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| Champagne at Marly's |
How many times do you get to galavant off to Paris twice in one month??? Well I did! Two weeks ago I went with my parents for the first time, and this past weekend two of my lovely friends came into town to visit me, so we set off across the English Channel via Brittany Ferries early Friday morning in hot pursuit of the Parisian culture. One small glitch in travel was the port strike in Caen, causing us to reroute to Cherbourgh and jump in a comped one-hour taxi ride over to Caen before catching our train into Paris.
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| The Louvre |
I booked us an apartment at Rue de Pelican just behind the Louvre and it was everything and more than I expected! It was the perfect location with a friendly landlord and great, roomy accommodations at a surprisingly reasonable price too! After checking in and settling, we wandered a bit and enjoyed some champagne at Marly's in front of the Louvre, watching the sun set behind the building with a silhouette of the Eiffel tower taking our breath away. Yes, I was here, in Paris, again.... two weeks later! It was like a dream. And the weather was perfect.
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| Le Kong with Mei Ling |
We had dinner reservations at Kong, where my long-time friend Damian works and made us reservations to sit at one of his tables. Mei Ling, Lauren and I got dolled up and headed over to Kong, up the elevator to the top floor and enjoyed a nice ritzy expensive cocktail before being seated by my lovely friend, Damian all decked out in his suit and tie and completing it with a smile and as Mei Ling would say "dos besos" for each of us. Dinner was amazing, as was the rounds of champagne we continued to enjoy, followed up with dessert and a little dancing down in the bar area until Damian got off and we headed over to meet up with Remi for a drink and some good social chat. It was a long day, as we were up early to catch our ferry, and a late night, but still amazing none-the-less.
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| Up in the Eiffel Tower |
Saturday morning was much more difficult jump start, I have to admit, and I encouraged to girls to check out the Notre Dame, since I had been there already, so I was able to take a little longer to get going. We headed to the Palais Royal, perused the shops, walked across the locks of love bridge into Latin Quarter, looked through old books in the Shakespeare & Company Bookstore, wondered over to the Pantheon, and then headed back to the apartment to refresh for dinner. We met up with Remi at his restaurant, Chez Julian, for a drink and then over to a great little Italian joint (forgive me for the lack of a name...???). We enjoyed a waiter-recommended red wine and pasta and stopped into a small restaurant on our way back to sip on a cappuccino and enjoy a dance-off between Mei Ling and some local guys inside the bar. For those of you who don't know my friend Mei Ling, she has some mad dancing skills and pretty much schooled the guys completely!
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| Nutella & Banana Crepes at Eiffel Tower |
Sunday we geared up for a boat ride on the Batobus to the Eiffel Tower where we grabbed some nutella & banana crepes and cappuccinos before standing in line to go up the elevator for the guaranteed best view of the city. From there we ventured back on the Batobus, exiting at the Notre Dame and a short jaunt over the bridge for some blog-recommended ice cream. On a sugar high, we were off to Montmarte via metro to hike up the hill to the Basilique du Sacre Coeur. It's crazy how 'red light district' Montmarte is considering the amazingly spiritual and beautiful church on the hilltop above. The Moulin Rouge is right in the heart of sex shops, clubs and music stores. We were glad we made the venture in the daylight! Back on the metro to Champs Elysses to see the Arc de Triomphe and walk down the street most notably known for its shopping. We decided to have dinner near our apartment and head in earlier than than past two nights so the girls could get up and hit the Louvre when it opened before we had to head back at noon.
Monday was a long day. Early morning rise to the Louvre, check out of our apartment, metro to the train, where Damian saw us off with his adorable daughter, and onto the ferry back to England, four hours later. I was so sad to leave this amazing city. I will go back again someday! What an amazing place.
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| At the train leaving Paris |
I can't believe it's here. Three months have gone by so fast, yet I feel like I've been gone forever. It's bitter/sweet of course as I will miss all these lovely ladies I've grown so accustomed to seeing every day. They organized a 'night out' for me that included a mini bus into Portsmouth and drinks (thanks to the CEO and of course, Sarah!). We all had so much fun! I even rode the mechanical bull! It's crazy to think that this might be the last time I see these girls... although I hope not! What a wonderful experience it has been to live and work in England over the past 90 days. 
I have been so fortunate to get to explore England and even beyond, to Paris, Ireland, Wales and my last stop before home being Italy this coming Saturday! The weather has been beautiful and warm here these past few weeks, making it even harder to say good-bye! Oh, how I'm going to miss the lovely people, the delightfully posh accents, the serene walks and the gorgeous train rides into London!
Another gloriously beautiful day in England and the forecast looks like it's going to stay that way over the Easter weekend as well! After work today, I decided to jump on my bike and head over to Bosham, just two miles to the west of where I live. I'm so glad I decided to go! The weather was great... sandals and a tank top, a warm breeze and amazing scenery along the way! Bosham is such a cute place! Sitting along the water across from Del Quay and Chichester Bay, it's so picturesque. I can't believe I only have ten more days left living in this beautiful country! Time has flown by. I'm off to Wales for Easter weekend, so stay tuned!
