admission to the museum. The food is very good, as all Paris museum cafe food tends to be, but the real reason to come is for the view. The cafe has a patio with several tables so you can enjoy your meal overlooking this fantastic sight.

The picture below illustrates another benefit of eating here. It is relatively crowd-free so there is always a table on the patio available.

Even if you don't make it here for a meal it is still a great place to grab a snack and rest up a bit before continuing on your day. Also nearby is a carousel, fountains to dip your feet into, and Cineaqua, the aquarium of Paris.