Paris

Have just left Paris after four nights, and it was amazing! We really didn't expect to enjoy ourselves so much while doing touristy things, but it was great! We did the open top double decker bus ride, departing from the Eiffel Tower, and were amazed by just how many well known landmarks are so close to one another, a bit like putting Australia's top twenty all in one place!
The next day we took advantage of the Velib bike hire scheme, and rode around the city to the places we wanted to see close up after the bus tour, starting with a lap on the cobbles of the Place de la Concorde, which is where the Tour de France finishes up. The cobbles were hard on the bum after twenty minutes in the saddle, must be lovely after twenty days!
From there we went to the Louvre via a huge park which had a pond full of big trout! The casting arm was twitching! The Louvre was amazing! If anything I was more impressed by the quality of the interior stonemasonry than the art. The crowds at the Venus de Milo (small boobs, but a nice bum!) and the Mona Lisa weren't as bad as we had heard, but I guess being a pair of six footers helps!
From the Louvre we rode over to Le Jardins de Luxembourg, where we had lunch before heading off to find the highlight of the trip, BEES! There is a working apiary of about fifteen hives in the middle of the gardens, in the middle of the city, seperated from the public by a very low hedge. I guess the French don't have the same public liabilities issues as us! We did actually have a giggle when a passing jogger got stung. We were settling down for a lovely nap on the grass when the lawn police showed up in full uniform, complete with very loud whistles, and told us and everyone else to piss off! Or words to that effect.

The food in Paris was even better than we expected. The baguettes are so good that you can eat them as is, but we always made sure and put some yummy cheese and ham in, just in case! We walked into a Brasserie at ten one night and asked hopefully if the kitchen was still open, and the waiter looked at us as if we were retarded. Within twenty minutes we had a fantastic Cote de Bouf (bloody big steak for two) in front of us, not bad service!
Breakfasts have consisted mainly of croissants for me, with the odd little chocolate eclair, while Deena has developed a thing for yoghurt set in terracotta pots, claiming that it's healthy, ignoring the fact that she is scoffing them by the fistful.
The legendary rude Paris waiter has eluded us, it seems that as long as you have a go with the language they'll at least not spit on you, and most people we encountered, even today outside of Paris and away from the tourist traps, have been genuinely helpful. Although I have seen a few people wince as I mangle their poor language!

We don't pick up our lease vehicle for another week, so today we hired a car for the drive south. This meant that we got another view of the Paris landmarks as I drove us down one way streets the wrong way, on the wrong side of the road, and even on the footpath I think. Highlights were driving on the Champs Elysee, and through the tunnels next to the Seine. Out in the country we discovered another little treasure, the frites stop(exact name to be confirmed, memory a little hazy), which is a little burger van off the side of the road in a lay-by, serving steaks, sausages, rolls, and chips to the truckies and other drivers. The other thing that seems to be popular is red wine by the quarter litre. I think they may have less restrictive drink drive laws.

We are kicking back in our hotel room in Dijon having dined out on Macca's (well it had to be done eventually), watching The Dukes of Hazzard overdubbed in French, and it actually makes it more watchable!

Au revoir, Dave.