Road to Paris

We were picked up from the hotel around 6.30am and taken to the airport but this time without any traffic problems. We were flying with Swiss Air via Bern to Paris and had an hour and a half time frame for our transfer. The plane took off 20 minutes late but in Switzerland we came off the plane and only had to move down the terminal to our next flight. Flying over Switzerland and France I saw some of the most beautiful countryside with snow capped mountains dropping down to the edge of large winding rivers and towns nestled along the narrow banks on either side.

On arrival at Paris airport we picked up our baggage without any visa or customs control. Our private transfer brought us in through the north of the city with the glimpse of the Sacre Cour in the distance. The motorways were very good and we had little traffic to our hotel near the banks of the Seine in Rue de Charles. The hotel room was small but tidy and the whole hotel was quaint with a small lift that could only hold four people at a squeeze.

After settling in and checking the map we ventured out and up the street. About 200 metres we looked up and could see the Eiffel Tower above the buildings ahead. We continued on and as we crossed the road to walk along the river bank we came across a wide walkway called the Promenade de Australie and saw the Australian Embassy across the road.

Once again we had one of those experiences where you never really appreciate how impressive a structure is until you see it up close. The Eiffel Tower is so big that you cannot properly take it all in while you are standing close to it. The four large piers merge upwards towards its tower which then vanishes behind the various levels. There were two long queues waiting to go upstairs and it was advertised that you could expect a two hour wait. Only one lift was working and the only other option was the staircase.

We then crossed the Seine and walked up to the Trocadero so we could gain a better view. The photos do not do it justice as we watched the lights slowly come on and the fountains leading towards the tower go through their hourly routine. That evening we ate in a local restaurant. The French cuisine must be a little lacking because every second eating house advertised Italian food!

Shopping in Paree

While last night was very mild we woke this morning to overcast skies and cold winds. We headed off early to start our two day hop-on,hop-off bus tour of Paris. We caught the bus beside the Eiffel Tower and then proceeded to go pass the Invalides, Grand Palais, Louvre and Notre Dame. All very beautiful but because of the cold weather sitting in the top of an open roof bus it was not that pleasant.

We came to a major shopping precinct on the Boulevarde Haussmann where Jene needed to visit the Apple store that was set up in a beautiful old building. We decided to look around and came across a large department store known as C & A. The clothes were of good standard and they had a half price sale. Two hundred Euro later we both had a new winter wardrobe and clothes for the boys. ( this is obviously written by Scott!!)

This afternoon we had tickets for the Eiffel Tower and had to be back there by 5:15 which gave us plenty of time. We decided to continue on our bus tour and get off at the Eiffel Tower stop, drop off our shopping at the hotel and then get back for the tour. As we arrived at the Tower the bus did not stop and I went down to talk to the driver who could only tell me that the Tower was closed. By the time we understood the bus wasn't stopping we were back at the Invalides with less than an hour until our tour starts. I grabbed the shopping bags and took off back to the Hotel while Jene started walking to the tower, neither of us really knowing if we were heading in the right direction. As I moved further along the word on the street was that there had been a large protest at. The tower and all the roads were closed. When I reached the Champs de Mars I could hear the chanting and saw the protesters in the distance.

After a mad rush I made it back to the Tower, found Jene only to learn that up to 50 protesters had climbed the tower and chained themselves to the railing. SWAT police were everywhere and they were evacuating the tower. We waited for an hour and a half until they advised us that the tower would be closed until 9pm at the earliest but we were welcome to come back then and see if it was reopened. The temperatures with wind chill were about 0 degrees so we had dinner and as we finished saw a convoy of eleven police vans moving towards the tower. We decided to give it a miss.

Paris at the other extreme.

This morning we woke up to beautiful clear blue skies and no wind. It was still a little brisk but had potential for being a great day. Once again we made for the tower and our bus with the area around the tower free from any protests. Today being upstairs wasn't a problem and we enjoyed the view.

Our first stop was at the Place de la Concorde where the Obelisk is located at the start of the Champs Élysées. After looking around we walked through the Tuleries Gardens to the Louvre. On the first Sunday of each month there is free admission to the Louvre so the queues stretched around the glass pyramid.

We then hopped back on to the bus and moved on to Notre Dame. As it was a Sunday there were services on so we appreciated it's beauty from the outside. We then had our cliche Paris moment by sitting between the Notre Dame and the Seine eating baguettes. We once again hopped on the bus and travelled back to the Grand Palais and Petit Palais. I promised Jen that we would then catch the bus up to the Arc de Triomphe but as it was such a beautiful day I started walking up the Champs Élysées until we missed the bus stop. I thought I got away with it but Jen told me she knew what I was doing and that I would pay through shopping!!

The champs Élysées is everything walking in Rome isn't. It has eight traffic lanes and footpaths around 25 metres wide. There are upmarket stores on both sides of the road and the major car dealers even have shopfronts with cars inside. In the Renault store we found the new Twizy which is pretty much a golf cart cut in half and prettied up. It is smaller than a smart car and at between 7000-9000 Euros and fully electric not a bad bargain for getting around the suburbs.

Reaching the Arc de Triomphe we saw the organized chaos that is the roundabout encircling this monument. Once again there are rules that control the traffic circulation but they are not visible to the human eye. We the travelled back to the Trocadero and walked back to our hotel, buying some real French Fries for dinner on the way home. Even so early in Spring the sun does not go down until after 8.30 so we waited until 9 to go back and see the Eiffel Tower in all her night time splendor. On the hour the tower explodes into a frenzy of flashing lights for five minutes putting on a wonderful show. When that was finished we just stood and admired the beauty of it all lit up.

I would have to say that Paris is the most beautiful city I have been to and they have converted every inch of its grandeur into public museums, galleries or gardens for all to enjoy.

The Chunnel to London.

This morning was quiet as we packed and then caught a taxi to Nord Garde to catch our train trip to London. We had a few spare hours so I took Jen on a tour of a few lesser known back streets of Paris searching for the Sacre Cour church. She was getting pretty upset with me as it looked as if we were in the 'Redfern' area of town. Once I regained my bearings we finally came upon the church set on one of the few hills in Paris. The church was impressive but was spoiled, as were many of the more famous icons in Europe by the presence of hawkers trying to sell you rubbish. Some would just ask and accept no for an answer but others actually grab at you and are very aggressive and in some cases intimidating.

We walked back to the station and caught the train which is a good alternative to flying if you only have a little luggage. When you hop on the train there is limited space for large cases and it is first on best dressed. The trip took around 2.5 hours and was comfortable. (Doreen and Derek I would suggest taking the train to Paris for your holiday as it is relatively hassle free.)

We arrived at St Pancras station and walked down a couple of blocks as we decided to stay the night in London rather than try to manage the metro at peak hour with our suitcases. As we walked I had a monopoly moment as Euston Rd turns into Pentonville Rd at Kings Cross Station.

As we arrived at our hotel I had my first real meltdown of the trip when I discovered we were staying in a rundown backpacker in Kings Cross. This hit home as I carried our suitcases up four flights of stairs to a tiny room that had a view onto the local public housing high rise. Jene in her tried and true manner settled me down and I agreed to stay for the night. We then went out for dinner but ended up catching the metro to Embankment station and walking over to the Millenium Eye. It was just coming on dusk so we watched London turn on its lights with Big Ben and St Paul's Cathedral the most impressive. As we didn't bring the camera we decided we would have to come back at night again.

Next day we decided to get a cab to liverpool street station, which is the main station, as the London underground is not luggage friendly. Back off to family to spend the last of our time with them before we head home.