Tour day 2 - day in Paris

Slept well, woke up 8am-ish. Breakfast 8.30, we were on the bus @ 9am.

The traffic into the city was bad, and we didn't get there until 10.15ish. We started at Notre Dame - looked around the cathedral, which is magnificent in a big way - the glass work is amazing. After that, we went down the street next to it, bought souvenirs, and came out on the other end to take photos (external) and to get back on the bus.

We drove back up to the Arc d'Triomphe, and Reuben once again barrelled full-pelt @ 90 degrees into the roundabout. We got dropped off there. It cost 40ff to go up, so we did - the view was great, and we got some good daytime pics, even though it was a very smoggy/hazy day. Sue and I then marched off down the Champs Elysee, looking at shops, and buying an awesome pain au chocolat - chocolate croissant.

After a while, we peeled off and headed to the Paris Opera House. That was totally amazing in terms of scale (the foyers - mon dieu!!), detail (chandeliers and bronze work and murals on walls/ceiling) and significance (it's the Phantom of the Opera venue and such a musical place). We saw the orchestra pit doors, the foyers, and luckily, there was no rehearsal on @ the time, so we got to go in the auditorium - it's awesome. We then went outside and got photos of the facade, and the composers' busts and all the gold. Just amazing.

We walked back in the direction of the Place de la Concorde, hoping to find a place to get food, but we didn't. (All the while we were walking, we were seeing cool stuff.) We got a bit hot and tired, and so sat in a park across the road from the ferris wheel, and ate our chocolate croissants, until being ordered off the grass by some surly looking officials. We considered walking back to the Champs Elysee for food, but after five steps, saw a crepe/sandwich/drink{boisson] stand that looked perfect. And it was. I had a baguette fromage, and it was AWESOME - better than Goldberg's and a Schweppes lemon drink.

We met @ 4pm and got back on the bus - headed back to the campsite to get ready and go back out for dinner @ 6.15. We drove to the Latin Quarter of the city and pulled up for the Pub St Germain. We all filed up to the third floor and filled up the whole room.

For entree I had chicken vol-au-vents, for main I had beef burgundy, and we had dessert and cheese and coffee. There was a resident accordian player who came in every now and again, who was brilliant! He was so funny, and so clever and so talented. He could reply to any heckle and prepare a line for anybody at a second's notice. And he could even sing and play too. We all tipped him coz he was great. I sat with San Francisco Matt, Sarah, Conrad, Emma, and Nicki.

Afterwards, half of us went off to the cabaret show (naked women, erch!!) and the rest of us went to the Irish pub in the red light district. The pub was empty before we got there, and by the time we left, it was rockin'!! I had two Coronas and danced with the girls - it was very cool. When we left, we walked past all the sex shops back to the bus, and somehow Matt ended up with an arm around me and an arm around Alicia. He called it the menage a trois, but the funniest thing was the local guys outside the peep shows were calling him a lucky guy, etc. What a classic!!

We got back on the bus and kept the dance party going in the aisle while we were waiting for the cabareters to come back. It was cool. I was chatting to Matt and found out he's a mad keen skiier/boarder. He asked if I wanted to come to New Zealand for a week-long ski expedition next year. I said 'I'm in.' That's highly cool.

It took absolutely ages to get back to the campsite because the tunnels were closed for maintenance - we got there eventually, and everyone headed for the bar - I only stayed half an hour before going to bed @ 2am.