If I were to credit one thing with making this trip to Paris a success, it would be those city bikes - Velib! I have ended up getting a day pass on three of my five full days here, on three of my five days I have taken advantage of being able to pick up and drop off bikes on a whim at any of the numerous docking stations throughout the city and been able to experience the freedom of no-strings bike use. Both yesterday and today there were times when I had a slump when I felt I'd hit a wall and didn't know what to do with myself but was saved by jumping on a velib for 30mins of feeling the wind in my hair. There is literally no better way to see a city than from the bike lanes, at a good speed with thighs pumping and blood rushing and lungs filled. The scheme works well because where there are bike lanes they are good, safe, smooth ones, the velib docking stations are literally every couple of blocks so you never have to go far to find one, the bikes are decent enough, although after a couple of false starts with chainless machines and one with no brakes, I have learnt the technique of 'testing' the bike before taking it out. There is a checklist to run through - tyres (neither flat), saddle (adjustable, not back to front), chain (present and in the correct place), bell (working) and as I learnt just now, I ought to add brakes to this list!

I have to admit, where there are no bike lanes it can be a bit nervewracking and negotiating some of the junctions is a bit scary, the biggest roundabouts don't appear to have any road markings in Paris? (Bastille, for one although I also nothiced it on the Arc de Triomph roundabout - I was not insane enough to try to cycle that although I did see people doing it, people with a death wish I assume).

Today was as busy as my preceeding ones! 9am I was on the Champs Elysées and walking up to the Arc de Triomph - queued from 9.40 to get a ticket to go up it and once again was one of the first up. I managed to get by as an under 25 again, woo hoooo! The girl working the counter said she couldn't let me in free without any id but that she would do me the reduced tariff, so I saved another €3.50 there, which was most welcome. The view from the top was spectacular, quite clear and sunny and slightly less cold than it has been. Having drunk my fill of that I hopped on the Metro to Montmatre where I marvelled at the stunning Sacre Coeur, which was equally beautiful inside as out - one of the most beutiful churches I have been in and I've been in quite a few now! It WAS very busy with tourists but even that did not detract from the splendour - it was in very good condition, which added to the effect, everything was gleaming and shining and pure and colourful. After sacre Coeur I wandered the hilly cobbled backstreets of Montmartre for an hour. As I had been warned the area is a bit touristy but it was very easy to avoid the s***ty tacky souvenir shops and dive off down backstreets to experience the quaint traditional and old world charm than must be what attracts Parisians there. I actually really loved Montmartre and was so glad I went, it was an oasis of calm after the frenetic city centre and was chillaxing just to meander and take it a bit more easily.

I came back into town and spent a bit of time browsing the shops of the Marais but the busyness and touristyness got too much, my feet were hurting and I didn't want to walk any more yet couldn't think what else to do.. enter Velib! I hopped on a bike and did a few laps and crisscrossings of the tiny Isle St Louis, the smaller of the two built-up islands in the middle of the Seine. I'd seen it from all bank angles but not actually made it onto this island thus far. It was nice - a very exclusive piece of real estate, apparently although it did strike me how there was literally no green - the buildings were built up very high, maybe 6,7 stories and with very narrow streets I can imagine they would be quite dark inside but apparently they are worth millions and it is a very sought after place to live so there you go.

Two Velib later and it was time for tea. I called upon an old favourite Maoz vegetarian falafel chain who will do falafels, grilled aubergine & hummus in a pitta for €5.50 with a free choice of toppings - all vegan apart from the coleslaw! I say an old favourite because the very same chain saved me a couple of times in Barcelona - they are reliable and trustworthy and meatfree and you can't really go wrong with a falafel :)

I biked back to the hostel, with a stop off in bastille to buy pain for tomorrow (nope, I never did master the idea of fresh bread daily) then had an evening bike spin right up to the top of canal st Martin and back down.

The best thing I realised about Velib is that you get it for 24hours so my current daypass doesn't expire til 4pm tomorrow so I can make use of it tomorrow morning if I so wish. I'm not sure what I will do with my last couple of hours tomorrow. The one only thing from my to-do list that I never got round to was the cemetery Pare Lechaise but the reason I didn't go is because I remember from going to Westminster Abbey in London that I actually don't really care about seeing the graves of dead famous people - it doesn't do anything for me, it doesn't excite me or make me feel wonder or awe or anything like that, it's just a slab of stone with some dust underneath. So yeah I'm sure the cemetery is great and if it was warm and gorgeous weather I might consider it, I'd maybe make the effort to go next time I'm in this city or something but then again maybe not since there are SO MANY wonderful things to do here. I don't feel at all sad about not having been.

I DO feel sad about leaving Paris tomorrow! It is such a wonderful wonderful city and I have loved getting to explore it. I have really enjoyed using my French again, so pleasantly surprised at just how easily it comes back. I have rediscovered my inner Francophile and am determined to find a French class to take next academic year to keep it alive :)