A weekend in Paris - June 2024

I travelled to Paris on the weekend to meet my friend Dorette, who I met in 2011 when we lived in South Africa. She was there with work and as we haven't seen each other since 2019 it was an ideal opportunity to meet up after 5 years. it felt like 5 minutes since we'd last seen each other. 

We had the most amazing weekend. Our feet didn't hit the ground, other than the 15 miles walked on Saturday and the 10 miles walked on Sunday.

Paris is getting ready for the Olympics and with Joe Biden's visit, the streets were closed for traffic and in places for pedestrians. We were unable to access the Place de Concorde, hence a lot more walking than anticipated.

My journey started at Birmingham Airport and after hearing tales of massive queues for security, I left work an hour earlier, but walked straight through security and arrived airside 3 hours before my flight.

I was joined on my trip by Yoda, the learning base lego figure, that I spent the whole weekend looking for in pockets and the bottom of my bag and to my horror, discovered this tiny piece of lego was also 2 pieces joined together.

Having checked I didn't fall foul to the 10 year + date on my passport, I was horrified to discover I was getting stamped on arrival. My passport is almost full with visas and with 5 years left to run I'm reluctant to surrender my Burgundy cover in exchange for the new blue ones.

I'm also annoyed I had to sign up with a PAYG contract for 2 years as I couldn't get 3g in Europe with my current top up monthly subscription.

No luggage, so straight to the RER.

One way ticket purchased 11.80 euros and a 1 hour ride to Garde de Nord to meet my friend Dorette.

The air b&b was on the canal, a short walk from the station and an idea point for exploring Paris.

It's been 14 years since I've been to Paris and I was amazed at how much it has changed. So many more tourists, so many more queues and menus and guides in both French and English, almost everywhere. There were a few places I spoke French to order drinks and food, but as soon as I said 'Bonjour' most people could hear the English accent and replied in English.

First stop, after coffee, was The Louvre, for a 10.30am visit and straight off to see the Mona Lisa.

The queue to visit filled the whole gallery, but people moved on quite quickly.

This was the closest we could get now, last time I was here, you could stand almost side by side and take a selfie.

The view from the windows of the court yard is stunning.

We worked our way around the whole of the museum, stopping to take photos of things that interested us. it was difficult to get a lot of photos due to large tour groups that dominated most pieces.

After The Louvre, we headed for the Eiffel Tower.

A court yard of designer shops.

Lunch stop.

Free entertainment at lunch, with the streets being closed, due to Biden's visit, this bus got stuck and the furniture delivery guys refused to move their vehicle and just walked away.

I love a bit of street art.

Place de Concorde closed whilst Paris prepares for the 2024 Olympics.

Our route closed due to Joe Biden's visit.

Finally made it to the Champs Elysees. I do love a good building design and this Louis Vuitton building is one of the best yet.

The last time I was at the Arc de Triomphe, I drove round it.

The first real sign that the Olympics aren't far away, viewed from the Trocadero.

Ready for our cruise down the Seine.

Notre Dame.

One too many glasses of Champagne.

We finished the evening off at Montparnasse.

Day 2 in Paris.

We started to see more signs that Paris is almost ready for the Olympics.

We started the day early with a visit to Sacred Coeur. By 10.30am the queues to get in were huge.

I insisted on a climb to the top.

Lunch stop.

A visit to Galleries Layfeyettes.

Another roof top view.

The afternoon spent exploring the neighbourhood where we were staying and a few drinks.

Back at Gare de Nord and the end of the trip.

I arrived back in Birmingham and Peter collected me and got home around midnight.

Lets hope it's not 5 years until we see each other again.

 

2024 Week 23 - One Daily Positive, Project 365 and A Selfie a Day.

June

155  Monday Back to work after a week off. One of my students didn't turn up. A busy day at the computer and form filling with students for exam provisions and when I got home I was in a lot of pain with my hips and back from sitting. I went to bed to read, had a long soak in the bath.

156  Tuesday Awake and up at 2am in a lot of pain in my hips, back to bed at 3am and I did manage some sleep. Blood test before work, then out in the afternoon for an hour for my first physio session. Set up for students exam then homework club after school.

157  Wednesday A level RPE exam in the morning, coffee after work with friends. I received a letter in my pigeon hole today to say I wasn't having my contract renewed in September, my line manager was as stunned as I was, he'd not been told despite having put in a proposal to retain me and two others. The evening was spent in a WhatsApp group. I'm gutted.

158  Thursday Homework club after school, followed by a visit to the post office and a coffee with a friend/colleague from work with Peter joining us. Home to do some ironing and pack for my trip to Paris. Another colleague and his wife popped round for a drink, then I had a video call with my cousin in the States, bath and bed.

159  Friday Finished work 30 mins early after setting up for Mondays exam and off to the airport. Despite all the news stories about the security queues I walked straight through without a hitch. After security, I sat and read my book. I'm visiting my friend who is in Paris for a week from South Africa with work. I've not seen her since November 2019.

It felt like only 5 minutes since we'd seen one another.

160  Saturday Up early and out on our feet all day. We walked 15 miles. Joe Biden was in Paris and with the Olympic preparations, half the city was closed to pedestrians and traffic. We visited The Louvre, had lunch at a street cafe, a Champagne cruise on the Seine and finished the evening at Montparnasse watching the sun set over the city.

