Bonjour Paris

Our first day in Paris was quite relaxed. Early in the morning Rob and Ed saw us off to King’s Cross St Pancras station and we caught the Eurostar to Gare Du Nord. It took less than 3 hours and we slept most of the way which was brilliant. It felt like 20 minutes between London and Paris which was quite surreal. We caught the metro – not as polished as the tube in London but quick and easy to use. Our hotel is near Villiers but the less pretty end. I was a little bit disappointed because the room is extremely tiny and pretty daggy (the bed is a sofa bed!) but I cheered up when David showed me that we can see the top of the Eiffel Tower from our window. It is also close to the Metro and has everything we need, including a little kitchenette. We walked to Parc Monceau which was absolutely beautiful and truly packed! I have never seen so many people in a park! Sunbathers, families, lots of couples kissing and picnicking… When we first arrived I noted how dead the city was on a Sunday afternoon, but we found everyone – it seemed the whole city was at Parc Monceau. We bought a Panini and a crepe to eat, and used a guide book to take a planned walk with historical and architectural notes around the area. It was great! The city really is beautiful, and we haven’t even been to the centre of it yet. We then walked all the way to the Arc de Triumph. We took photos, kissed beneath the arch, and consulted the book for more historical details. On our way home we found the one shop in the city that seemed to be open on a Sunday, and bought some bread, soup, raspberry beer, wine and a huge camembert.