Paris

Wonderful long weekend in Paris. We found a great Eurostar-Hotel deal online and hopped on the train at the spanking new International Terminus at St Pancras. The train whisked us through Kent, under the Channel and through Northern France to Gare du Nord International in Paris.

We had a great room in the Citadines Opéra Vendôme hotel at 2, rue Edouard VII in the Opera district, a short walk from the Louvre.

We went up the Eiffel Tower, walk through the Place de Vendome and toured the Louvre before heading out to eat in the vibrant Latin Quarter. We found a greek restaurant with vast spit roasts turning in an open kitchen. Had a great meal of roast lamb and flat bread and even saw a mouse scurry across the floor !

The second day we went to the Arc de Triomphe and walked down the Champs-Élysées before heading down the river on a boat to the fantastic Notre Dame cathedral. We had ice creams in the summer sun and watch the Parisian crowds drift lazily along the riverbank.

The final day took us out to Montmartre, a wonderfully relaxed part of the city. We dutifully climbed the hill to Sacré-Cœur Basilica and admired the views out over the city. I loved Montmartre and found a local cambodian restaurant full of Parisians enjoying a relaxing lunch. The food was fabulous and we headed back to Gare du Nord to catch the Eurostar back to London.