Sunday in Paris

Sunday was spent in rainy Paris. The weather didn't dampen my enthusiasm for all things French though. I informed Francky that I wanted Chocolat Chaud and Moules avec Frites at some point before I left.

We jumped on the Metro and decided to go to the Louvre. I had never been or seen the famous pyramid. We were hoping to go inside but a huge queue had formed outide in the rain and as i was running low on money we decided against it. Instead we walked down to the Obelisque de Luxor and then went and stood on the Pont de Concorde, watching boats full of tourists float underneath us.

We then headed to the Sacre Coeur. I had visited this area ten years ago but had forgotten about the steps. I must have erased them from my memory. Francky, ever the show off, half ran up to the top. I started off not far behind him but soon flagged. I was determined (and i'm very competitive)to get up there without stopping, which I managed. He wasn't wearing heels though so i'm sure if it was an even playing field it would have been a closer race...I guess we'll never know!

With wobbly legs and a flushed face we sought the quiet sanctuary of the Basilica. Churches and cathedrals scare me a bit. I worry that I might burst into flame when I step across the threshold. It was very peaceful though, with lots of candles and I couldn't help but admire the stained glass windows.

We left the Sacre Coeur and walked around Montmarte, admiring the street artists. As we sat down outside a street cafe and ordered my long awaited hot chocolate the sun came out from behind the clouds. The hot chocolate was amazing, not too sweet but creamy and velvety.

Next on our stop was L'arc de Triomphe. Two nights before Francky did some crazy french driving around it. It really is a free-for-all and you have to have balls just to dive in and out of it! I told Francky that the last time I was in Paris it was with school and we were on a coach. The driver managed to get on the roundabout but we went round five times until he had the courage to get off!

Francky and I then walked down the Champs Elysee, window shopping. We almost got run over. There was a lot of gesticulation and animated voices but no one was hurt. All a bit melodramatic if you ask me.

Next we went to the Jewellery Quarter. It was a Sunday so Cartier, Dior etc were closed. Damn. Francky had thought this one through! Was nice to look through all the windows though, and I bought some fancy chocolates for my housemates. I am the most considerate of housemates!

After our day mooching around Paris, Francky took me to Leon, a restaurant in Montparnasse which specialises in Moules avec Frites. I was a happy girl. I'd only ever eaten Moules Mariniere before, but in Leon there was a huge choice. I plumped for Moules Ardennaise - white wine, creme fraiche, mushrooms and bacon. It was Delicious, especially with the Belgium beer as recommended by the waiter and the forever full bowl of frites. Anyone who knows me know my love of all things potatoey...free refills of chips was a big thing for me!

After a mixture of wine, beer and moules I was full and a little bit tipsy.
"I need to take a photo of the Eiffel Tower when it sparkles!" I exclaimed to Francky.

We jumped on the bus and Francky put his arm around me. We kissed. I know, I wasn't meant to, but i was just a bit caught up in the moment. As we stood outside the Ecole Militaire I star-jumped in front of the tower waiting for it's moment to start sparkling. Francky took my photo but unfortunately it didn't come out as well as hoped. I played around with it and managed to get a few out of focus (yet still pretty) shots and was content with that.

Tired and happy we went back to Francky's room and curled up on the sofa to see what was on TV. Amazingly Lethal Weapon 4 was on. In French. I enjoyed it as much as I would have if it had been shown in English. More so in fact, as Francky was trying to explain Mel Gibson's jokes, it addd a whole other dimension to the film!

We both managed to watch the movie without falling asleep, then decided it was time for an early night. My Eurostar left just after six the next morning which meant we had to be up at five. Francky tucked me in for the last time. He was a gentleman. His attention and tenderness towards me all weekend had been well received and even when i had made it clear to him that we wouldn't be going down memory lane he didn't stop his tactile behaviour, but he didn't make things uncomfortable either. He had taken care of me and made sure i wasn't without anything.