They say a change is as good as a holiday. They lied.

Our 6 weeks away has seen us explore cultures and food from many different countries, seen sights that simply do not exist in suburban Brisbane, met people from many walks of life, gained a little more international perspective and I think that merely makes us want to do it again.

As we plan to leave Paris, not sure if we will return (because there are so many other interesting places to visit), reflecting on the holiday that was means focussing on the notables, and there have been many, most mentioned in other blog posts – this post will focus on some memorable moments for us in Paris. Read more »

We both had a passing interest in Monet and his art, Jo had done some research and found a bicycle tour run by a company we had used when last in Paris to skip the queue on the Eiffel Tower and so we decided to book the day out with them.

It was no forgone conclusion we would go – both still battling coughs and flu symptoms, we had a restless night sleep but woke up feeling like it was worth a shot, given there was a cancellation fee so we girded our loins, dosed up and after a restorative morning pastry for breakfast (one of the advantages/disadvantages of being so close to Paris’s best Boulangerie) we headed off on the metro to Gare St Lazare, a regional train station. There we met up with our guides and the rest of the group – 30ish people, all ages and shapes which made us feel better and more capable of actually coping. Read more »

Returning to Paris after 3 years away has been a really interesting experience. I mentioned in the Lyon posts previously how comfortable we feel in France generally, but returning to the familiar Canal area of Paris has been wonderful.

We were determined to try and get our previous apartment – such a funky mix of styles, comfortable and most importantly close to the best Boulangerie in Paris “du Pain Et Des Idees” and really close to metro stations and a bunch of great restaurants.

Sadly this will probably be our last stay here, as our hosts are thinking of selling up and moving to Spain (…so how much would a pair of apartments in Paris cost us Jo????) which is a real shame but I guess memories will have to do (…no, seriously Jo, I am ready to drop everything and move???). Speaking of memories, our first trip to Paris, first evening in the city was the perfect meal in a little restaurant around the corner called “Les Enfants Purdus” and we decided not to go back, our memory of that meal is perfect, and we do not want to sully it with another visit. Read more »