Jaunted

· Jules Verne Restaurant, Eiffel Tower: No hotel check-in for the family this time; they stayed at the residence of the US Ambassador. Almost straight from the plane, the family headed to this Michelin-starred, Alain Ducasse restaurant on the second tier of the Eiffel Tower for a private reception with Paris' Mayor Bertrand Delanoe.

· Les Bateaux Mouche: While dad was in Normandy, Sasha and Malia were chaperoned by Michelle's mother on a classic boat ride on the Seine. The long, sleek lines of these low tourist boats are ubiquitous at all times of the year in Paris, offering dinner and dancing cruises. The kids however only opted for a 90-minute ride.

· Notre Dame Cathedral: Barack, Michelle and the girls stretched their legs and took the cramped stairways inside of Notre Dame to reach the gothic church's towers and their impressive view over the city. They were up close and personal with the gargoyles; we just hope that Michelle left her Jimmy Choos down below and opted for more comfortable footwear for the claustrophobic climb.

· La Fontaine de Mars Restaurant: A typical French bistro nuzzled in the 7th arrondissment, La Fontaine served the Obamas dinner on Saturday night, with Barack ordering roast lamb while the others opted for beef fillets and creme brulee. Plan on waiting a couple months for the hubbub around this visit to die down before you'll be able to get into this restaurant again; we're sure this will do wonders for their Zagat rating.

· Centre Georges Pompidou: Even though the girls would later get a private, kids-oriented tour of the Louvre, the whole family turned out for a top-to-bottom, two-hour private showing of the modern art in the Pompidou Centre. The girls even made their own Alexander Calder-inspired mobiles. Plan on spending €15 per person for the Obama experience: the museum plus access to the rooftop panorama level.

· Shopping at Bonpoint: Rounding out a long day of sightseeing and to celebrate Sasha's 8th birthday, Michelle and the girls saw Barack off and headed for some good old Parisian shopping In the 6th arrondissment, at the upscale children's store Bonpoint. They only purchased three outfits for Sasha, but still—they may be the only Americans heading to Paris this summer for a weekend of shopping.

We think Obama even sums up our feelings about summer European travel with this wishful statement: "I would love nothing more than to have a leisurely week in Paris, stroll down the Seine, take my wife out to a nice meal, have a picnic in Luxembourg Gardens. Those days are over, for the moment." Those days are indeed over for the moment, but for the general traveling public it is the recession and not international famedom, holding us back.

Related Stories:
· Obamas enjoy artistic pleasures of Paris [AFP]
· The Obamas' Whirlwind Paris Weekend [People]
· Sarkozy Entertains Michelle and the girl after Obama heads home [Times UK]
· Presidential Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photos: People]