The first few days we just spent at home together but the following day we headed out to dinner with some of Matt’s friends who were also on their ROCL. We had to get Matt a coat as all he’d bought with him was a hoodie (smart boy), I was meant to get him a coat – glad I didn’t as I wouldn’t have chosen one that was anything like the gay euro one he eventually bought! Tried to meet Matt’s friends at Georges Pompidou centre but to cut a long story short we met at the Guiness Tavern (I needed to check out places for St Paddy’s day!) Went out for dinner and obviously all the tourists had snails and confirmed what I had always said, they just taste like rubbery garlic! Then we headed off to Cafe Oz for a few drinks, but dancing on tables is a girl thing so wasn’t a popular spot!
Saturday was another lazy morning before I took all the boys up to Sacre Coeur to watch the buskers, think its another girl thing but they enjoyed the soccer dude so there you go.
Had a wonder down into the red light district after dinner for the obligatory photo in-front of the Moulin Rouge.
Sunday was all planned to head up the Eiffel Tower – I’d been waiting for this for 8 months – I was banned from going up without Matt. Had it all sorted, pre-booked an afternoon climb so I knew the top would be open, got us there on time. Pity I forgot Matt was scared of heights so while we were waiting I was making comments on how big it was etc. To get to the top of the tower you take 2 lifts, one that goes to the 1st and 2nd floors and then another to the top. Now I admit I thought when we stopped on the first lift we were at the top – it was pretty high! But no we still had the same distance to go. Poor Matt is freaking out at this point and staying as close to the centre as he can, palms sweaty, white face but he was very brave and got into the next lift and proceeded to bury his head in my shoulder so that he wouldn’t have to see! When we got to the top (its enclosed on the first level) it was swaying a bit and Matt was pretty much as close to the lift shaft as possible. I tried to take his mind off it by pointing to various things and we eventually worked our way up and into the open, where he didn’t move basically. I tried to get him to do a lap but as soon as the wind blew he was history! So funny! We grabbed this quick photo before racing all the way back down to earth. Shortest visit to the Eiffel tower EVER!
After that fiasco, I scrapped all other monument climbing activities for the rest of the week!
On Sunday evening I had got us cheap late tickets to LIDO, a cabaret that is on the Champs Elysees. I will be doing a run-down on tLIDO vs. Moulin Rouge later. We arrived early and sat down for a chocolat chaud at a cafe (17euros later we know why I don’t even look in a shop on Champs Elysees!). Here’s a photo of Matt near the Arc de Triumph trying to look cool in his Euro coat.
I took Matt out to see my shitty little student room and my uni, he was suitably unimpressed but hopefully now realises why I always whinge about taking the train and bus everywhere. Being the clued up Parisienne that I am, we went to the Louvre late on Wednesday afternoon as it stays open until 10pm, cruised through security at the side entrance and no queue for tickets either!
Matt then proceeded to drag me through every gallery in the Louvre – boring et encore boring! It was so nice and quiet in some of the galleries though. I really don’t appreciate art at all, I think statues are there for funny photo opportunities....
On Thursday, we headed to Les Invalides which is the army museum and which I felt obliged to take Matt. It was pretty good, Napolean’s tomb is also there so get to tick off 2 things. Their WW1&2 displays are pretty interesting and plentiful. I wasn’t so keen on the displays of uniforms and swords of every person who ever was a French soldier......so many corridors! Again not a museum person.
On Friday, I dragged Matt up Montmartre again to get our portrait done, luckily it was a cold week day so we could barter a lot as there weren’t very many tourists. We looked around at a few of the artists and thought we has chosen a good one – boy were we wrong! After both sitting for an hour being drawn, this is what we ended up with....Uncanny!
After that we were off to fancy pants restaurant at Tour Montparnasse for dinner, we were so lucky to get a table by the window although Matt was freaking out again and think he would have preferred a table right at the back where he couldn’t look down. The view of the Eiffel Tower is beautiful, especially when it sparkles. The food was amazing too.
As we get home, Matt starts whinging about having a sore stomach.....and we all know where that leads!
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