Hi guys, I’m writing this on board the very comfortable, inexpensive and on time train from Paris to Brive. See, it can be done U.K.!

I’ve had a wonderful few days only marred by accidentally deleting my photos from Tuesday from my camera’s memory card and Craig managing to leave his kindle on the plane. Photos might be recoverable when we get home but for now my pictures of the Musee D’orsay and Notre Dame are gone, with the exception of the few I took on my phone. Fingers crossed Craig can work his magic and get them back!

We arrived on Monday afternoon to a beautiful if bitterly cold Parisian day. After leaving the bags at the hotel, we headed out on the Metro to the Trocadéro for the best view I’ve ever had of the Eiffel Tower. Good Lord it was cold though, foolishly paid €20 for a too small bobble hat from a street vendor that kept sliding up my massive head so I looked like gnome. Very poor purchase indeed!

We saw a bride posing for wedding pictures in front of the Tower before being hastily wrapped back in a blanket. She looked frozen the poor thing.

We wandered around for a while, stopped for my first (but not last) onion soup of the week, and a hot chocolate to warm up. Big cheesy gruyere covered crouton on the top, oh yes!

Craig had chosen a traditional restaurant not far from the Tower for dinner as I really wanted to see it lit up at night. On the way there we had a pint in an Irish bar as we were a little early. The table next to us was full of Americans with lap-tops talking about story-boards and filming. We were doing our best to earwig but failed miserably sadly. 

The restaurant Sancerre was very traditional, think stuffed boars heads on the walls, clocks that needed winding, dark wood furniture and was seemingly run by Gepetto and his wife. Both of which were engrossed in the French version of 4 rooms on the tv which we were doing our best to follow.

There was a limited choice of plat du jour, the quiche was hastily wiped off the blackboard with a wet finger, and the beef with fondant carrots there was just one portion left. Craig opted for the beef, amusingly, we heard the microwave fire up (it was behind the bar) and sure enough – ping, out came Craig’s beef. It was literally half a plate of beef, half a plate of school dinnery looking carrots, but was very tasty. I went for the charcuterie board of various different types of pork, rilletes, dried cured sausage and some thick cut jambon. Served with cornichons, mustard and bread. Very acceptable. 

The restaurant was more about showcasing the region’s wine apparently, we ordered the red and it was pretty terrible. What’s Sancerre famous for? That’ll be the white then 😀

We grimaced through the wine, and an episode of French Eastenders (we think someone died, not entirely sure) and ordered tarte tatin for dessert. Ping, back in the microwave it went, served at the temperature of Satan, the roof of my mouth is still sore. But it was good, albeit a bit flabby from the microwave.

There was no way we were doing any more walking so ordered an Uber back to the hotel, just in time to see the Tower do it’s crazy flashing/twinkling thing on the half hour which is really cool.

A great first night in Paris all round!

TTFN xx