Day 4 in Paris - first stop was the Arc de Triumph. Was crazy watching the driving - there are no lanes and people cross over each other without any crashes! We then walked down the Champs Élysées. All the sales are on at the moment so we had to buy something - don't look at the credit card bill John! We then wandered through the gardens to the louvre and saw the famous Mona Lisa. Was such a crowd there that I had to send Hayley in!

Mum has been doing great with her French - the only problem is that people quickly work out that we are English speaking and answer in English. We've had a couple of problems where she has asked for 2 salads and we get one salad and 2 plates. Also she asked for 2 ice creams and we got one with a double scoop - must be saying it the wrong way! The other thing we have learnt is that you can't order a coffee and automatically sit down - it costs more if you want to sit down and even more if you want to be out on the street wanting to see and be seen!

The girls are doing great with the walking. Lauren and I are heading now to work out where we catch the train to Bordeaux. We are staying across the road from the train station but it is so big it can take a while to negotiate. Will work it out tonight so it is easier with all the suitcases in the morning. Au revoir