Well as we're gearing up to head back to Australia next month we took the opportunity of the latest August Bank Holiday to have a break in Paris with our friends Dave and Lou Oliver.
Rules we live by when visiting a large European city:
- Arrange accomodation as close to the city centre as possible - and then walk everywhere
- You'll be amazed at what you might discover?
- Don't worry too much about where you're headed, just wander off the beaten track
- It really is the best way of appreciating what these cities have to offer
- And it'll help keep the weight off from those lunches? ;-) (see below)
- If it's full of Tourists, this is bad. If it's full of Locals, this is good, although it's sometimes hard to spot the difference?
- Only use restaurants with menus that have no pictures of the food
- No laminated menus!
- If they offer a menu in English before you ask, consider giving it a miss?
- Menus written simply (and in hard to read handwriting?) are a good sign
- Menus on a Blackboard are generally a very good sign
Paris in particular:
- Versaille is huge, and well worth the visit, you could seriously spend the whole day there
- The Eiffell Tower was quite something, and only 11 Euro to the top. (Try and pick a good day? ;-)
- Keep your missus(s) away from the Kookai shop in the Garment Districit around the Sebastapol Metro?
We didn't ;-(( This is specifically on Rue Réaumur
- Whilst on the subject of shopping, don't while away your time on the Rue de Ravoli, try a couple of blocks to the north but in parallel? Just follow the foot traffic and explore?
- Try "La Perla" a small Italian Trattoria right on the corner of Rue de Turbigo and Rue Montorgueil
The Gorgonzola Pizza was superb and the total for 4 including a bottle and a half of Chianti Classico was 90Euro
- Also a top tip was a lovely little Bistro on the Rue des Deux Ponts just opposite the Post Office
- And when you're finished go for a wander down the Rue Saint-Louis Enciente I'lle for the shopping?
I hope you all had as good a weekend as we did? ;-)))