Because we Can Can Can

Trip Start Apr 14, 2009

Trip End Aug 06, 2009

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Flag of France Paris, Île-de-France, France
Sunday, July 12, 2009

OK. So bus from London to Paris. It took us via the scenic route of Old Kent Road, the white cliffs of Dover, and the anything-but-thrilling "Chunnel". After waiting tirelessly to pass barriers and get passports checked, the bus parks its way onto a train carriage that carries us across the English Channel. It's odd, you don't get a view, you don't even get the feeling of movement. You're in a staionary bus that's in a carriage being carried over kilometers of water. After about 8 hours we were back on the mainland and finding our hotel in Paris. Quiet evening.

Let's explore this monster city then. Everyone raves so much about it, is it really the city of love? The first impression delivered a proven stereotype. Upon trying to claim our pre-ordered Louvre tickets, the counter staff (clearly annoyed we didn't speak any French beyond "Bonjour, parlais vous Anglais?"), pretended our tickets were not valid

Outside the Louvre

. Well PFFFT to you too Frenchy. We decided to walk down the famous Champs d'Elysee, pretty darn impressive as it was, found another ticket collection store and the man gladly handed over our tickets. So if you're reading this lady, have it known that we entered the Louvre museum that afternoon, had photos taken with the giant glass pyramid, saw the Mona Lisa, and enjoyed the day.
Chris was coming down with a cold, and part of the museum time he dozed off while Alicia explored some more. It is a massive building which could take someone with higher energy levels and attention span more than a day to get through. We were happy with a couple of hours and went back for a nap at our hotel.

After dinner and just getting ready for bed we received a call after 10pm from a Melbourne-bred Moulin Rouge dancer offering us cheap seats at the 11pm show. w00t w00t thanks Bronwyn!! The race was on and cold for Chris or not we raced to the famous theatre to check out the show. Some things in life get hyped up so much that they inevitably become disappointing. But the Moulin Rouge lives up to it all, and no matter what price you can get tickets for, we recommend you get them. 2 hours absolutely non-stop entertainment. Dancing, music, wicked costumes (or sometimes lack there of, not a problem for the boys), and in between sets you have jugglers, acrobats, ventriloqusts...not to mention the included champagne

Great Night

. Moulin Rouge is a fantastic night out. And great to see an Australian friend of ours performing so well. A late night but we've already had enough to make us satisfied in Paris.

Spent Thursday discovering more...changed from our 2 star hotel to a backpackers' hostel across town and then off to the Eiffel Tower. Yeah, it looks like what it looks like. To us it wasn't any more awesome than it looks on TV, nevertheless it's a pretty cool tower. Had a quick catnap on the lawns nearby, dark clouds came over so went back in. That evening checked out Sacre Cour cathedral which involved many many many stairs, but resulted with a great view of Paris. Cathedral very impressive aswell! Few buskers around and plenty of locals enjoying the view. Walked down and met Bronwyn and her visiting brother Nick for dinner and a drink, which was a great night out. Had smoking cocktails with mousse and lollies looking very fancy, and meals that were worth waiting a few hours for. Great to hang out with a couple of people who had lived in Airport West for a couple of years and whinge about how those pesky neighbours tore their pool down. Still annoys Chris.

Friday we got out of the city and headed to Villers-Bretonneux. The small town liberated by Australian troops from the Nazis in WW1, and forever in our debt. This was an amazing day. From the train station we walked up Rue Melbourne, turned the corner up Rue Victoria to the Victoria school. A school developed using donations from the Vics, and they still honour us. Part of the building is a Franco-Australian museum, displaying war memroabilia and information. The schoolyard itself features Aboriginal art and an unmissable sign reading "Do Not Forget Australia". We were so happy and honoured to be in a place that had this level of respect for our country, and state inparticular

Delicious

.
We walked a few k's out of town to the Australian War Memorial which was an even moremoving experience. Hundreds of graves lining the grass, many with names, many without. There's a book with the names, battallions and families of all the soldiers they know victims of Somme fighting in WW1. Paul Keating's 1993 letter to The Unkown Soldier is displayed at the far memorial. After attending the Gallipoli dawn service this year we were so pleased we made the voyage to this site.

Saturday we relaxed. Chris' cold had caught up with him a bit and he didn't leave the hostel until 8pm. Gave us a chance to catch up with these pesky blogs and have some quiet time. Went out for dinner though which was great, after seeing Notre Dame cathedral we walked around the St. Michel area with is bustling which cafes and restaurants...like Lygon St. down alleys. Exciting. And here's the more exciting part. Alicia had snails. Booyah. Was served 6, and given a couple of utensils she'd never seen before. After figuring out how to do it she got through 2 and a half before giving up, which as far as we're concerned is a pass mark. Chris claims if he was feeling better he probably would have tried one...should we let him claim that???
We had 2 great set menus which featured crepes, mousse, beef and the snails...we definitely had a crack at the local cuisine. Checked out the Eiffel Tower at night then back to sleep. Back aboard Busabout tomorrow to head to Belgium...pure indulgence awaits.