Paris 23rd to 29th Jan

The train ride from Sion took 5 hours, most of the time which was spent trying to sleep or reading. We managed to find our apartment in Paris without too many problems, although when following google maps, it is quite hard to know if you’re walking southwest like it says you have to or northeast ect in a new city...(a compass would have been handy) would have been so after a few minuets trying to get our bearings after emerging from the subway, found our apartment quite easily.

That night we found a nice little pizzeria just down the street from the apartment for dinner. Funny little place with gnome statues throughout it, and the waitress dressed up in a gnome costume! amusing place with really good food. 

The next morning we all went and bought open bus tour tickets and hoped on a bus just near our house which took us to all the major attractions in Paris. Although the weather wasn’t fantastic, the rain managed to hold off and so we sat up the top of the bus where we could take lots of photos. 

We spent most of the day on the bus and went to places such as Madeleine Cathedral, the Opera House, The Louvre and Royal Palace (which is extremely beautiful and amazing, particularly its size), along the Seine over many famous bridges, past the Notre Dame, and Latin quarter, The Paris University, and Academy of the fine arts, several museums, the Concord, The Champs de Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel tower, National Assembly, Moulin Rouge, Trinity Cathedral, ect. 

As it was Ryan’s last night in Paris he took gemma out to dinner at a very nice restaurant and then we met them at the Moulin Rouge for the late show. However after all our careful planning and making sure we were there early to beat the lines, we where soon informed by one of the security guards, that there was no late show in winter and we would have to come back another night. So instead we had to walk all the way back to the apartment for an early night. 

On monday morning we woke to Bec making us all pancakes for breakfast, and the arrival of Sarah and Joel was at 9am. Today we decided to head to the Louvre and Eiffel tower. We spent the day wondering around the museum, which was absolutely huge, and we soon realized there was no way we would be able to see everything, so we headed for the important pieces. The most famous being the beautiful Mona Lisa! We also saw Ramses III (Egyptian King), and Venus (the famous statue with no arms). The Egyptian section was really interesting, with many mummies and hieroglyphics, but it’s hard to beat the Mona Lisa.

(Neapolitan III apartment dining room) 

The rest of the afternoon went pretty fast and we headed to the Eiffel tower at 5ish. We were pleasantly surprised that after 6pm we got to take the lift up & avoid the 100s of stairs! The view from the top was amazing, with panoramic views of the whole city, being able to see up to 80km on clear days.

Tuesday morning was Australia day and so in true Australian style, Ant rocked up at our place at 7am ready to listen to the triple J count down, which we could listen to online. With the laptop set up, we spent the next 3 hours listening to the last top thirty songs with number one being played at 10am Paris time. That night we again met up with Ant but this time at the Australian bar, Cafe Oz, which happened to be only walking distance from our apartment. Arriving at 5pm, there weren’t many people and so we managed to get a table which proved a good move later on where there where so many people they couldn’t let anyone else into the venue. All the staff were Australian, and they served all Australian beers and appropriately names cocktails such as the great Australian bite, and the Freo doctor. ect. Sarah Bell and I worked our way down the cocktail list while Joel and Ant eat pies and drank coopers. There was some classic Australian music playing and on the big screen was Crocodile dundee. As the night went on the bar continued to fill with people, many Australians and backpackers as well as others who where just dragged alone by their Australian friends. By 9pm the bar was full to the brim and it was extremely hard to get to the bar, let alone try and carry the drinks back to the table through the crowds. And like all good Australian parties the night ended with several tequila shots and us dancing on tables. A fun night was definitely had by all! But we bailed by midnight as we wanted to wake up in a reasonable state for Disney land the next day. 

(This pic is for Mike & Nadine, of all places we sit.....right under Bennet rd!!!...it's as if we were at the Red Hill Farm Aus day party in spirit :)

(Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!)

(GO OZ CLUB!!!)

