Bonjour! Paris était réellement étonnant!

Jour un à Paris:
So Bryce and I woke at sparrow fart on the morning of the 19th of February to catch the Euro Star to Paris at 6am. How random to be on a train in England, and end up in a non-English speaking country. Bizarre. The two hour, fifteen minute trip flew by and next we knew it we were in Paris. . 

Leaving London. Destination: Paris!!

We were met at the station by Cristie- who was bearing "Welcome to Paris" pastries for us. Amazing. We then ventured to find our hotel. It was quite easy to locate from the station, less than a ten minute walk. Thank god for travel suitcases on wheels! We arrived at Le Dauphin Hotel and checked in. We went up the lift to our room, where to my horror I discovered it was a double bed. Not two beds as I thought had been booked. Bryce and I were about to get cosy haha. We went downstairs and asked about twin beds and then were shifted downstairs to an even better room which technically had three beds, was bigger and had a far bigger bathroom. 

When I say bathroom, I mean disco room. It was a-maz-ing. It had black tiles, nice new quality fittings and a really cool square sink. Not only that, but a HUGE shower - which was made even better with fibre optics in the wall, so it had what looked like LED lights in the grout. And the shower head changed colour depending on temperature I think. Having a shower was quite an experience. And made even better when only the fibre optic lights were on- with the smooth tunes of Michael Buble playing in the background. Bliss. It is my aim in life to someday have a shower just like it. And invite Michael Buble to come and sing for me, live.

OMG! Look at the wee lights in the wall. I seriously want this shower.

And this bathroom... I have a thing for bathrooms. Haha.

Anyway- enough about the shower... More about Paris! We made a somewhat loose plan and headed into the central city. There really is so much history and sights to see around every corner. We ended up at the foot of the Eiffel tower but made the decision to not go up this time because the visibility was really poor and you wouldn't have been able to see much. Cristie had already been up- and I walked to the top in 2007, but Bryce and I will be back again and will climb it then. You gotta walk it! None of this going up in the lift business!

This was the best pic I got because the bird randomly flew past at the right moment!

Rain can't stop me now!

It had rained since we arrived, but we continued on anyway - how can you be grumpy about the weather when in Paris!? We then continued on and saw other various sights, Champs Ellysées shopping street (of course) where I bought a really nice top. The Arc de Triomphe etc, unknown soldier etc. As evening approached we headed to Notre Dame. You could hear the bells of Notre Dame from miles away. It was really cool seeing places I have previously seen during the day time in the dark - they are different somehow. We went into Notre Dame where there was a mass service on. What an amazing church it is. I lit a candle for Herbie and Ian and then we decided it was time for dinner. 

The unknown soldier's grave under the Arc de Triomphe

The troublesome trio :)

We ended up in a really groovy area near Notre Dame and stopped in at a pub for a cocktail- then some beer. Turns out that Hoegarden is pretty nice beer. We all tried on Bryce's best purchase in the world ever; a fur jacket. It says it is real too. What animal? Who knows. Bryce thinks Siberian Husky LOL. Sorry Tania and Emily. The jacket made Bryce look like my and Cristie's pimp. Bryce is in love. I am not joking.

Bryce, pimping it out in his new coat.

Cristie's turn... movie star much?

Hmmm... I don't like animal hair stuck
on my clothes... :-/

The strip we were at had lots of little restaurants- complete with men out the front enticing you inside their restaurants. One Greek place was smashing plates at random, but never when you were watching! We ended up at an Italian restaurant (in Paris LOL) because the man at the door promised free sangria. What he forgot to mention was that he meant a thimble sized sangria. Free is free. I had French onion soup which was amazing. 

By the time we had eaten we were shattered having been up since 3.45am so we headed back to our hotel and fell into bed. Incredibly comfortable beds I might add. I can't recall the last time I slept so well! In fact I had set my alarm for 9am the next morning when it went off I thought it was wrong because I was in such a deep sleep and it was really dark outside. Turns out the hotel has the best block-out curtains ever! 


Jour deux à Paris
We woke and dressed and went out to the hotel foyer for breakfast. Yussssssss for breakfast buffet being included in the cost! We had our fill of muesli, waffles and croissants and then went and met Cristie at Bastille to have a look at the markets. And amazing markets they were! I can think of several people who would have been in foodie heaven! 

There was cheese, bread, fruit and vegetables and fresh meat, fish and poultry for as far as the eye could see. It also had other stalls for buying other small goods and snacks. It was suddenly a pity we filled up on our free breakfast. We stocked up on fresh ingredients for our epic picnic lunch; red onion, tomato, spinach leaves- three different cheeses, baguettes and red wine. 

Amazing, fresh market ingredients :)

Voila! Lunch!

I had seen that the Musee Of Victor Hugo was also in Bastille so I headed that direction while Christie and Bryce went for a walk. I couldn't find the museum, and was standing opposite a park looking for a sign, when I heard a thick American voice of which was very familiar! I walked around the corner to see a very familiar face. I could not for the life of me remember his name but knew I'd seen him on movies several times! I decided it was worth asking if he knew where the museum was instead of not going, so I said: "Excuse me" to which he turned to me,  looking a little annoyed. I said "I was wondering if you happen to know where the Victor Hugo museum is?" to which he replied (looking relieved and smiling now) "It's just down there in the corner". I thanked him and went on my merry way. OMG met someone totally famous. In fact he is the most famous person I've ever met. Except I could not remember his name. He was probably relieved and assumed I didn't know who he way. Haha. 

