Prior to leaving Australia we purchased a 12 week "hop on hop off" bus ticket with the same company (Busabout) we travelled for 2 weeks with in 1999. We have mapped out a rough plan for the next 12 weeks but it is very flexible. We will however leave the Busabout circuit at various times to do our own thing.

Our first day took us across the channel by bus, on the ferry and we arrived for just one night in Paris, having spent a week there before. Paris is as beautiful as ever, and this time we stayed in the Montmartre District and with warm weather and daylight until 10pm, we had plenty of time to wander around, climb up to the Basilique du Sacre Coeur and enjoy a superb sidewalk cafe meal and wine.