We made it to France!

It was so sad to leave London this morning… I hope Paris is just as wonderful and fun as London has been. Thank goodness we are going back in a few days! Brian wanted to take some photos at Hyde Park this morning, so it was a perfect opportunity for me to go for a little run. Across the street from our hotel is an entrance at Albert Gate and the southeast side of The Serpentine. We walked to an adjacent cafe where Brian enjoyed his coffee and I could run around the lake. So beautiful! I could run around this park all day long… so many cute dogs, fit and happy people, and adorable cafes.

Our next challenge was to take the Underground to the Eurostar station for our ride to Paris. Brian settled in and immediately turned on a movie… while I panicked and immediately researched our Paris book and my French dictionary so we would be prepared for our arrival into France. Not sure how much I retained…

Once at the Paris station, we both learned that we have to pay to use the restroom… 70cents to be exact. Wtf!? There is a concierge at the entrance and you have to ‘check in’ to use the facilites. At the train station. No joke.

Fortunately, we had an English speaking cabbie who gave us some good information on eating, drinking, and shopping around town. Our hotel is well located adjacent to the Louvre, Champs Elysees, and the very first Ritz, according to our cab driver. We checked in, then headed out for a late lunch/early dinner, although who the heck knows what time it ever is here! The late lunch included a large salad for me, and a fancy ham & cheese sandwich for Brian, and our first glasses of French wine! Oui!

We wandered around a bit, hopped in another cafe for some more wine, cheese & bread, and lots of espresso! On the walk along the Seine, we caught our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower!!! There is so much more to explore here… so after a long day, we passed out very early (like 10pm Paris time) to be rested for a full day tomorrow! Au revoir!