From KL to Paris with Kids was a plan we have had for awhile ever since our T1 said she wanted to climb up the Eiffel Tower. She’s such a lucky, lucky girl. Ever since she was born, she has been blessed with so much love and so much of anything that she wanted that I used to worry if she would ever be able to make it in life. But now at 10, I have more confidence with that! Being blessed does not necessarily mean a screwed up life. I am blessed myself. *smiles*

Since the girls were both HomeSchooled last year, we took the opportunity to take off from KL to Paris with kids for a long, relaxing holiday. Little did I know that this holiday would begin with me last minute packing (for 5 weeks, mind you) and receiving a very upsetting text at the 11th hour. This was a big trip and I was already stressed and busy packing to ensure all was in order, the last thing I wanted was to spend another hour trying to clear up a misunderstanding. I had a few hours before we had to wake up so no, I told myself, as upsetting as it was, I will get on with my trip to Paris and deal with the problem upon my return. At that, the alarm bell rang soon after and we went down to catch our taxi to KLIA.

The girls were excited as hell. They get to watch the in-house videos on the plane! Just look at them. They were finally getting to climb the Eiffel Tower after reading them on Madeline, Eloise, and I cannot remember where else. Many children’s books feature the magnificent Eiffel Tower…..

And boom! Already at KLIA, the anticipation of seeing the Eiffel Tower up front was calling out our names.

KLIA, check-in, MAS flight (a big thank you to C for helping us sort our little MAS hiccup), luggage, and we were on our way. It was a magnificent flight. We were comfortable, we watched movies, all was good.

Not long after, we had landed in Paris Charles de Gaulle. Paris!!! My 2nd Home….I’ve been to many cities in the world but Paris is just one city that keeps calling me back.

After paying for the train from the airport to our rented apartment behind the Eiffel Tower, we checked in and were off again. We didn’t dare take a cab in case it cost RM1,000. The train was already a few hundred RM. I kid you not! It was 70 Euros! The apartment was nice. We didn’t realise it was such close walking distance to the Eiffel Tower so that was brilliant.

After checking in, we headed out straight to meet some of our Homeschooling friends from KL. Hahaha. Yes, all the way to Paris to meet them. It is a completely different experience. And guess what? Our first meal in Paris was at Paris McDonalds!!! HAHAHA!!! Reason was we were so starved from airport to home to outlet mall to meet friends that we had no time to think what to eat and McDs was just right there. But my goodness, the cost to feed the 4 of us was about RM150. The McDs there is so cool. You can order at the little booths shown in pic below, then just go collect your order.

After that, we went shopping. Terrible, right???

Love that the outlet mall had a nice playground for the kids……..

Whilst Mommy went shopping……….

And didn’t get anything at all. There was nothing that took my fancy and anyway, I only like the finest. *flips hair*

After that, we went back for a quick shower and headed out again to the Eiffel Tower for real.

But before we could reach it, the kids just HAD to go into the Eiffel Tower playground……see T2 wearing a chic scarf around her neck? When in Paris, do as the Parisiennes do.

Finally. The magnificent Eiffel Tower. What a glorious first day in Paris it was.

After that, we went to visit our Parissiene friends for tea, the girls did some rainbow loom, then headed out for a walk to the Natural History Museum and gardens. Loved that the girls bonded so well after not meeting for so long.

We also visited the Arab Centre where the windows electronically moved when the sun got too hot or when it got too dark. Just one of the French architect Jean Nouvell’s neat little tricks. It brought back memories of my first trip to Paris as a first year architectural student with my crazy course mates and it brought back wonderful memories of our honeymoon in Paris. The monkeys were really having a ball on their first day in Paris.

Later, we visited my friend’s apartment that she lets out to tourists. If you ever needed a place to stay in Paris, her flat for rent is at the Latin Quarter. Very nice. Contact me for details.

What I love about metropolitan cities is that you are where the real action is. The top of the top are usually located in these locations, places where if you wanted to be challenged, will be challenged. The people are smarter, more cultured (sure, there are bad hats everywhere but I can assure you that in a million people you pick in Paris versus a 3rd world country, you will have much better chances of finding quality, more educated and more cultured people in Paris). That’s not to say we don’t have quality people in Malaysia. We do. But if you were to compare population to population, you will just find more in Paris and to be fair, they are a much, much older city.

We chanced upon a Vogue shoot that was happening along our walk back to dinner and I couldn’t help thinking how cold the model must have been. We all had our jackets on by then but this model, she was twirling around in her sleeveless Maxi dress in chilly winds. Elsa theme perhaps? Maybe they are just more accustomed to the Spring winds…..

We then had to cross the lock bridge and immediately T2 said that she wanted to put a pink lock there.  She bugged us for days about getting a pink lock to put on the bridge but everywhere we looked, pink locks cost no less than 7 Euros. Forget it. I wasn’t paying 7 Euros for a lock to be placed in Paris and just as well because when we were back in Paris after 5 weeks to catch our return flight to KL, the bridge had collapsed!!

This is a common scene everywhere on the streets of Paris, outdoor al fresco cafes and boulangeries. I always wonder how much pollution and dust go with the food and coffee, so to date, have done this no more than twice. Plus it’s usually been too cold to be seated outdoors! So yeah, we are indoor hermits.

From KL to Paris. It was our most treasured holiday ever. Actually, that’s not fair because a month in New York watching the rocket launch from the Kennedy Space Centre, Disneyland Orlando and hanging out at The Hamptons was a pretty neat holiday too. Too bad T2 wasn’t around yet to join us but we will go back soon! Just no rocket launch…..

If you are interested in traveling from KL to Paris with children and need some advice about the city of love, please feel free to contact me at Mamapumpkin at gmail dot com and I will be more than happy to assist wherever I can.

Ahhhhhh……………….Paris. How I miss you already.

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Who is Mamapumpkin?
Mamapumpkin is a former Design Architect turned Multi-Million Dollar Digital Entrepreneur. She sets out to prove to all that you can have anything and everything that you want; if you have that fire of desire burning within and the drive to work hard. Even better with much love.

Mamapumpkin has not only grown corporate businesses successfully in the past and doubled her salary 5 times over 5 organisations but has grown THREE BUSINESSES to 7 FIGURES within an 8 year period. She now shows others EXACTLY HOW after retiring her own husband from employment. He is now the official dog walker, family driver, chef and THE BEST FATHER to their two girls and THE BEST HUSBAND to the woman who CHOSE HIM!

Mamapumpkin is the girl who has nothing but fights for everything including YOU. She is idealistic in her desire to put unbelievable amounts of money and extrardinary happiness into the lives of good people so we can change the world together believing in happiness for ALL. She strives to impact lives authentically wanting to reduce poverty cycles and enable quality education for all and always supports the voiceless. She believes we can all have a life of our own desires to enable real contribution into the world. But first, one needs to understand what this all means.

A beautiful life without limits.

If you wish to learn how to propel your life forward guaranteed, be brave to take action. Mamapumpkin's purpose is to build people. Her gift is to help them UNCOVER their HIDDEN GIFTS. She operates fairly and always leaves an impression. You either love her or not and she is alright either way.

She is a living testimony that women really can have a lot. Being financially and time free has enabled her to travel the world anytime, anywhere, doing anything with anyone, as she spends most of her days with her children, having fun, supporting others wherever she can. Also having fun.