Women have become a permanent fixture in Harrison's life since he began hosting­ the Bachelor shows. Says Gwen, "Everyone always asks me how I handle him being around all these beautiful women." She smiles as she cuts up Joshua's spaghetti into bite-size portions. "We've been together so long, though, it doesn't bother me."

"If it had been our first year of marriage, it might have been difficult," says Chris, helping Taylor negotiate a straw in her drink. Chris and Gwen have been married for more than 12 years. Besides, he adds, "Most of those women? They may be beautiful, but you wouldn't think so if you spent much time with them."

The Bachelor (and to a lesser extent The Bachelorette) has been littered with memorable characters skewered on their own ambitions. As much as the show might tout depth and affection, the real delight comes in discovering the polar opposite. There was Christi, the Fatal Attraction-esque basket case from The Bachelor's second season. There was last season's Sarah W., who claimed she must have been kicked off because she was just too pretty.

"At this point in reality television, there are obviously people looking for their 15 minutes," Harrison says. "But I think a lot of people come for the adventure. I mean: Hi, we're in Paris. You want to go to Paris? And if you meet a great guy, what a bonus." At that point, little Taylor topples off her chair, and Harrison brushes her off and brings her back to her feet. "One thing I will say about Paris is that there's a great invention I'd love to bring here," he says. "It's called the high chair."

There are worse places to be stranded for two months, though. The Harrisons have a modest flat in a neighborhood equidistant from the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. They have settled into something of a normal Parisian life, starting every morning at the bakery next door, La Grignotière, a rustic little spot with fresh croissants and not a single employee who speaks English. "But they've gotten to know us," says Gwen, "and what I like about it is that they try to speak English and we try to speak French, and we've kind of taught each other in that way."