Hi folks,

Well I made it here safely. Oh what a long flight it was. It was a full flight but the guy in my row at the window was upgraded to business! So the middle guy moved into the window seat leaving a spare middle seat. So I

Immediately lay down on it. Got 5 mins sleep on the 13 hr flight! Well, maybe 10 mins.

Now I remember why I came for 6 months. To avoid the flight.

Sadly my bag weighed 25 kgs and is virtually impossible to carry up/down stairs. I even had ladies helping me today at train stations.

I didn't get lost once, and the hotel is beside a station and my window view is Sacre Coeur so I'm pretty happy. Mind you I can't work the TV remote. Sort that tomorrow.

I was too tired today to head off as planned to Reims or Chartres. Instead I checked out the left bank , mainly 1000 yr old Churches, but I was uninspired so shows you how tired I was.

Finally I checked in, then went to look at Moulin Rouge down the road then to a supermarket for my standard remedy for travel dehydration - beer. It was so good. Luckily I only had to walk 2 metres after it back to my bed from the balcony.

Wednesday.

Well after advice from Courtney I got an early train east to Vernon then a bus to Giverney to Monet's Garden and house. It was fabulous, small but full of flowers. It is spring so there are blossoms on trees , daffodils, hyacinths,rhododendrons etc. no lillies in the pond tho.

I then walked back to the station along a dedicated path.

Back in Paris I continued to enter more 100's yrs old Churches, must have seen most of them by now!! I went to Montmartre Cemetery which was interesting but I didn't recognise any of the inhabitants. I then wandered thru the painters area behind the Cathedral. There are many tourists around everywhere.

Observations- as per 4 yrs ago I note that locals and especially the women smoke +++. Ghastly.

There are dogs everywhere, being walked, carried, in cafes, shops, in a back pack at immigration at airport yesterday , in a Cathedral !!

No local Asians or Middle Easterns but massive amount of Black Africans. Possibly from the Algerian Independence War in the '60's.

Paris is very bike riding friendly and there are beautifully dressed ladies riding bikes ( no helmets here) and scooters)

Pedestrian crossings do not mean stop to cars here, possibly they mean to speed up and hit the b------s!!!

There are no Landcruisers, Prados , SUV's etc here. Everyone has a tiny car, esp Smart cars, and all are dented and scratched. They park with about 5 cm between cars and hit the car in front and behind getting in and out of the spot. Amazing.

Ok, tiring now.

Hope all is well.

Carol.

This wouldn't go last night so will add today's travels.

I headed for the SE side to walk along a disused elevated train line. I misjudged the end point, joining 1/2 way along so had to walk one way to the end then all the way back to Bastille. Wasn't as scenic as I'd hoped. There were joggers and dog walkers galore. Then I crossed the river and went through 2 very big botanic gardens, a famous cemetery , some old Churches ( of course) past the Pantheon ( didn't pay to go in) past Invallids( didn't pay to see Napoleons Tomb) then to Eiffel Tower for a look. 4 yrs ago the queues were 3-4 hrs for lift tickets , no waiting today though still plenty of people. Saw a few more Churches( only 200 yrs old) the Arc de Triumph then home. That was many Kms of walking.

Tomorrow I am off to Brussels.