A Postcard from Paris...

What can you do in Paris with just 24 hours to spare? Actually, quite a lot if you stay focused and have a plan. This is the third time we've done this, and each time we've managed to cram so much into such a short time. There are things we like to do every time we go to Paris, and then each time, we try to find something new that we haven't done before.

Wednesday - 7 p.m. Easyjet from John Lennon to CDG airport.

Take the Roissybus from the airport to the Opera and then a metro to the hotel

We throw our  hand luggage into our tiny, budget hotel room  in the 7th Arondissiment and set off ...

to a nearby bar with a fabulous view.... just in time for the 11p.m. "twinkle"

This is a tradition. We do it every time we go.

It never ceases to amaze us that within three hours of leaving Liverpool we can be sipping a glass of wine within view of the Eiffel Tower!

Time for a glass of wine and a crepe (which we ate before I remembered to take the photograph)

We take a stroll in the Champs de Mars at midnight (very chilly this time) - another tradition.

Time for a spot of window drooling on the way back to our hotel ...

 .... and so to bed.

Thursday ..... we sit in a cafe on Rue Cler for a leisurely breakfast (another tradition)

And take a stroll past Les Invalides ...

to catch the Metro across to the Latin Quarter

We find a  pretty square in Rue Mouffetarde and a then stroll down the street

.... which is foodie heaven ... fabulous displays of food in real food shops

We chose a picnic of chicken satay, a quiche lorraine, a crispy baguette filled with jambon et fromage and some cakes... well you can't visit Paris without eating cake!

The French do this sort of shop display so well ...

Some glorious tulips on the pavement outside a florists ...

..... a fabulous water fountain

... another stylish florist shop

Eventually we reached the banks of the Seine

to search out Shakespeare and Co. the renowned, quirky bookstore filled to the rafters with 

 books written in English...

Where do you begin to look in a place like this?

You are actually encouraged to stay a while and read ...Mr B. found some books he was supposed to read in sixth form when he was doing A level History ...

... tearing ourselves away we headed over the river ....

Lunchtime .... so we walked across to the Ile de Cite and the little park behind Notre Dame.

Our daughter will know the exact place ....

where we devoured our cakes .... yum yum!

and our daughter will know exactly who chose which cake!!!

Now for the 'something new' ... the Conciergerie - which we've been past many times, but never been inside.

This was once a royal palace, but gained its notoriety from it's role as a prison during the Revolution.

The main hall was stunning ...

There are wall plaques naming all those who were executed in the Revolution.

Look closely and find the names of the King and Queen ...

The ill-fated Marie-Antoinette herself ...

The women prisoners were allowed to exercise and wash in this yard.....

I expect it didn't really look as pretty as this!

Next stop, the exquisite jewel  - Sainte Chapelle - built in Medieval times to house holy relics

The star filled ceiling in the lower chapel ...

there is an abundance of colour all aound you .... crimsons, azures, and so much gold ...

As you step out into the upper chapel from the dark twisting stone staircase, the room is flooded with colour from the stained glass windows. It literally takes your breath away.

These photos cannot begin to capture the light or convey the magnificence of the place

I had been to Sainte Chapelle before, about twelve years ago, but the lovely Mr B. had never seen it.

Even though we had a very long wait to get through a security check (with a spectacular absence of the concept of a fair queueing system as only the French could manage), it was well worth it.

Just stunning!

By now, my feet were complaining, so we took a river cruise on the Seine ....

and spent a restful hour watching the delights of Paris slip past us.....

All too soon, it was time to head back to the Opera, where we had a quick meal of chicken and chips ...

then it was back on the bus to the airport ....

Where Mr Easyjet was waiting to whisk us back home for 10.15 p.m.

Verdict?  Yes, you can enjoy the delights of Paris in 24 hours if you have a plan.

We wanted to wander around the Latin Quarter and the Left Bank as we haven't done that for a while, and we planned to see Sainte Chapelle. So, mission accomplished .... with an added bonus of seeing the Conciergerie and the boat trip, which we hadn't planned.

The downside .... it seems to be even more expensive than ever these days, due to the poor exchange rate, but we reckon it would cost us just as much, or even more, for a similar trip to London, for us travelling from the North West. The air tickets cost us less than the rail fair!

Any other disadvantages?

 .... well, it was very hard returning to work on Friday!!!