Paris in a day... It can be done!

So it can't be done? Well, we have given it a good go and damn near did most of the key stuff. Please don't leave a comment about the stuff we have missed out. We have a book with all that in. Suffice to say that all said and done, we have had a mega and busy day, and are done in. 

It all started with a poor nights sleep for all. Jasper had some mad coughing fit and was not well in the night, then Maya had a headache, for which I gave Calpol, which we then saw again later! I slept in Jasper's bed, which is about 2 foot  too short and only about half as many covering material as would be desirable. Clare also had a bad night as she wakes for anything, regardless of her earplugs!

Anyway, we took Paris on. City days are intense affairs, so after our double decker tube ride, accompanied by accordion playing buskers (cue 'allo allo music in your brain) we walked around the Arc de Triomphe and then down the Champs Élysées and went straight for the simple tourist affair.... Using the Bateau Mouche we had a tourist ride for an hour or so around all of the best sites. We were very taken aback with Paris from the water. Quite something, very pretty. So to save a long story, we saw everything along the Seine! We then walked 2km to the Louvre. This was quite something for the kids, but they were tired and hungry, and the sun was absolutely belting. So after a short break, we tackled the Louvre. Being the tourists that we are, we headed straight for the Mona Lisa. She was busy...quite busy! But we got there. However, finding the way around was impossible, and following a previous post about lack of directions for campsites, the same follows in galleries I have found (in my limited experience). We got lost, stuck, lost, found again, lost, bored, and faced with an amazing amount of cumulative stairs. We got out in the end and trained it to the Eiffel Tower. This was great, and we approached it from the Trocadero. We took the obligatory photos, bought a nice cream, then paddled in the water with everyone else. (Adrian, we saw the wizbit trees, but didn't do the photo, sorry!)

Anyhow, we returned home after further long walks and manic metro changing. Tired now. I will post some photos though. Whilst I type this, 10:03 pm, I am watching the photos that Jasper and Maya took, and begin to question the wisdom of giving the children cameras. I will post their photos for the Somerset children's photographer of the year award ( in it's inaugural year, and suffering from a dirth of entries from Ilminster. You can all play along too!)

Ed

Photos include our best Mona Lisa smile, the Eiffel Tower, and having a look around on the boat at the world around us!