Exploring Paris

The day after our bike tour dawned clear and bright - again, how lucky! - but we had a late start to the day.  Firstly Liam was feeling worse.  Not wanting to go into detail about his symptoms (but if he was writing, he would regal you with all the nitty gritty!!) Greg thought he should go to a doctor.  I thought we'd try the easier (and cheaper) option first, visiting our local pharmacie.  One thing that has amazed us as we travel through Europe, is how many chemist shops there are.  You are lucky to go 500m without running into one.  I can only think of about half a dozen in Darwin.  How do they all  make money we wonder?  Anyway, Greg and Liam did their pantomime (accompanied by Greg's excellent Frenglish - his own creation!) and came back to the apartment with an assortment of drugs which will hopefully make him feel better.  Our other delay was not having any internet access.  Ainslie needed us to transfer some of her money to her travel card account (something she apparently can't do without her mobile so needed our help) which would have been a snap but suddenly the internet stopped working.  We tried re-setting it (in the end they had to get a tech guy to come over!) and stuffed around before heading out to use and internet cafe near the Metro.
Finally!  Off to the Musee D'Orsay.  This is one of our favourite museums - a gorgeous setting and lots of fabulous impressionist artworks to admire.  I only wish you could take photos.  Afterwards we went to Notre Dame.  Liam didn't feel well enough to climb up, which was just as well, as the ticket sales to get to the top finish at 4pm during winter and it was 4.15!  Bella and Liam marvelled at how much like the movie (read cartoon!) it was.  We wandered off to the Jewish area of the Marais to have what Fat Tyre claimed to be the best Falafel in Paris.  L'as Du Falaffel, and it was very good - as good as any we'd had in Israel!  Greg and I also had a Maccabee (Israeli) beer to go with it!
Yesterday Greg spent working on the report.  I know you are all looking forward to hearing the news that the damn thing is finished!! We are!  Bella, Liam and I went off to l"Opera metro to go to Galleries Lafayette to check out the gorgeous Christmas windows.  We all enjoyed them, then we warmed up inside the huge department store.  Bella felt as if the assistants where looking at us disdainfully as if we couldn't afford a single thing in there.  Which is actually quite true!  We went onto H&M so that Bella could actually buy something (although she is very sad at how quickly her money is disappearing!).  I took them through the streets to show them the place Greg and I stayed in last time we visited Paris which was nearby.  I was a little worried that we'd taken a wrong turn, but then I saw the little hardware store we used to fix the broken bedroom rail, and found it!
We stopped at Monoprix to buy some toothpaste too.  When you travel with people you discover some interesting idiosyncrasies. Greg complains about the amount of toiletries Bella and I have (admittedly, we probably could have culled them a little more, but honestly I'm using everything I bought!) but he draws the line at having excessive toothpaste.  So much so that we have to wait until we have squeezed out every possible drop before we are allowed to buy another one.  I made the call that our current tube is on the way out... very risque!

Our next stop was the Arc De Triumph. We'd seen it in the distance on the bike tour but Bella wanted to see it up close and personal.  We stopped and had our packed lunch in a weak bit of sunshine.  I had my kindle with me and finished reading "Catching Fire" to the kids.  So far they've had me read "Hunger Games" and "Catching Fire" while we've been driving to entertain them. We were so close to the end that we ignored the cold and huddled together for the final chapter!  We were constantly interrupted  by so called deaf and dumb Gypsies (who ask, "do you speak English?") with their petitions.  Our bike guide had warned us against this scam which is one of many being perpetrated around the city- it annoys the hell out of the locals and is not much fun for the tourists that fall for it, who end up being robbed or ripped off.  We visited several shops on the Champs Elysee to warm up on our way back to the metro.  We had a time limit - I had a hair dressing appointment!  Yes, it really has been a month since my last visit! I'd found a hairdresser in Pigalle.  Of course they didn't speak English and I lack Greg's Frenglish skills, but I managed to make myself understood.  I was very happy with the end result.  I felt I looked a little like Catherine Deneuve, that famous French actress!  Just a little bit.