Farewell London, Bonjour Paris!

Leaving London

I was sad and excited to leave London. I loved all the things we saw there, and I really loved our hotel. I loved the view from our window over the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge, but I think most of all I loved the buffet breakfasts. Piles of baked beans and bacon, toast with jam, as much apple juice and hot chocolate as I liked. Most days we didn't really eat a proper lunch, we just had a big breakfast which kept us going until we got home from our adventures that day.

On Saturday we caught the EuroStar train from London to Paris. It goes under the English Channel through a tunnel called the Chunnel. You are under the ground under the water for 25 minutes, and then you're in France. It was a very cool train ride, and dad got to practice his French for the first time ordering food from the dining car.

When we got to Paris, I thought I'd be able to see the Eiffel Tower from everywhere, but we didn't get to see it at all on the train. But that afternoon dad and I caught the Metro (the French underground train system) to a place called Trocadero, and when we got out of the station and around the corner we saw it properly for the first time. It was so huge and amazing! We didn't go right up to it because we were going to catch the lift up it during the week, but we took lots of photos.

There are hundreds of men from Albania who try and sell you souvenirs, but dad told me not to talk to them. Every couple of seconds they ask you to buy an Eiffel Tower statue. We played a game where I pretended they didn't exist.

Then we walked to the Arc De Triomphe, which took about 20 minutes. It was also really awesome. We've done so much walking on this holiday, my feet keep getting sore and I ask dad to stop for a rest. He buys me an apple juice (I think his best French is "Je voudrais un jus de pomme, sil vous plait!") and we stop for a while, but then he keeps making me walk!

I love the Metro. I worked out on our first or second ride that if you stand at a certain spot on the platform, you can get into the front carriage. There is a window into the driver's cabin, and if you put your face up to the glass you can watch through the front windscreen as the train goes through all the tunnels in the underground. It is really cool, you can see all the stations coming up and the trains going the other way. I love it!

 EuroStar out of London

J'arrive! Vive La France!

 For those of you who asked Kael what he was looking forward to the most, this and the next 4 photos perfectly capture his gut-wrenching excitement at exiting the Metro at Trocadero knowing that somewhere nearby he would see La Tour Eiffel for the first time. I love my boy.

 You've seen a million photos, but seeing it in real life is breathtaking.

 Speechless, momentarily

Kael was strangely...humbled? Just in awe maybe.

 Another magnificence. Don't get me wrong - I love the MCG, but I'm starting to wonder if it is really the greatest structure on earth?

I still don't know how you physically get to it - there's about 8 lanes in a never-ending roundabout of manic traffic.

Kael positioning himself for Metro back seat driving

Notre Dame

On Sunday afternoon we caught the Metro to Notre Dame cathedral. We had a sleep-in and dad did some washing, so we didn't do too much today. Breakfast at the new hotel is very different. We get a basket with some croissants and other pastries with some fresh juice, fruit and a pancake. It is a very different kind of hotel, but it is really nice too and I have a friend called Samia who works here and she is very nice to me.

Notre Dame had a festival on for people who cared for disabled people, so it was really crowded and noisy. We didn't get to go in, but we walked around and walked along the Seine River for a while. We tried a meal called saussices avec pomme de terre, which is sausages with potatoes. Dad thought they might be spicy, but they were super nice. I've tried a few different foods, but nothing too crazy - no l'escargot.


Up the tower

Today (Monday) we went up the Eiffel Tower in the lift and walked around the first and second floors. We didn't get to go all the way to the top, but it was really amazing anyway. I got to look through a telescope at all of the big monuments around Paris, and we got some great photos. I've always wanted to go here, and today was very special. I had to work hard at my 'Invisible Albanians' game, and I had to stick close to dad because there were millions of people around.

In the afternoon, we went to Gallerie LaFayette which is a massive and famous shopping centre. It has an amazing roof. It has a toy section, but they don't have any Thomas and Friends at all. I was really patient when dad did some shopping and I thought I could get something Thomas when we were finished, but I had to get some other trains instead.

 Ready to go

 Arrgh, land ho!

 Not a bad view

 Looking up at La Tour

Football by the river

Lost in translation

(Pete) Went to the local supermarket today. I haven't been kidding myself, my French is woeful, but when I deal with people who have a little English and I combine it with my very little French, we get by pretty much every time. It's actually been a lot of fun, and maybe my confidence has been ill-founded through these positive experiences. Today I got two rude awakenings - first we got a taxi with a guy who knew no English and didn't know our hotel or our street. After trying to guide him for a while I gave up and we walked  part of the way home. I felt quite embarrassed and stupid. I knew what I wanted to say but didn't have the skills.

Then I went into the small supermarket just around the corner. I got a few items from the fruit and veg section, but the checkout was a bit like Aldi - pack yourself, they just scan and take the money. I hadn't realised that you need to weigh your own produce, print off barcodes and take them to the register. I got to the register and the checkout chick did not speak any English at all, not a word. I'm getting used to ordering food, asking directions, exchanging currency - very basic stuff. But when you're being told you need to weigh and barcode your produce before you come to the register - holy cr@p I was so far out of my depth it wasn't funny. A very amusing situation arose whereby a (very, very attractive) local woman started translating from several places back in the customer queue, and I placed my tail between my legs and went back to weigh and barcode my produce. Such a tourist!

We have finally caught up on our blog! We have two more full days in Paris before we go to Amsterdam on Thursday. Nana and Darrel arrive here tomorrow, and we think we'll see Christine and Phillip here too. We're going to Versailles tomorrow afternoon.

We're both a bit tired, and missing people back home. It's a lot of fun, but it's also hard work and we really only have each other for company. I don't think it matters how great the trip is, you still miss home. And I think that although we've been genuinely great company for each other all the way through, if truth be told we'd both like to be spending a little time with people in our own demographic right now.

But onwards and upwards, there is much to see and do, and these intrepid travellers are up for any adventure!

Love to all.