Doug and Kerry Hudson in Paris, France

Following our stay with Pierre and Monique in Brittany near the mouth of the Loire, we set off for Paris with a rough idea of where we would stay but nothing definite planned. Kerry braved the stressful driving conditions of the Peripherique while Doug did his best to navigate us safely. Fortunately we found a comfortable and inexpensive hotel near the Porte de la Villette, which also positioned us conveniently for when we left for Calais.

Kerry's first impressions of Paris were that it is very stressful and dirty, especially in the area where we were staying.

Our first day in Paris was a hectic one. Doug took Kerry to see the following sights:

the Louvre,
the Arche de Triomphe du Carousel,
the Jardin des Tuileries,
the Orangerie (sadly closed for refurbishment),
the Place de la Concorde,
the Avenue des Champs Elysées,
the Arc de Triomphe,
La Défense and the Grande Arche,
the Panthéon,
the Notre Dame, and finally,
the Hotel de Ville.

We also somehow found the time to enjoy a delicious lunch at a restaurant in the Latin Quarter, called La Méthode.

After such a mind-blowing first day in Paris, Kerry's second impression of it was one of awe. She was taken aback by the splendour of the monuments, and the wonderfully romantic feeling of walking its boulevards.

When we got up on our second day in Paris, it was raining so we decided to see the Picasso Museum. This was interesting but disappointing as we did not understand or relate to his art at all. When we emerged the sun was shining, so to cheer us up Doug led the way to the Pompidou Centre and its bizarre fountains. We relaxed in the sunshine watching the fountains go round. Doug then took Kerry to the Eiffel Tower ("big", "impressive", "larger than I expected"), and from there to the street where Doug used to live. We ended the day at the charming Parc André Citroen. This was a very modern park surrounded by glass and chrome buildings. We sat and watched the children charge about on their bikes and some teenagers doing gymnastics on the lawns.

On our third and final day, Doug started off by taking Kerry to Montmartre, the hill to the north of Paris' centre. She really liked the atmosphere of this quarter, particularly the mix of shops and artists lining the streets. At the top of the hill we saw the Basilique du Sacré Coeur, a fabulous white church with incredible mosaics decorating the interior. Upon leaving the church we sat on the steps and enjoyed the view over the Paris skyline, which was still misty. Or maybe it was smog... Doug also took Kerry to see the Opera house ("incredible") and the Jardins du Luxembourg ("very pretty").

Our highlight of the third day was the Musée d'Orsay. This art gallery houses an incredible collection including just about everybody you have heard of: Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Gauguin, Cézanne, Manet, etc etc. The art was mind-blowing and absolutely world-class.

That was our last day in Paris, and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay! It definitely lived up to its reputation for being a beautiful and romantic city. It was just a shame that we didn't have more time there to enjoy it fully. As you can see, we really did whistle round all the main sights. We are glad we went to Paris last, as it was a fitting climax to our tour of Europe.

The following day we left France for England. A week later we would be on a plane flying out to a new continent and a new set of adventures in Africa!

World Trip >> Europe >> France >> Paris

Last updated: Sunday August 27, 2006