New Year's Eve

New Years Eve was quiet for us this year. We had big plans, but they didn't develop. Our first plan was to go out for dinner and then head down to the Eiffel Tower to watch a fireworks display we had heard about. On further investigation we found out the display would start at Midnight and we thought that would be too late for Carson (and too cold). So since we can see the Eiffel Tower from our balcony we decided to just go out to dinner and head home to put Carson to bed, hang out, watch the fireworks from our apartment and toast the New Year! We headed out to the restaurant that we knew accepted children. An unspoken rule in Paris is that if a restaurant has a children's menu than children are welcomed. If they do not, then be prepared to get lots a dirty looks, sighs and nonexistent service to prove the point that children are not welcomed in their establishment! So, we headed out for Bistro Romain to enjoy a nice dinner. When we got there we found that the restaurant had been rented out, so there went our plan. We looked around for another place to eat, but all the line were either super long to get in or you had to have a reservation. We ended up on the Champs Elysee to take one last look for a place to eat but we were all losing patience. The Champs was soooo crowded and all the shops were getting ready to close and brace themselves for the New Years party. Lots of stores were dropping down metal fencing or putting up plexiglass reinforcements over there windows to protect from the party that was about to begin. It looked like it was about to get wild! We decided to grab a sandwich on the street and head home. After eating and putting Carson to bed Ryan and I enjoyed a quiet evening at home. At the stroke of midnight we heard the fireworks start. I was disappointed and glad we didn't make the trip to the tower for a closer look. The fireworks were over before they started! The city became crazy at midnight. We watched as our across the street neighbors dropped what looked like all of their trash (bottles, cans and boxes) onto the cars parked below. Hooting and hollering with every crash. It also sounded like this was happening on all the streets around us. Lots a loud crashes, car alarms and roars of cheers! To top it off every car in Paris was honking their horn and people were screaming at the tops of their lungs! It was loud and wild and unlike anything I've ever witnessed before. Pretty interesting start to 2009! Let's see what Paris has in store for us this year!

A view of the Eiffle Tower from our apartment!