161  Sunday Up early. 10 miles walked today. Off to Sacre Coeur and climbed to the top. Lunch stop and a visit to Galleries Layfeyette rooftop for another stunning view of Paris. Afternoon spent drinking on the banks of the canal where we were staying, before saying our goodbyes and parting at Gare de Nord station. 

Late flight home and Peter collected me from Birmingham airport. 

Books read this week: The Bullet that missed - Richard Osman

Words written towards book: 0 I've been letter writing and filling in job application forms this week.

Clothes bought: 0

On the blog this week: Days out in the camper van in May

What's made me happy this week: Paris

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7th - 9th June 2024 Post Comment Love

Welcome back to #PoCoLo with Stephanie from Bosworth.Life and I.

Post Comment Love #PoCoLo is a friendly weekly linky where you can link up any blog post you've written this week. If you're new or a regular visitor we're sure you'll find something of interest.

I'm off to Paris for the weekend. I'm visiting an old friend from our time living in South Africa. It's been 10 years since we left there and 5 years since I've seen here. She's in France for a week with work and invited me to pop over and join her for a weekend so we can catch up.

Other than the airport, I've not been to Paris for over 15 years, but it's a city I know very well having visited many times with my husband in the past and I'm very much looking forward to exploring again.

This is us 10 years ago with a Charity we worked for in South Africa where we collected and distributed around 10,000 gifts for Christmas for Children living in poverty.

We'd also appreciate your help spreading the #PoCoLo word on Twitter, tag us and we'll RT. You can find us on twitter here: Stephanie - @BosworthLife and Suzanne - @ChickenRuby 

I'll be catching up with reading your posts, sharing and commenting over the next few days. 

Want to find out more about Post Comment Love #PoCoLo? 

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May 2024 Days out in the camper van

We had our first encounter with another camper van in a narrow lane this month. £32.85 for new mirrored glass and 2 minutes to fix.

We've had a few days out in the van this month, but the weather has been good for us and for the first time we've been able to use the table and chairs that came with the van for our picnic.

Having the solar panel to charge the leisure battery means we can make proper coffee on the go rather than paying for expensive drinks at motorway services.

Most of our journeys though seem to be just taking me back and forth to work.

There were two airport runs to Heathrow where on collecting Peter he was able to stretch out in the back and watch the FA Cup final on our delayed 6 hour journey home via the M4 with closures.

I've had two nights away in the van on my own this month. The first one on my friends drive in South Wales.

The morning view from my friends drive.

I spent a night in Lydney after a day out in Gloucester with mum and eldest child, then child 2 and his family came for a visit and we sat outside with a take away.

We explored the lakes at the campsite.

My van is the first black one on the right.

In June we're off to Brighton again for 3 nights, sadly it's for my Uncles funeral, mum is coming with us, but staying with her Sister in Law, we'll be by Brighton Marina where we stayed in April when we brought her down to say her goodbyes.

We've got a visitor the following week, and the last weekend I'm out for my birthday, so we won't be camping again in June.

2024 Week 22 - One Daily Positive, Project 365 and A Selfie a Day.

May

148  Monday Had a lie in, then off to Keynsham for the day to visit Mother in Law. We went out for lunch, then I went round the town, while Peter went to visit his sister. Home at 6pm. Evening spent on the phone to a friend I've not spoken to or seen for a long time.

Migraine face.

149  Tuesday Most of the day spent in bed reading. A visit to the GP in the afternoon after a trip to the coffee shop. Rest of the day spent in bed reading. I managed to read Richard Osmond The man who died twice in a day.

Migraine face.

150  Wednesday Train into Worcester for a hair appointment, had a coffee and wandered around the town for a bit. Home to read (I started a new book) then popped out to meet work friends for our usual Wednesday afternoon coffee.

151  Thursday I spent the day in bed with a migraine, I'm so done with all this pain now, it's getting harder and harder to function. I finished my book My sister, the serial killer. Nothing else was achieved, I'm exhausted.

152  Friday Day spent doing nothing then I dragged myself off to the nail bar, dropped some stuff at the charity shops, popped a present and card into a friends house, then off for drinks with work colleagues. Soft drinks only for me, we got a take a way pizza but the dough was still raw. Home at 11pm.

Peter is there in the background.

June

153  Saturday I got up early and packed the van then to Gloucester to meet mum off the bus and visit Stephanie. A bit of shopping and we had lunch out. I checked in at the campsite just outside Sydney, then dropped mum home. Son, DIL and granddaughter came for a visit and brought a take away. Third book of the week finished.

154  Sunday Woken at 5am by cows mooing, but when back to sleep till 8am. A lazy morning, I started my fourth book of the week. I packed up and popped in at mums, then off to the pub for lunch for daughter in laws birthday. I had a lovely day with all her parents as well. Home at 6pm. 

Books read this week: The Vow

My Sister the Serial Killer - Oyinkan Braithwaite

The Man Who Died Twice - Richard Osman

Words written towards book: 1212

Clothes bought: Charity Shop: M&S Jumper £5/Debenhams Cardigan £5/M&Co Jumper £4. Sweatshirt Primark £12. Mum gave me a jacket she bought for me from a charity shop also.

On the blog this week: My Garden in May

Things that made me happy this week: Getting my hair cut, gardening, reading 3 books, spending time with family, gluten free dessert in the pub for Sunday lunch.

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