Thursday 19th - Big Day Out

Jez has a makeover at Carita while Kwan gets to tag along and has her hair done too.

Looking million dollars, both Jez and Kwan stride to lunch at Hotel Meurice. Very grand like Les Ambassadeurs. Both Jez and Jeremy really enjoy the whole experience. It is such a long lunch that by the time we finish, J&J decide to delay their visit to Musee del'Orangerie and the Louvre and opt for a lazy siesta.

J&J head out at 7.30 pm for a sunset stroll along the Seine and catch the moon glitz Tour Eiffel.

Kwan and Philip eat at home. Philip has his monthly meeting.

Mercredi - Ballet a Opera National de Paris

Much cooler day. Breakfast at Cafe de Flore where Jez and Kwan have hot chocolate and croissant all round. Then to Richart - chocolate shop - to buy presents for Jacques for his birthday party Saturday and our friends in Germany, Pia and Peter.

Jez and Jeremy go on to Musée d'Orsay. Kwan and Philip have lunch at Au Pied de Fouet (a very popular place with locals, which lives up to its reviews) on the way back home. Philip prepares itinerary for our 2 weeks away from the apartment in Switzerland, Germany and Denmark.

7.30 pm for Ballet at the Palais Garnier at Opera House. The venue is absolutely stunning. The show "Cendrillon" by Rudolf Noureev which is loosely based upon the story of Cinderella, set in Hollywood, is fantastic. Philip doesn’t fall asleep – must have been special.

Supper at Le Grand Colbert at 10.45 pm. Waiter gives Jeremy a rolling eye when he orders his steak well done and another sniff when we order ketchup with our frites. All part of the fun.

Mardi - Marais et plus

Jez and Jerry go early to ascend the Eiffel Tower followed by Musées Quai Branly and Palais de Tokyo in the morning.

Kwan goes fruit shopping and Philip goes into the Garnier Opera to buy tickets for ballet at the Opera House for tomorrow night (Wednesday).

Dejeuner chez Kwan - pate soupe avec ongnion et pancetta.

J&J return around 4 pm and we explore and Marais district. Both Kwan and Jez get some Parisienne shoes.

Dinner at La Passage des Casmagnoles at 11eme. More Lebanese influence and portion is very small for the price. Kwan likes Blanchette de veau (Stewed Veal in a cream sauce). Jeremy makes a language gaff with the proprietor and gets a lecture about never put ice on his red wine.

12k

Monday 16 Avril - Jessamine and Jeremy

Philip goes to St Germain to buy mixed roses at Au Nom de la Rose. Kwan gets baguette avec jambon et fromage pour dejeuner.

Jez and Jeremy arrive around 3.30 pm. We stroll to Eiffel Tower, walk along the Seine and back home.

Early dinner at Au Bon Accueil 7eme. Food is great but service a bit slow. If you sit outside you get the view of Eiffel Tower.

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Dimanche - Philip and Kwan alone

Philip and Kwan head to local market called Grenelle, below the elevated Metro running from Duplex to Motte Piquet – Grenelle. Cheaper fruit and vegetables, some knick knacks, cloths etc Brittany would have enjoyed this one.

Then off to another market at Bastille. It is of a much grander scale with fresh produce (some direct from the farmers). We find a vendor with copies of Murano (Venice) rings which we think might interest Jez.

Lunch at Chez Janou at rue Roger Verlomme 3eme. Food is hearty and by the time we leave, the place is jumping. Lots of locals – put this one on the recommend list.

Walking through Place de Voyges we stumble across and go into the Maison de Victor Hugo (free admission). Fascinating to see how a middle class person lived in the 19 century and to contrast this with the Jaquamart Andre of a week earlier – they were really well off.

We try to go to another market but it is closed by the time we arrive. On the way home, we walk past a jewelry shop "Skalli" and Kwan gets a matching silver necklace and bracelet - very chic. We take some passport photos at the local cyber cafe and get our weekly Carte Orange which cost 16 euros (Mon-Sun).

Lazy evening and dinner at Home.

Samedi - Au revoir Beeb

Beeb and Philip catch the Metro to St Germain; Breakfast at Les Deux Margot.

Walk to Richart - our favourite chocolate shop in Paris - and get some chocs for Beeb to take home.

Walk back via rue de Rennes. The southern part of de Rennnes, towards Montparnasse, looks like a good shopping district as recommended to us by Jane (Vincent's girlfriend).

Lunch at Le Violon d'Ingres . We think this might become a regular haunt - modern, food fantastic and close to the apartment.

After Brittany finishes packing, showers and changes we head off to CDG via Gare de Nord and the RER B. The train we catch is not air conditioned, stinking hot and is not an express. We still arrive in about 35 minutes. BB check in and we say au revoir.

I decide to try catching the Bus back to Montparnasse. BIG mistake. Packed, slow – very very slow After over an hour and a half we arrive at the intermediate stop of Gare de Lyon. I decide to get out here and make my way home via Metro. Mistakenly I walk to Bastille to catch the 8 line direct train..... enough detail... Having left Beeb at the airport at 5.45 I get home at 9.00pm. It's the train for me at peak traffic times from now on.

Friday 13th

Musee d'Orsay in the morning - our favorite museum. Kwan likes Renoir, Beeb likes Manet and Philip's favorites Monet, Van Gough et le ambience de la Musée.

Lunch at the museum restaurant. Food is good and service friendly. Beeb does not feel like wine for lunch but the young waitress insists she should try and tells us that French parents give wine to their children very young (like 3) to try to teach them enjoy the culture of wine.

Major shopping therapy for Beeb in the afternoon in the 1st and 6th.

Dinner at a local restaurant, Le Maupertu , with a view of Les Invalides After we go to Le Champ de Mars to see ET sparkle à onze heures.