Mickey and Hannah Attack Paris, by Hannah and Mickey

Imagine if you will, a somewhat busy street in Paris, filled with pedestrians and tiny cars (and - of course - Cops on Rollerblades (coming soon to a theatre near you)), when suddenly, and without warning, a single blaring horn rises over the din. Follow this by several screams, a few crashes, one very monkey-like maniacal laugh, and the distinct screech of French police cars (Mickey is providing it for me, where I copy it verbatim here - "WEE WAH! WEE WAH! WEE WAH!") This is the sound of Mickey and Hannah attacking Paris. (I have already been mocked by a Frenchman. Don't worry.)





The highlights so far of our trip were climbing Notre-Dame (Mickey walked up about three stairs before mock-screaming "SANCTUARY! SANCTUARY!" and wondering how Quasimodo ran up all those stairs holding an unconscious person over his shoulder), seeing Box Five at the Palais Garnier, and walking down the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles - or "Hall of Mir-RURS!" (don't ask).




Notre Dame was very high, lots of steps. One kid we followed up to the bell tower counted 452 steps total, although he did skip from 389 to 450... so we're not really sure. (Mickey says the sign said 400 steps.) Throughout the tower tour, there were references to Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Hannah thought the coolest part was where they found what Victor Hugo was thinking of for Esmeralda's cell in the towers. Mickey just liked saying "SANCTUARY!".



Our evil plots are thought of up on Notre Dame.


The Palais Garnier was very extravagant. Mickey thought that the "over the top decorations matched the posh-posh-posh-posh-poshyness of being in the opera all just made it go POOM!" It was very cool, and we got to go into the auditorium even though they were getting ready for the ballet. We might possibly have gone and stood obnoxiously outside of the Phantom's box as well... um, yes, we did.


Mickey thought that the coolest part was going into the restaurant and seeing the painted menu. (Mickey's reasoning: "They were paintings, AND THE MENU!") Hannah liked that the entrance for rich people went into a "cave" where there was a statue of the Oracle of Delphi, because Apollo is the god of drama and music - hence, opera. It was a gorgeous building, which was dwarfed in comparison to Versailles, which we went to that afternoon.

Now, why was Versailles a favorite?



We liked Petit Trianon, especially the Queen's Hamlet (This is NOT the Prince of Denmark in a glass case, as Mickey seemed to assume). It was very cute, although it seemed almost like Disneyland in that it was so cartoonish.

That about sums up our highlights from the trip to Paris, and we will leave you with this observation: It's easier than you would think to find French fries in Paris.

Next up -- Mickey and Hannah Invade York.