Our Trip......cont'd

Ahhhhh Paris.....I had dreamed of seeing Paris for the longest time. The flights were long and tedious, however the 45min flight from Frankfurt Germany to Paris I had my nose pressed hard against the glass window looking down to see if I could spot any chateau's even from that great height LOL. I did, and I was like a little kid bouncing up and down in my seat LOL. Even my 8 year old daughter Sophie had to tell me to calm down. I wanted to cry as we were landing and I could just make out the outline of the eiffel tower in the distance through the smog.

We stayed in a lovely area called St Mande near Port De Vincennes. It was about 15 mins out of the centre of Paris and perfect for a family to stay. With Paris's famous metro system it's never a problem to travel around to wherever you need to go. Everyday we were up at the crack of dawn trying to squeeze in as many museums, churches and monuments we could until dark.

We saw all the important sites you usually fly to Paris to see and they were as grand and as beautiful as I had imagined. I am a virgo and as most virgo's know we are dreamers and romantics and oh god I got swept up in the romance of Paris. The stunning architecture and town planning of Paris captivated me. The long avenues, cobblestone streets, carved sandstone buildings, statues everywhere, and my favourite, the laced ironwork on all the windows........simply sublime. The French truly are a class above the rest.

A couple of times reality set in with the heavy crowds at certain spots. I kinda had this romantic notion I would be stepping back in time to the 17th and 18th centuries when I visited Paris only to get there and realise it's a hustling bustling city. I don't think I'd ever seen so many people in my life LOL. Sydney just doesn't have that kind of population.

The only regret I have was I didn't get to see Le Marais as we ran out of time. That was a major disappointment as I was intending to meet my idol/mentor and new friend....Claudia Strasser of The Paris Apartment in NY who was also staying in Paris at the time. I also didn't get to do alot of shopping and as most women know that's quite important LOL, but travelling with children and a husband can really make that a hard task.

I treasured my week in Paris. It exceeded all my expectations. It wasn't enough time but I vow to go back again sometime very soon.

Next stop Greece....