Monday 23 January 2012

Adventures in can-opening....

I wish, wish, WISH we had videoed the moment of Sean trying to open a can. We even youtubed 'how to use a manual can opener' and watched as some douchebag punctured their way effortlessly through a can of lychees. When we tried to apply the same principles to a can of tomatoes for the spaghetti Cara was making, we discovered French cans are made more harder to penetrate than Fort Knox. Cue much swearing (Sean) and uncontrollable fits of laughter (everyone else). Anyway, I digress. That happened as we were preparing dinner tonight, but we have had a whole day of Paris gallivanting before any can-related activities occurred.

We got up too late this morning - I'm not sure about the others but I am still struggling with sleeping through the night. I am wide awake at 4am. It is tres annoying. I Skyped with Mum and Dad (talking to them on the phone to help them log in first) and it was great to see them! Then we picked up our Paris sightseeing passes and jumped on Les Car Rouges, the enormous red double-decker sightseeing buses than go around Paris. We went around the roundabout where the Arc du Triomphe is situated and I was staggered - STAGGERED - at the driving. There are virtually no lanes and no rules. It was terrifying. We had coffee on the Champs-Elysees and headed to the Trocadero for BEAUTIFUL views of the Eiffel Tower and stunning statues and fountains. And a bit of sunshine too! Then Sean and Cara climbed to the second level of the Eiffel Tower and Alfie and I ate waffles with Nutella and whipped cream. I think we consumed as many calories as they burnt off. Then we hightailed it to the Lourve, an hour late to meet the ever-patient Jules, and spent the next three hours stomping round being art critics. It was pretty amazing to be in the Lourve. We even bought a sandwich from the cafe and paid astronomical cash. A true tourist experience! We saw the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo and spent the rest of the time in mostly the Greek and Egyptian antiquities and Napoleon's apartments. Napoleon's apartments blew my mind. They were so, SO luxurious. Beautiful chandeliers and ornate, painted and gilded ceilings in every room. Enormous paintings and tapestries stretching from floor to ceiling and the richly coloured velvet upholstery on all the furniture. Truly beautiful. And expensive.

We stayed at the Lourve until closing time and got back on a packed, peak hour train to our apartment. A quick grocery shop and then can-opener battles. Sean and I will probably head out with Jules later tonight, but it can't be too late because we are going to VERSAILLES TOMORROW! YAYYYY!

Au revoir!

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