Two Days In Paris...

Well, actually it was almost four days - a surprise birthday present from Marg - we flew from Exeter on Sunday afternoon and made our way through the Metro to our hotel in the Paris suburbs in time to have a late meal in the restaurant. Monday was fine and we took the Metro into the centre of Paris, around La Place de Concorde. We strolled down through he gardens, stopping of for a coffee, to the Louvre. We spent the rest of the day here, visiting a major Russian Art exhibition - which was superb - the quality of workmanship in gold and silver work was quite stunning. There were many iconic images and many pieces that demonstrated the wealth and power of the Russian Church in the 14th and 15th Century. It also demonstrated how much time and skill the craftsmen had to create such outstanding pieces of work. After the 'Sainte Russie' exhibition we spent another couple of hours looking at the Italian masters and taking in some of the amazing images and sculptures. The visit was well worth it and even after a few hours it seemed like you were only scratching the surface of what was there. We took a Metro to La Rue Monmartre and found a Moroccan bistro where we had a very filling meal of Lamb Couscous etc. After another Metro ride and a walk back to the hotel we were pretty worn out. On Tuesday morning we headed to Sacre Cour, on top of the hill above Monmartre with an amazing view over the city. There was a service taking place when we went in but hoards of people were wandering around at the same time which was a bit bizarre! Hearing the choir and the organ in full voice was a real bonus as it made the church feel alive and not just a monument for tourists. We stopped off for some lunch in a pleasant little bistro and then headed on to Notre Dame using the Batobus. Notre Dame is certainly an amazing building with very subdued lighting giving a real atmosphere. After Notre Dame we tried to make it down to the Orangerie, where there is a Monet collection, but arrived just after closing! At least we have a good reason to go back now!! We took the Metro to the Opera area (just because we liked the sound of it!) and found a really excellent bistro where we enjoyed a beautiful meal and wine before staggering back to the hotel no the Metro. Paris is a great place to wake up you senses when you come from sleepy Exeter. The amount of people, the traffic, the Metro, the food and wine, the views and vistas, the art culture, the design and the architecture combine to make it a very special place to visit. So thanks goes to Marg for setting it up as a real surprise and making it a really brilliant break and I can't wait for the next time...