Who went? My family—2 adults, 2 kids (1 and 4.5); my sister’s family—2 adults, 2 kids (3 and 5); my mom. We met up with two friends from college, and we spent significant time with a French friend and her family of five. Was this perhaps a lot of people to coordinate? As my grandfather would have said, “You ain’t kidding.”

How long did we stay? 2 weeks for us. My sister’s family spent another week in the UK.

Where did we stay? a week in France and a week in Nice

No, where exactly? In Paris we stayed in the Marais near the Pompidou Center, a neighborhood known for the Jewish quarter and the gay nightlife. We frequented both. In Nice we stayed near the beach, the carousel, the gluten-free store, and directly across from the park. In both places, we rented lovely apartments.

What was the purpose of our visit? I wouldn’t say vacation because traveling with small children is much harder than staying home. But, it’s France. I wanted to be in France.