Day 23 - Paris France

Travel tip #2 when travelling with children:

Food can be so expensive so here are a couple of options to reduce the bill:

1/ Order an "all you can eat" breakfast and tell the kids to stuff themselves stupid as this is it until dinner. 

2/ Bring an empty bag to an "all you can eat" breakfast and fill it with croissants and cakes for lunch. Is this stealing?

3/ In the UK you can order a healthy sandwich, a packet of chips and a fruit juice for £3 ($4.50) from Tesco so lunch or dinner totals £12.

We had breakfast at Mag's and Tony's so we couldn't do number one or two but we did head off at 8.45 for Dover to catch the ferry to Calais. Beforehand however, K and Jane have promised to meet up in some exotic location in the year 2015 - I hope they really do. 

Although we have met some interesting people along the way, this was an opportunity for us to socialise, enjoy other adult conversations and break away from our four person unit. It will probably be a while before we do this again. 

The stay in Broadstairs was too short and the kids wanted another day there but things are booked so we must keep moving. We'll miss our time in Broadstairs with Jane and her family who it was great to catch up with and looked after us so well. Thank you again xx.

Arriving in Dover, we didn't realise that Europcar was not at the terminal but rather about two kilometers down the road. After unloading the car at the terminal I dropped the car off and walked back with about 5 minutes to spare before the gates closed.

I type this whilst sitting in the lounge area of the Pride of Kent ferry on the English Channel. As foot passengers we board before all the car passengers who make up the vast majority. Therefore we get prime seats so we have great views ahead and to the side. The sun shines occasionally and is only about 4 degrees outside. K spoke to some Germans who gave us some interesting places to visit when we hit that part of the world. 

We also met a man by the name of Patrick somebody (he produced his passport) from Canterbury who insisted on giving the kids a five pound note. After many refusals he pushed it into one of their bag handles. His story was that he just loves life so decided to spend the day crossing the Channel to spend the day in a pub then return by night. Quite a colourful character but I think he may have been half pissed.

An hour and a half later we hit France and France hit us with a train fare from Calais to Paris of €210 ($275). For this grand price we waited half an hour, went three stops, then a wait of one hour and ten minutes before the next train.

It is no warmer here than England. I now sit at Calais-Frethum typing this on a totally deserted platform which is quite eerie. There is another platform on a rise to my right but it is surrounded by wire fencing and electronic gates that are locked so not sure how one would access the platform despite trains stopping there.

After a two hour train trip we hit Paris Nord. Then two more metro trains and bang - right in the opera district of Paris. Using the metro required some strategy as we were all laden with baggage and the trains are always so full, the doors just close regardless if your half in. Obviously we want to keep as a group so do you put the kids on first or yourselves? Times up. One adult and one child together (if possible). Once inside, jammed together, an occasional message on the PA would spruke in French to beware of pick-pockets or picker pocketers as Til calls them. 

After being hassled by a gypsy, we asked some young people for directions to the hotel. They were a group of musician friends that ventured into Paris for dinner. They insisted on walking us to the hotel and one even pulled Tilly's bag for her. Such an interesting conversation on their studies and life in France. 

Finally we arrived at the hotel and K is very impressed. It won 2012 Tripadvisor hotel award. The kids naturally argued about bedding arrangements but cold weather and naughty kids can't tarnish a lovely city.

I wrote in 2010 how initially I didn't like the place but upon returning two months later really liked it. For me Paris needs to grow on you and this now being my third visit found it really has.

We went to dinner at 9pm (clocks ahead one hour) and the streets are abuzz. Queues at every restaurant. They were still queuing after we left at about 9.40. 

Wow. This is the longest entry I've written but a full on day. A sleep in tomorrow before hitting the streets again.