Bread and cheese

Even though we've been in London for a couple of days now, I just wanted to write one last thing about Paris. And that is about the greatest toasted ham and cheese sandwich in my life. I know, you're probably thinking 'out of all the awesome things she could eat in Paris, why on earth did she choose a toasted cheese sandwich? In my defense, it was lunch time, and there weren't too many light meal options at the Brasserie we were at. The sandwich came out with home made chips - because nobody buys ready made chips in Paris, except for McDonald's anyway. The toastie itself (known in France as a Croque-monsieur) was sprinkled with grated cheese on top and put under the grill until it was brown and crispy, but the bread itself was still soft and fresh. Inside there was more gooey melted cheese and thin slices of ham. Of course it would have been pretty hard to make a bad sandwich when your country makes some of the most amazing cheeses and there's a bakery with the freshest of breads on every corner.

Speaking of which, we had a dinner worthy of a heart foundation blacklisting on another night in Paris. We weren't after much and were tired after a long day of sight seeing so on our way back to the hostel we picked up a baguette and camembert from their respective specialty shops. We had no knives or plates, so just had to pull chunks of bread and cheese off to eat. Regardless, it was one of the best French meals I had.

Dancing the Cancan

When you walk through colourful Montmartre, it's immediately obvious that the French are far more open to the risqué side of life. The streets are lined with lingerie shops, generally of the leather and tasseled variety, also specialising in a range of latex goods. But that was not the reason we were visiting Montmartre at night. We were off to see a show at the Moulin Rouge!

On first sight, the Moulin Rouge was somewhat disappointing. I guess I had preconceived ideas of what to expect from the film, but in reality, the Moulin Rouge is quite a simple, but distinctive building. Inside, the theatre is beautifully decorated, but as many tables as possible have been crammed in to seat guests.

We had a three-course dinner, one of the set menus. Entree was stuffed Dover sole, my least favourite of the three, though that is just personal preference. My main was veal with mushroom and onion sauce, on a bed of rice. Dessert was a chocolate and coffee layered slice, topped with a tempered chocolate Moulin Rouge windmill. All delicious, and accompanied with a bottled of Jacquart champagne.

With dinner finished, it was time for the show. The last guests entered the theatre (it's possible to buy tickets only for the show and skip dinner), and the show began. I didnt't have much of an idea of what the show would involve - only vague images of the cancan. In reality, the show is so much more - singing, dancing, clowns, mimes, even live snakes and ponies. There were many costume changes, though they can't have taken long seeing as the costumes were little more than a few feathers, beads, and a g-string!

Overall, the dinner was delicious and the show was spectacular. Well worth the money, even for those on a backpacker's budget. After all, how often do you get the chance to visit the Moulin Rouge?

Snaps from Paris

Creepy old bones in Paris

Bonjour! Having been in Paris for a few days already I thought I'd write briefly about a few of the standouts for me in this beautiful city.

On our first day we walked our feet off through the Louvre. We easily spent the majority of the day wandering through the vast halls which, even without the paintings, are a sight worthy of attention just as much as any of the artworks. You can almost imagine the princes and princesses of long ago walking the halls and it's simply astounding to think you're in a building that is hundreds of years old.

The catacombes were a creepy experience. Situated approximately 20 metres under Paris are a series of tunnels, originally built as a quarry. In the late 1700s complaints were made regarding outbreaks of diseases originating from nearby cemeteries, and authorities decided to move remains to the old quarry. Since their creation people have visited them out of curiosity. It certainly was a disturbing experience wandering down dark narrow tunnels lined floor to ceiling with tightly packed human bones.

Saint-chapelle was simply awe-inspiring. As you step into the lower chapel, the vibrant colours of the walls and paintings grab you. Built in 1248, the church was used by the France's royalty and their servants, the lower chapel being used by the servants. When you climb the stairs to the upper chapel and see the massive stained glass windows surrounding it, the lower chapel immediately seems insignificant. Despite being so old they clearly depict 1,113 scenes from the Bible over 15 windows. Whether or not you have an understanding of these stories, you'll be blown away by the beauty and artistry of these windows.

Welcome to Paris

We arrived in Paris after 43 hours in transit exhausted but ridiculously excited to finally be in France. Being the transport buff he is, Dave insisted we try out the trains. We hopped onto the train at the airport with much huffing and puffing (I regret that extra pair of jeans and jumper I crammed into my already loaded bag), to catch it to the Gare du Nord station near the backpackers we are staying at. To our delight, a man jumped onto the train with an accordion and proceeded to serenade the carriage. It was like we'd landed in an old-school Parisian movie. Our awe and excitement was short-lived, however, as at the next stop the number of people in the carriage was doubled as people literally forced their way into the train. People crammed themselves just inside the door with their arms spread wide to balance as the doors shut a centimetre from their nose. And at the next stop more people boarded! I'm not one to feel claustrophobic but I was starting to feel short of breath when our stop finally came along. It was an interesting first experience in Paris but certainly not enough to put me off. I'll be avoiding peak hour trains from now on though!

To much??

About Me

Before I head off on our European adventure I thought I'd better start by telling you a little bit about myself. So...

I am 20 something, engaged to a lovely man, and work as the housekeeping coordinator of a 5 star hotel.

I like reading books that create new worlds and visiting real places that are just as fantastic.

I have a degree in tourism management.

I want to experience as many different places and cultures as I can.


And with that small taster of who I am and what I'm all about, we will shortly begin our long awaited trip to Europe. Where we intend to backpack on train our way through France, England, Belgium, The Netherlands and Italy.