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Check out these great little cartoons for Cat lovers everywhere.. Although i'm sure cat likers and even cat loathers will enjoy watching them too.

 

 

Our first full day in Paris started with a belly full of croissants and a wander down the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe and the insanity of the traffic circling around it. Neither of us realised you could actually go up to the top of the Arch which offers great views of the city in all directions and a chance to see the Eiffel Tower from higher up.

We then took a walk towards the Eiffel tower as the temperature increased and our stomachs demanded lunch. There's suprisingly little amount of places to eat around the tower itself. A rather expensive buffet floating restaurant was the easiest to find. 

The queues for the tower looked pretty crazy so we thought we'd come back in the evening and go up it. We sat down in the park and took photos, along with thousands of other tourists all doing the same.

Our next tourist destination was a boat ride along the river Seine to the famous church of Notre Dame. There's a great hop-on-hop-off boat service that loops round all the major landmarks. At only 12 Euros it's great price too although of course takes a while. We did plan to use it again in the evening but a snooze back at the hotel after wandering around the church in the 30 degree heat used up a fair bit of time so we never got to use our boat pass again unfortunately.

It's almost a mission for us on holiday to hunt our sushi restaurants. We found a gorgeous little one near our hotel so ate there in the evening before heading back to The tower to see about going up it. 

Our timing couldn't have been better. A big paris music festival was just kicking off at the Tracadero, overlooking the tower. More and more people flocking to the area by metro. We got very lucky with the queues too as a sign saying the top level was closed must have put a lot of people off. Although it still took us about 45 minutes to get up there. it could have taken us hours!

The sun had set by the time we were up and ascending to the top level made me feel a bit dizzy. There's an enclosed level at the top which i was fine looking out of but the caged area above offering much more exposed views of paris were a little confusing for my brain. Debz had fun sticking her head through the fencing and peering straight down, something i definitely couldn't do.

The views however were spectacular and made even better by us being back on the 2nd level when the clock struck 11pm and the entire tower sparkles and flashes for 10 minutes.

After that we had a very surprising "festival moment". The main toilets were closed but port-a-loos had been placed nearby presumably for the increased crowds of the music festival. Going to them, at night, while hearing thudding bass and the sounds of thousands of people walking and talking was something neither of us expected to have.

We took a walk up to the far end of the park to find out what was going on. A stack of speakers and 4 rotating spot lights were surrounded by a few thousand people all singing and dancing to some great hard house. So we stopped for a drink and joined in! An unexpected bonus on our travels!

On our way back to the metro we stood at the Trocadero area and watched the tower sparkle once more at it tuned midnight. A very romantic sight and a great way to end our last full day on holiday.

On our last day we wandered around the grounds of the Louvre, we'll do the inside another time! Then we found a cafe near our hotel that was showing the French Grand Prix! Perfect! A long lunch, some beers and an entertaining race later and it was time for a walk and a snooze at the base of the the statue of General Lafyette. 

Our Eurostar home left at 8:43pm. Another exciting train ride and my first under the channel. It was a fast a fun journey home. Quite surreal leaving Gare du Nord, Paris and being at St Pancras, London, 2 hours later. 

We arrived home just before middnight. 2 bags of smelly clothes and 2 tired travellers ready for a good nights sleep in their own bed for a change!