Happy Couple, Angry Feet
Paris in Spring. If you've been there before, you may want to stop reading now, we're about to mention all the things we love. The espresso, the crepes, the pastries, the sights. It began on the flight over Air France gave us great coffee and pastries, laying the foundation for our culinary experience that we'll always remember. When we arrived on Friday morning we took immediately to the streets and had tasted our first Creme Brulee before noon. Within hours we had climbed the stairs of the Eiffel Tower and were looking across the entire city of Paris on the first of a succession of beautiful blue-skied days. Friday night we took a culinary cruise on the Siene River, viewing at night what we were to spend the next few days exploring, the Grande Palais, the Louvre, Notre Dame, etc. A restful night's sleep was a welcome end to the first of a few very busy days.
The following morning we awoke early to get to the Arc de Triomphe and a walk along the breadth of the Champs-Elysees. Along the way we saw an exhibition by artists of New Realism at the National Gallery at the Grand Palais and walked through Jardin des Tuileries, where we stopped for a picnic lunch. After lunch we continued our walk past the beautiful entry to the Louvre and across the islands for some splendid views of Notre Dame and a great time looking at the artists that line the Siene. We spent the rest of the afternoon in the Pantheon, home to Foucault's Pendulum and the remains of Voltaire, Marie Curie and Victor Hugo among others. Saturday night began with another picnic of local food from the markets around the neighborhood of our hotel (Villiers) eaten in a park outside the Parc de Princes ahead of the match between Paris Saint Germain and Le Mans (see match summary below).
Sunday morning we again woke early to beat the crowds to the Louvre where we spent the better part of half a day seeing the likes of the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. After being swallowed by the Louvre, we were spit out on the islands where we saw the amazing stained glass of the Saint Chapelle. After a couple of days of walking, crowds and lines, the thought of waiting to see Notre Dame was too much so we decided to give it a miss and go to the North side of town to the Sacre-Coeur. The Sacre Coeur sits atop the Butte Monmarte, one of the highest points in all of Paris and with sloping lawns and towering staircases it is a popular spot for Parisians to relax while having a view of Paris second only tot he view from the Eiffel Tower.
Monday was travel day, but in the morning we had a great breakfast near the Musee d'Orsay which, unfortunately, was closed. In a weekend full of highlights we felt we were owed a letdown and just headed off to the airport. Paris is beautiful, if not a little big for us. Nonetheless, we had a time we'll always remember.

Paris St.Germain 2-1 Le Mans
Saturday night was a truly eye-opening experience for us at the Parc de Princes, for us to see football in France was amazing. To keep a long story short it was the single best footballing experience we have ever had. The football is very different than that we've been seeing in Britain, and that was evident as the ball was played primarily on the ground with players individual skills at a premium. But it was the crowd that stole the show. From the beginning of the match they were in full voice and without a doubt they played a significant part in their team's fightback from a goal down to win the match. The two PSG goals were great ball-to-feet play by the midfield and superb finishing by the strikers. We can't describe the high we felt in Paris that night, it was a night we will never forget.