Paris la Ville de L'amour
Its Here the Surprise holiday Id been waiting for, Hubby had arranged everything, I'm certainly a very lucky girl, I had No idea where we were off to, I was told to pack for the cold, and of course being a minimalist, packing comes easy!
So we left bright and early, before the sun was up, and Mr P drove to the first destination.
Having never been, when we arrived at Ebsfleet I was a tad baffled. there were no signs, of an airport, ferry terminal, so I kept quiet and went with the flow. When we parked up, Mr P handed me an envelope, in it was our Destination.......
Drum roll.............
Somewhere Id wanted to go since a little girl..... Paris....Oh wow, to say I was excited, well is an understatement. I simply screamed with delight. Now I was like a kid on Christmas Eve,
I literally got out of the car and yes... I done a little dance and scream...Yes I am Mad!
So we gathered our case and went into the departure at Ebsfleet for the Euro tunnel.
Once on the euro tunnel it seemed like No time at all, until we arrived ....
Paris
we were staying in the Montmartre quarter the northern district, it was stunning, a short walk once out of the tube station and we were at our Hotel, The Mercure, it was lovely very modern contemporary, Then when we walked into our room, well , The view speaks for it self....
After settling in we ventured out not wanting to waste a moment, and arrived at Sacre-coeur Basilica
wow as you can see a beautiful Church which is the second most visited monument after Notre Dam.
Once wandering around this stunning church and grounds, we decided to find a little cafe for some lunch, and the tiny cobbled streets did not disappoint, I felt quite 'French", sitting outside a little bistro, with its covered tables, and patio heaters, I could've sat for ages simply 'being in the moment' and people watching, which I found out appears to be quite the past time of the more mature French.
But hey we can't waste a single moment, so off we went walking throughout the tiny streets, having a mooch. we walked back to our hotel, and suddenly all the excitement had taken its toll...Remember Im 50 now!😉, But on route we happened to pass and amazing Patisserie, Oh my ....cake heaven!,
as you all know i'm a tad partial to cake, so of course it would be rude not to partake!
So we decided to......
....Yes have room service, now to some this may seem, boring, or even normal, but to me this is something I have wanted to do for ever! and it did live up to my expectations, We ordered a Club sandwich, oh and what a sandwich it was .....De....licious! then of course we had said cake , and All In bed! oh dear!
The following day we started with an amazing Buffet brekkie, got to say I always find it better to stick with the local foods, when abroad, personally I never like the fried brekkie etc, so for me it was local Fruit, yoghurts, pancakes with honey, and of course an array of pastries, just to fuel up for our day two adventures!
Day Two, Mr P had pre booked our Eiffel Tower trip, so we made our way there, done the obligatory
photo underneath the Tower.....
The architecture for me is amazing, it's something I love to see, and it certainly didn't disappoint.
As were the views across Paris, we climbed right to the top, but was a little windy, so done a few piccies and ventured inside for a hot choccy.
We then made our way to Les Grands Boulevards, where we had been told to visit the stores as the christmas displays are stunning. which they certainly were, but unfortunately we got caught up in the Riots, which I've got to say was actually quite scary, we were literally walking adjacent to the rioters , we had seen it on the news earlier, but never dreamed it would be so close. we went down to the underground, but then we quickly realised there was teargas in the stairways, so we managed to get above ground and break away from the hustle and bustle, Not something I ever want to relive, I can assure you.
Unfortunately we had to reschedule our evening meal plans because of them, as the taxi driver advised us not to go, and he kindly took us back to our hotel, so we simply changed and found a local restaurant. Well day two was certainly eventful, but saw some amazing sights and was having a fab time!
Day Three
Once again we started with an amazing brekkie and then grabbed a tube to Lle de la Cite where the beautiful Notre-Dame Cathedral meaning Our Lady Of Paris is ....I feel extremely blessed to have had the great honour of visiting this stunning Cathedral, before the awful events shortly after our visit, A fire causing extensive damage.
I cannot put into words how stunning and surreal this place is, I walked inside and instantly felt that breathe of relaxation, and calmness. the architecture is outstanding, and its simply Peaceful, even though you are surrounded by hundreds of people. It was A Sunday, so were fortunate to see a service , there are so many nooks surrounding the centre alter, where people were praying, I felt kind of intrusive upon there prayers with a sense of intrigue.
Seeing as it was Christmas they had an impressive Nativity set, one of such I have never seen before so grand. It was so complex and told the story perfectly.
We spent ages just strolling around the cathedral, then outside in the glorious gardens.
We then walked into the Saint Germain des Pres, where we found a lovely little cafe, we simply sat, drank tea, and watched the world go by.
I love the little cobbled streets with tiny doorways and obscure shaped buildings.
that evening we managed to get to the cruise that Paul had booked, where we had dinner and mooched along the river taking in the sites.
Day Four
Unfortunately this was our last day, which happened to be the wettest day, so we decided to spend it in La Louvre Museum. And am I so glad we did. Absolutely gorgeous. I could have spent a few days there, once again the architect was simply stunning. For me , although it was great to see the Mona Lisa, which was by far the busiest part, I was slightly underwhelmed to be honest. My favourite area was the magnificent paintings upon the ceilings and the Grand corridors, connecting the different areas. I now feel a visit to the Victoria and Albert museum in London coming on, my favourite museum. But this was a close second.
And Yes just like that our visit came to an end, we made our way back to the train station where we caught our train back to Ebsfleet.