Disney land really is the happiest place on Earth haha. It was my second time there and i had great fun. The only difference is that it was FREEZING COLD!!!!!! As soon as we arrived and walked through the gates we could see the Castle at the end of the main street, and to make things even better we arrived just as the Minnie Mouse train was about to drive through the street. With music blaring out of the speakers and people dancing everywhere no one could possibly be unhappy in this place. The Minnie mouse train was very cute with most of the Disney characters also on the train, dancing and singing to the music. After watching the train, we then decided to hit our first roller coaster for the day, Thunder Mountain. Unfortunately after standing in line for 15 minuets, just as we got to the front of the line, the ride stopped due to technical difficulties, as so after another 15 minuets in line we decided to bail and get a fast pass and come back to the ride in an hours time, hoping it would be running again. So after a slow start we then moved on to the Haunted house which was like a ghost train in a big old mansion looking house. The while the ride itself wasn’t particularly scary the effects where amazing, they had holograms dancing through the corridors and skeletons and dead people who moved and talked as you went past. The detail in the sets where so realistic. We then moved on the Adventure land where we had planned on going on Indiana Jones, but when we got to the ride, it was also shut due to technical difficulties. We assume it was due to the cold weather. I have never been so cold on the whole trip as I was this day in Disney land! It must have been negative degrees because it was freezing. Annoyed that we still hadn’t been on a roller coaster, we moved on the Pirates of the Carabeain which was inside so it was working. It was another great ride, in which you got into little boats and floated through these tunnels and down waterfalls ect, past sining and dancing pirates and treasure troves. 

Rushing back to Thunder Mountain for our scheduled fast pass time, we arrived and got to by pass all the lines to get on the next ride. It was definitely a good move by Bec to get us the passes and the ride was worth the second attempt. It is set in a wild west themed land, and we sat in little mining carts that were pulled up the hill by a train. After the ride our faces were a bit frozen but it was worth it. Now adrenaline Junkies we headed over to Space Mountain and the the fastest and scariest ride of them all. The ride launches you up a steep slope like you;re being launched into space, before coming down just as fast on the other side, and then taking you through two loops backwards. It was a great ride, and we would have done it a second time if the line hadn’t doubled in size by the time we got off. 

(Australia in Small World)

After sitting down for lunch we took it down a notch and went on some more laid back “kiddy rides” of which some where actually lots of fun. We fought off the baddies with Lasers and helped Buzz lightyear protect the galaxy in a laser ride, which involved shooting targets with a laser as the ride went along the tracks. It was a great game giving you scores at the end, depending on how many targets you managed to shoot. We then moved on to Fantasy land where we went to “it’s a small world”, the Madd hatter tea cups and then in Alice and Wonderland’s Labyrinth. The Labyrinth was actually quite hard and we got stuck walking around in circles for much longer than expected. While the line for Dumbo was too long, we decided instead to try out Pinocio’s ride - at which point the man at the gate laughed at us as we tried to fit 3 people in a seat meant for 2 as well as being on a ride meant for 5yr and under. We probably also looked slightly out of place with no children in tow as we waited to go on the merry go round. Around the same time the Disney characters and dancers emerged on the stage in front of the castle, singing and dancing to famous disney songs such as a-kuna-mutata (although they were all sung in french). The people that work in Disney land must have great jobs, they all look so happy all the time! 

Needing another adrenaline fix we headed over to see if the Indiana Jones ride was working again, and luckily for us it was. There was also no line which made it even better, and after enjoying the ride so much the first time we headed straight back on for a second go. We finished the day with star tracks - a star treck ride and “honey I shrunk the audience” a 3D movie experience. Disney land was so much fun and such a happy and magical place. Needless to say we were all exhausted when we got home! 

Our last day in Paris was another full day with a trip to Versailles. The city itself was very nice with large prestigious looking buildings, and wide streets. Arriving at the Palace it was easy to see why so many tourists come here each year. The Palace is surrounded by huge gold gates and the palace itself is extremely large in size. Instead of going into the Palace we decided to avoid the crowds and walk through the gardens. Even though it was winter, the gardens where stunning. They were extremely extensive and well maintained, although due to the weather the fountains weren’t on and all the statues which line the garden paths were covered to protect them from the weather. We spent a good few hours wondering around the gardens and admiring the Palace. 

Getting back to Paris by 5pm we had an early dinner before getting ready to go to the Moulin Rouge. Our second attempt was much more successful getting a very good table close quite close to the front on the second tear. We were given half a bottle of champagne each and so we settled in for a good show, and we weren’t disappointed. The show was amazing! There were lots of boobs, but you didn’t notice after a while, and the costumes and performances were so good, I would definitely recommend the night to anyone going to Paris. 

So the next morning we said goodbye to Paris, and Bec. Paris was not at all what I expected, it was a loverly city, but at the same time it was quite dirty and poverty was much more noticeable than other big cities we’ve visited. None the less i guess you have to go there once just to experience the Paris Style!