A very happy unbirthday to me!

Paris was a pre-birthday party.  I celebrated my birthday that weekend by having a tea party with The Mad Hatter, of course!  Teagan and I had a fabulous weekend spending one day at Disneyland and then another touring around the city of Paris.

(By the way, my sincere apologies that I haven’t shared this earlier  - I seriously thought I had written already!!)

Aurevoir London, Bonjour Paris! (Friday, May 20)

The Eurostar is one of the best things running through the English Channel to date.  I absolutely loved it and it totally lived up to all the hype that others have shared about it.  If you have a chance to ride it – do it!  It’s so much more comfortable and easier to travel on to Paris than a plane.  Thus late evening Friday, after school, it took Teagan and I from mid-London to mid-Paris in just over two hours (including checking in and boarding – BRILLIANT!!)  On the journey I spoke to a lovely Australian couple from Adelaide who were on another mid-life travel expedition around the world… lucky them!!!

Unfortunately, the easier travel into the country that did not help us to find our accommodation within the country - typical of me to have no bearings though!! We left hesitantly from the Gare Du Nord station and eventually, after wandering up and down some streets we asked a kind ‘misseur’ of another hotel and then found our place up near the Sacre Couer.  We finally crashed into our ‘relatively’ clean beds (eeww!) ready for Disneyland the next day!

M-i-c-k-e-y M-o-u-s-e, Mickey Mouse!  (Saturday, May 21)

YAYAYAY – Disneyland!!  I felt about five years old awaking with giddy excitement while Teagan continued to sleep in our comfortable (yet dodgy, dirty) beds.  I got ready while humming the various tunes to Aladdin and The Lion King and couldn’t wait to get there.

Teags and I found the Metro so easy to use despite everything reading in French – we just jumped on and with a couple of changes and an hour later we were standing in front of the park.  The tourist centre just outside the park had a special deal where we got tickets for about €35 each – bargain when we were expecting to pay about €50-60 for the day!

Unintentionally, I was dressed in black and a red bow with white polka dots however it worked in my favour to 'conveniently' to match up with a pair of Minnie Mouse ears and Teagan sported the Mickey Mouse ears. 

We went straight to Space Mountain to get a ‘thrill’ ride (and it ended up being the most exciting of the day!) 

And then these...

Star Wars (Dan would be proud!)

Meeting Alice

It's A Small World

Snow White

Mad Hatter's Tea Cups

Calming Mouse down with the JAM!!

Going 'mad' with my hat!

Curtseying like Alice!

Finishing it all off with the Magical Mickey Show.  I absolutely adored the performance particularly when the princesses came our with their princes... I unashamedly shed a tear until Teagan laughed at how I was so easily impressed.  In fact, I would rather believe I had high hopes for the show and it totally lived up to all of my awesome childhood memories shared with Dan.

Mickey's Magical Celebration

Disney princesses

And just like Sleeping Beauty... we returned back to our "comfy and clean" beds for a well-deserved sleep!!

Sleeping Beauty's castle

On the eve of a quarter century (Sunday, May 22)

Happy birthday - me!! (well almost, anyway!)

Teagan thoroughly spoiled me over breakfast and made a big fuss which was so awesome considering she was acting as my family this year.  While it was a bit odd not being surrounded with my usual posse at this time, Teagan was amazing and made up for it in enthusiasm and pizazz and distracted me from these simple facts.

Off we went in search of the perfect Parisian day - and the city lived up to all it is cracked up to be.  We had an amazing start with clear blue skies and a warm temperature.  We even had time to put flowers in our hair!!

Pink flowers...

Red flowers...

On our walk down the Champs de Élysées our first stop was Arc de Triomphe but not before spotting a GIANT nutella jar...

Louis Vuitton...

...and a cliche French mimer!

FINALLY the Arc de Triomphe - yippee!

As we continued our walk I spotted the gigantic top of the Eiffel Tower...

...or is it actually really small?

it didn't matter... I was completely stoked that I was here.  Such an iconic place on a spectacular spring day!

We walked further down the Seine river and then crossed at the Pont Alexandre III.  We then spotted GEORGE!!  George was a man that Teags and I had spotted on the metro that morning wondering what on earth he was carrying.  Turns out he WAS a magnificent artist that had been carrying all of his paintings.  

George has been selling these paintings along the Seine for 30 years and promised that we should buy one as all artists that generally artists become famous posthumously and it would be worth buying a piece of his art now, when they are cheap!  Since all his works were excellent, I chose one that I will proudly hang when I get back home (yes, home in Australia!)

George and me
Along the Seine river

Finally... the dirty and dusty but dazzling Louvre!

The Louvre

While we had no time to line up and go in, I was rather happy that we had made our way there.  I will return with my family in mid-August to enter and marvel at the works!

And lunchtime (more like a very early dinner) meant the fantastic French food that I had been waiting for to celebrate a quarter-century birthday!!  I completed off my meal with a divine raspberry tart...

Yummy raspberry tart made by the pastry experts of the world

...followed very closely by a wine and cheese platter 'chaser'.

Mmm... cheese!!!

My favourite things!

Finding our way back to the hostel was a bit of a mission... thankfully it involved stumbling across the Notre dame.  We arrived just in time to hear the bells chime ready for the worship service.  Teags and I walked in and stood at the back for about ten minutes and marvelled at the relics and the reverence held by all those who entered.  Although very brief, it was a very special moment that we had and we both walked out feeling uplifted!

My dirty feet after walking at the Louvre

Notre Dame bells are ringing...

A gorgeous gothic interior

And on our way to the Gare du Nord to catch the Eurostar, we thought (and I emphasise the thought) we had enough time to stop by the Sacre Coeur church.  I had to carry my heavy suitcase up a very steep climb that entailed about six flights of stairs (each with about 20 steps) - not my brightest or finest hour.  

Street performer singing Ronan Keating's When you say nothing at all
Sacre Coeur

We quickly snapped away, took in the spectacular view over the city and then went on our way, faster again.  We realised we had less than half an hour to drag our sore and sorry bodies and suitcases across about 2 kilometres, meet Kate (who had a birthday pressie from Sarah and Alex for me), check in and board the train!!!

Kate & me

Thankfully, by the grace of God we made it but not before a slight panicked moment when I couldn't find Kate!!  However, all was good (...especially since Sarah and Alex spoiled me with MILO!!!)

A Milo tin 'well-travelled'.  Brisbane-Paris-London!

I am so glad I am returning to Paris in August - bring on the BRIE!!!


But until next time… Cheers!