So, try explaining to your travel buddies how exciting it was that you met someone famous that you can't even remember the name of haha. 
The following morning I remembered; John. C. Reilly. Wow. Totally met him in Paris. Yussssssss. Name dropper am I!! You'll have to Google him if you don't know who he is yet!


So I found the Victor Hugo museum- and it was amazing. What a huge place he had! Heaps of his original furniture is still there, and you were allowed to take photos. How surreal to stand in the room where he started writing Les Miserables. Very cool. I met up with Cristie and Bryce about an hour later and we ended up in the park that Victor Hugo could look down on from his writing room :) We then had our picnic of filled baguettes and wine (amazing Cristie came prepared with her Swiss army knife so we could cut everything up!). 


After our bellies were full we decided to go find Moulin Rouge. It was easily spotted with all the red lights aglow. Once we had all our tourist photos of that taken we made our way up the hill to Sacre Cour. 

The girls ;)

It was by now starting to get dark, and we had a look in some of the hill top shops and ended up in a square where a bunch of artists were set up. There were heaps who were sketching portraits of people, and I decided that I wanted one. I have seen them in lots of the European countries I went to in 2007 but never had the time. So I sat in the chair and Camille the old Frenchman started my sketch. He did the most beautiful job- I was really pleased. I thought he especially captured my eyes (which he said were beautiful, haha smooth talker!) and made me look more amazing than in reality I look- but you can see it is me for sure. He told me next time I'm in Paris to come and say with him haha! He gave me his card with his address on and everything. He did an amazing job- and if ever I come to Paris again I would recommend him to a friend :) See what you think!  (Oh, and please marvel about how still I stay throughout the process... like a statue!)

Camille, my French Artist ;) I think he loved me. LOL.

We then went and saw Sacre Coeur. Amazingly beautiful inside and out, and has the most stunning view of Paris from above. We were there admiring it all for some time! Afterwards we ate at a French restaurant, being in France and all! We were then so exhausted it was time for bed. After another amazing disco shower!! Hoorah!!

Jour trois à Paris:
Two words. Or is it one? DISNEY LAND!!!!! The sun was shining and the sky was blue- perfect weather for our Disneyland adventure. We boarded the train, and traveled 45 minutes to the park. Once inside, both Bryce and I were bouncing with excitement and didn't know where to begin! We even did a little jumping up and down with excitement but don't tell anyone. I met Goofy and Bryce met Balloo. 

Goofy and I, rockin' on down in Disneyland. 

Balloo and Bryce. Best buddies. 

We were at the park from 11am until it closed at 8pm. I went on The Pirates of the Caribbean ride, Movie behind the scenes tram ride (real fire, wow!), Phantom Manor, It's a Small World (complete with Kiwis!) and others I can't remember right now! Bryce was brave and went on the Indiana Jones ride. Which went upside down. And he thought I would be ok on it!! I was pleased I sat that one out. A woman came off it with her partner and was so upset and frightened I felt awful for her. I know that feeling having once been tricked by David to go on the Scooby Doo coaster at Movie World and now being afraid of *every* ride I go on even when it is not even scary! She was really mad with the guy who was with her too. Whoops. 

This was the last chance to exit The Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Hehe. 

Uncle Bobby.  

Lumiere!! 

I'm so Mary Poppins right now.  

Ahhh! I love this movie!

We took loads of photos on the day- hundreds. It was loads of fun, we felt like kids :) by 8pm we were absolutely shattered. We managed to work out the train to get home and started the 45 minute journey which turned into 1 hour 15 minutes as there was a 30 minute stop at a station. There was an announcement, no doubt about why we were stopping, but neither Bryce or I speak French so had no idea why we stopped. 

About halfway to home a bum got on the train. You see a LOT of those in Paris. He was the smelliest, dirtiest one I had ever seen in my life. He was standing kinda next to me and I was worried something might fall off him and into my hair. So I moved to sit opposite to Bryce. Next thing, the bum sits *next to* Bryce. 

OMG. I nearly died. He smelt so bad. Bryce was like 'What the!!!!???' and later said my eyes were huge when the bum sat down. The bum then started scratching. All over. It was hideous. At the next stop he got off after muttering something to me in French which I ignored. Once he was off Bryce and I erupted in laughter. What can you do but laugh?? It was the scratching that got us both. We both felt so dirty we had to go back to our hotel and shower- including hair washing!! What an experience.

Dear Paris: Please don't let bums who scratch and smell on your trains. 
K. Thanks, bye. 

Jour quatre à Paris:
We woke for our alarm at 4.30am and I checked my phone for messages as I always do. I had two. One from Mum and one from Jacinda- both with news of the Earthquake in Christchurch. We turned on CNN and were met with footage that looked like something off the movies. My first reaction was hope that my family down there were ok- then I thought of all my friends who have family there. What an awful disaster... We keep hearing snippets of what's going on. With the updates I am reading on my TVNS News application on my iPhone... I can say that I am just so proud to be a Kiwi. What a wonderful nation we are. 

Both Bryce and I felt so strange knowing that something that huge is going on in our home country yet we are so far from those we love. To anyone reading this, our thoughts and prayers are with all the families and friends of anyone in Christchurch. It does however, make our three day adventure to Paris rather trivial. We are about 20 minutes from London on the Euro star as I type this, nearly 'home'. We are on holiday until Monday the 28th. Amazing. 

Keep safe, tell those you love that you love them, and keep smiling. 

Cheery bye :)