Oh but how wonderful it was to fulfil a childhood dream , my visit to Paris, the city of Love was absolutely everything and more than i'd hoped it would be , and spent with the perfect person. 💋
💖
So we left bright and early, before the sun was up, and Mr P drove to the first destination.
Having never been, when we arrived at Ebsfleet I was a tad baffled. there were no signs, of an airport, ferry terminal, so I kept quiet and went with the flow. When we parked up, Mr P handed me an envelope, in it was our Destination.......
Drum roll.............
Somewhere Id wanted to go since a little girl..... Paris....Oh wow, to say I was excited, well is an understatement. I simply screamed with delight. Now I was like a kid on Christmas Eve,
I literally got out of the car and yes... I done a little dance and scream...Yes I am Mad!
So we gathered our case and went into the departure at Ebsfleet for the Euro tunnel.
Once on the euro tunnel it seemed like No time at all, until we arrived ....
Paris
we were staying in the Montmartre quarter the northern district, it was stunning, a short walk once out of the tube station and we were at our Hotel, The Mercure, it was lovely very modern contemporary, Then when we walked into our room, well , The view speaks for it self....
After settling in we ventured out not wanting to waste a moment, and arrived at Sacre-coeur Basilica
wow as you can see a beautiful Church which is the second most visited monument after Notre Dam.
Once wandering around this stunning church and grounds, we decided to find a little cafe for some lunch, and the tiny cobbled streets did not disappoint, I felt quite 'French", sitting outside a little bistro, with its covered tables, and patio heaters, I could've sat for ages simply 'being in the moment' and people watching, which I found out appears to be quite the past time of the more mature French.
But hey we can't waste a single moment, so off we went walking throughout the tiny streets, having a mooch. we walked back to our hotel, and suddenly all the excitement had taken its toll...Remember Im 50 now!😉, But on route we happened to pass and amazing Patisserie, Oh my ....cake heaven!,
as you all know i'm a tad partial to cake, so of course it would be rude not to partake!
So we decided to......
....Yes have room service, now to some this may seem, boring, or even normal, but to me this is something I have wanted to do for ever! and it did live up to my expectations, We ordered a Club sandwich, oh and what a sandwich it was .....De....licious! then of course we had said cake , and All In bed! oh dear!
The following day we started with an amazing Buffet brekkie, got to say I always find it better to stick with the local foods, when abroad, personally I never like the fried brekkie etc, so for me it was local Fruit, yoghurts, pancakes with honey, and of course an array of pastries, just to fuel up for our day two adventures!
Day Two, Mr P had pre booked our Eiffel Tower trip, so we made our way there, done the obligatory
photo underneath the Tower.....
The architecture for me is amazing, it's something I love to see, and it certainly didn't disappoint.
As were the views across Paris, we climbed right to the top, but was a little windy, so done a few piccies and ventured inside for a hot choccy.
We then made our way to Les Grands Boulevards, where we had been told to visit the stores as the christmas displays are stunning. which they certainly were, but unfortunately we got caught up in the Riots, which I've got to say was actually quite scary, we were literally walking adjacent to the rioters , we had seen it on the news earlier, but never dreamed it would be so close. we went down to the underground, but then we quickly realised there was teargas in the stairways, so we managed to get above ground and break away from the hustle and bustle, Not something I ever want to relive, I can assure you.
Unfortunately we had to reschedule our evening meal plans because of them, as the taxi driver advised us not to go, and he kindly took us back to our hotel, so we simply changed and found a local restaurant. Well day two was certainly eventful, but saw some amazing sights and was having a fab time!
Day Three
Once again we started with an amazing brekkie and then grabbed a tube to Lle de la Cite where the beautiful Notre-Dame Cathedral meaning Our Lady Of Paris is ....I feel extremely blessed to have had the great honour of visiting this stunning Cathedral, before the awful events shortly after our visit, A fire causing extensive damage.
I cannot put into words how stunning and surreal this place is, I walked inside and instantly felt that breathe of relaxation, and calmness. the architecture is outstanding, and its simply Peaceful, even though you are surrounded by hundreds of people. It was A Sunday, so were fortunate to see a service , there are so many nooks surrounding the centre alter, where people were praying, I felt kind of intrusive upon there prayers with a sense of intrigue.
Seeing as it was Christmas they had an impressive Nativity set, one of such I have never seen before so grand. It was so complex and told the story perfectly.
We spent ages just strolling around the cathedral, then outside in the glorious gardens.
We then walked into the Saint Germain des Pres, where we found a lovely little cafe, we simply sat, drank tea, and watched the world go by.
I love the little cobbled streets with tiny doorways and obscure shaped buildings.
that evening we managed to get to the cruise that Paul had booked, where we had dinner and mooched along the river taking in the sites.
Day Four
Unfortunately this was our last day, which happened to be the wettest day, so we decided to spend it in La Louvre Museum. And am I so glad we did. Absolutely gorgeous. I could have spent a few days there, once again the architect was simply stunning. For me , although it was great to see the Mona Lisa, which was by far the busiest part, I was slightly underwhelmed to be honest. My favourite area was the magnificent paintings upon the ceilings and the Grand corridors, connecting the different areas. I now feel a visit to the Victoria and Albert museum in London coming on, my favourite museum. But this was a close second.
And Yes just like that our visit came to an end, we made our way back to the train station where we caught our train back to Ebsfleet.
Oh but how wonderful it was to fulfil a childhood dream , my visit to Paris, the city of Love was absolutely everything and more than i'd hoped it would be , and spent with the perfect person. 💋
💖
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