Friday 22nd September 2023

In and around Paris

Arrived in Paris to a cool and cloudy 11 degrees at 630am and were surprisingly through the welcoming exercise at airport in less than an hour.

Sorted out the train tickets and we were on the commuter train for the 35 minute ride to Paris. It seems Parisian trains and us have a troubled existence. We got halfway and then 10 minutes of French announcements led to an evacuation of the train and a mass exodus to another platform.

What could only be akin to a cattle draft in Aust saw a disorganised rabble, pass a woman being treated on floor of the train, then head for a narrow stairway where 600 into 4 did not quite work. Some there would have done a World Cup rugby play proud barging their way through. How nobody got trampled is amazing.

The downward journey was followed by an equally robust climb of the stairs to the other platform. We old people with beavy suitcases were not given any guest privileges.

Now on the new platform the 600 or so joined the original throng and space was at a premium. To improve the experience it started to bucket down with rain. But wait there is more – another announcement- ALL IS WELL GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL TRAIN.

It was like hitting the replay button , only this time some lunatics added to the excitement by running across the tracks – much to the annoyance of the rail officials.

Round 2 was a little more pleasant as somebody gave us a hand up with luggage and we passed the ailing passenger sitting in a wheelchair who looked remarkably healthy.

Wet and bedraggled we got back on the train, navigated a couple of Metro changes and arrived at our hotel about 200 metres from the Arc d’Triomphe , hoping to leave our bags and return later to book in. As luck would have it the room was available and after 28 hours we were settled into our room.

We headed out for a walk and then got dolled up for our lunch with Anna and James, plus the boys. to celebrate her 40th borthday.

Lunch involved a punt ride to an island which housed an old hunting lodge now converted to restaurant in a setting to die for. That said at €100 a bottle for celebratory champagne dying may have been cheaper.

The French seem to frown upon youngsters in a restaurant, but Fred was beautifully behaved and Henry survived with some screen time and some relay walks around the gardens between courses.

Anna’s candle for her cake was more a firework imported from Canberra- there was definitely no blowing this one out. Suitably fed and watered it was a return boat trip and a 40 minute walk back to home.

A little Nanna Nap of an hour and we headed over to near the magnificently decorated Eiffel Tower to do a spot of childminding whilst Anna and James had their 3 hours of kid free birthday celebration.

The two flagging babysitters nodded their way through the 3 hours in the 31st floor hotel room with sweeping views over Paris before stumbling through the backlots to a train and home after a memorable day.

Whilst we were heading east on the train to Strasbourg the clan were headed to the south of France for a family holiday- all 5 bags and 2 kids plus stroller . We could only wish them good luck.