Six days in Paris

The Lonely Planet guide suggests that you will never see snow in Paris in January. Wrong! We have enjoyed six wonderful days in Paris, baptised in snow when we arrived, and salted two or three more times. We have stayed in an apartment at the foot of the Sacre Couer, which has been perpetually visible from our bedroom and lounge room windows, a wonderful base from which to explore the many wonders of the city, beginning at the Champs Elysees, and embracing L'Arche de Triomphe, the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Luxemburg Gardens, Notre Dame... have I forgotten something... the Seine, not to mention Montmartre, the Moulin Rouge, and the Eiffel Tower. We have found the Paris Metro system to be most efficient and effective in getting around Paris - and hope they can add some of that to Melbourne's trains. The underground systems in Rome, Paris and London are fantastic, and leave Melbourne for dead - oh how it would be to see something like it at home.

Our French has improved, and our appreciation for French culture and cuisine - and as a consequence, our own in Australia - has grown. We leave Europe with many wonderful memories and tales, and look forward to returning home having enjoyed the European cool while Melbourne has sweltered. Perhaps we might be better conditioned to endure a few more hot days.

When we get home, we'll sift through and post some photos of the trip. It's been full and fun, with not much time to blog.