Paris

Returning to Europe we decided as the winds were so high and the channel forecast was rough to say the least, that we would pay the extra and take the tunnel for the first time ever. It was really expensive at double the cost but we were very impressed with the ease of boarding and how quick it was without any of the stress of travelling by ferry. And as we were very early there they allowed us free of extra charge to board the next train. And before we had time to clean the van we were already in France!

Stopping for a failed attempt to fill the LPG put us back a little and as it had been a long day we decided to pull off the Motorway and find a quiet park-up after about an hour heading south. The following morning we were on the road early and entering the outskirts of Paris at late morning. Driving in the city was crazy but after an hour or so we were at Paris City Camp and having some lunch and a shower before heading out in search of the city.

Our first attempt at leaving the site was thwarted by a storm of large proportions which drowned us only a few hundred meters from the van and sent us scurrying back for a coffee and shelter. But after a short wait we were off again for the walk through the Parc du Bois and on to the Avenue Foch which led straight to the Arc de Triomphe.

An impressive sight we stayed a short while before walking the Champs Élysées before reaching the Place de la Concorde and then on to the Pyramide du Louvre. The weather was being kind so we continued on to the Notre Dame Cathedral before heading through the back streets of the colourful Latin Quarter, Pantheon and finally to the Jardin de la Tour Eiffel. Stopping on the way for a bottle of French white wine and taking a couple of Espresso cups from Starbucks to drink it from!

Reaching the park we took a seat with a view and enjoyed our wine as dusk came watching with amazement as the tower lit up in stages before it was completely dark and this incredible structure stood magnificent with all its dress lights. Reluctantly leaving as it was getting cold and we had also run out of wine, we headed for the bridge north and to our bus stop for the ride home which was pretty smooth, getting back to the van as the rain began to get quite heavy again.

Unfortunately opening the sliding door of the van the following morning I noticed that the window on the passenger side corner was moving. After looking more closely I could see that the plastic closures had been snapped off and it was fully open, so some toe-rag had tried to break in to the van and broke the window. Thinking back this must have happened in Wales and probably when it was parked outside my moms house as at no other time since, had we left the van alone until we got to Paris. And also that was the only time the alarm went off in the middle of the night!

Its unfortunate that there are still so many Scumbags in the world that think its ok to steal or just vandalise anything they wish and the thought of someone trying to break in to the van was even worse. But it is fortunate that the alarm must have done its job and the only damage was relatively easy to repair even if it did cost us €75 a little further down the road…

With tired legs and an excellent weather forecast we were off early and on the bus this time directly to the to Arc de Triomphe.  Heading North it was first to Parc Monceau, the Moulin Rouge, the street markets and the Sacré Coeur, stopping for a break on the steps overlooking the giant city­scape. Back on our feet and we were off to the artists hangout of Place du Tertre before descending the labyrinth of tiny streets among the markets, boulangeries, fromageries, and so many wine shops and sellers it was hard to resist, before finally getting back to the river at the Notre Dame for our next break.

The last leg of the day was heading south through all the busy Saturday streets full of restaurants a quick stop for some Belgian Fries before skirting the Pantheon a stop in a supermarket for a bottle of wine a fresh Baguette and a ring of camembert before heading to the Eiffel Tower once more to sit just before sunset and enjoy our very French take-out with a spectacular view!

The park was much busier on a Saturday evening with many people enjoying the same as us but a little more extravagantly. We saw full cheeseboards, wine, champagne, baguettes and a whole host of wonderful looking picnics going on.

We watched the lights coming on once more to give us the most incredible scene of Paris before heading home which unfortunately took a lot longer this night as there was an evening sport event going on with road closures so our direct bus service was not running. Eventually returning back to the van very tired and with another 30km in the legs from a second great day.

The last day of our Paris tour was with heavy rain forecast all morning so we had booked entry to the Louvre for 12am and after a slow morning we made our way by bus and train directly there and even though we had booked, we still had to queue in the pouring rain for 45 minutes before we were left in. I had never been there before so I was unprepared for the sensory onslaught of thousands of people all shuffling at snails pace, most with no idea of the magnificence that was all around them, and with only one goal of having a selfie taken in front of the Mona Lisa.

This place was really incredible and words cannot do justice to the artistry, intelligence, and skill that had gone in to everything on show, even if most of the artists lived in complete poverty and had no recognition during their lifetime for completing pieces that are quite magnificent.

At any one time there are over 35 thousand works of art on show and just to give only a few minutes that they deserve would have taken months. So as Leela knew what we should use our short time for, we focused on certain pieces that she wanted to appreciate and like all the rest, just shuttled past some works of genius only giving them a slight glance of acknowledgement.

We looked at Rembrandt, Monet, Turner, Botticelli, and of course me being the complete philistine that I am, had to take a look at Da Vinci’s Moaning Lisa just to see the complete zoo, when the real incredible work of art was directly on the opposite wall which all the crowds had their backs to!

As the hours went by my focus was waning and I was becoming a little irritable and tired of all the crowds and unfortunately the works of art were just becoming one continuous blur, so we decided to call it a day after 6 hours.

We walked back along the Champs Élysées and took the train and bus back to the camp before a glass of wine and collapsing into bed. Calling it a night on our amazing Paris experience.