Our first trip from London to the amazing city of Paris. Catching the superfast Eurostar to Paris was so much easier than flying. No need to get to the station 2 hours before departure, no need to check in your luggage and the added bonus is the train station is in town, not like Heathrow being in the bush. One does not realise how close Paris actually is to London, it only took 3 hours to get there. Our first impression was that the city looks amazing and we couldn’t wait to explore it with our good friends Andrea and Peter. We met them at the Arc de Triomphe which was an overwhelmingly large structure that Napolean bulit as a meeting point for his army. It is the point at which several of Paris’ main streets meet so you can imagine the size of the round-about that surrounds it. The round-about is considered one of the most dangerous in the world due to the number of accidents – let us tell you, its mayhem, so much so that no one will ensure cars in the round about so if you happen to be in an accident, well bad luck!!
The architectural detail on the structure is amazing. We climbed to the top via a very narrow (never ending) staircase and from the top we could see the surrounding area and down the famous avenue Champs de Ellises. We passed the Louvre Museum and headed for Nore Dame. This is an amazing structure eveident by the photos. We couldn’t believe where we were and made sure we took in every moment and captured much on film.
We were so excited the next morning as we planned the Eiffel Tower for first thing. We were told that the earlier you arrive, the better given the swarms of people and it couldn’t have been truer! We arrived mid morning and still had to line up for a couple of hours and then join more queues once inside to take the several lifts to the top. There were people everywhere of all nationalities as impatient as we were to get to the very top and when we did finally arrive, we had to squeeze our way to the edge to take in the truly magical views. It offered 360 degree views of the city and all of its major attractions. It was great to capture them all from 1000 feet high! For anyone who is afraid of heights, we’d suggest just going to the frst level! Also there is the option of taking the stairs to the top and the lines aren’t so busy if you climb up but just a note, there are so many stairs to reach the very top!! So far the city was everything we’d dreamed it would be and only wish we could have spent more than 3 days here.
We spent the remainder of the day taking in several other famous landmarks including the stunningly beautiful and sacred church of Sacre Coeur before heading to the Moulin Rouge. We ended a fantastic the day in the best of company with a traditional french meal at a famous french restaurant (the name escapes us at the moment) where we dined on escargots and french wine! Not one of the waitors spoke fluent English and the menus were in french so it was quite an experience going through our orders but worth it as the snails, mains and wine were great! Some were even game enough to try frog’s legs but can you believe they did not offer them on the menu – amazing!! After dinner, we headed to a local café for coffee and icecream and wondered whether there were people out there lucky enough to live like this every day! We shared some great memories and laughs with our wonderful friends and were very sad to have to say good bye that evening.
The next day we headed to the Louvre Museum where we were very much looking forward to seeing the works of some of the most famous artists in the world including the Mona Lisa! We allowed ¾ of a day to see as much as we could but you truly need a week to take it all in. There are so many works on display and the building itself is so large, so as remarkable as it is, it is damn tiring! We couldn’t believe it when we were actually standing in front of the Mona Lisa. It is a lot smaller in size than we had imagined but the painting itself was amazing. We saw many famous works and sculpures and it really was a remarkable day.
Before we knew it, it was time to catch the taring back to London. We were pleased with what we had achieved but will definietly be back as the city offers so much that 3 days just wasn’t enough. We hope to combine it with a stay in the south to explore the famous wine regions and chateaus!
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