PARIS

When we discovered that not only had EasyJet started a direct flight from Ajaccio to Paris, but that the prices started at 35 euros including tax, there really wasn’t any doubt that Paris had to be our next excursion. We could only spare 48 hours, but I knew we’d manage to pack in a huge amount of sightseeing in that time.



From the airport, we’d decided to go straight to the Musée Rodin as the guide book had said it would close at 17h45 and we wanted to make sure we had enough time to explore properly. Unfortunately in our excitement, we managed to get off at the wrong tube station and ended up at the Tuilerie Gardens instead of Les Invalides, but as with all our trips, this turned out to be a very fortunate mistake.



The grounds were full of Parisiens taking in the afternoon sun, and as well as the gardens and beautiful views of the Louvre just next door, there was an old fashioned fun fair with a huge Ferris wheel, merry-go-round and even candyfloss sellers on bicycles.



We wandered through and stopped at the boating lake where children had hired little brightly coloured sailing boats that looked like they dates back to the 19th century. The effect was amazing as I could almost imagine that it really was still the 1800’s.



We decided that wandering around without a map (or a sense of direction) probably wasn’t a good plan, so in the end we asked a policeman who told us Les Invalides was at least 20 minutes by foot. As we were running a bit short of time, we hopped back on the metro – this time on the right line but in the wrong direction. No one would ever guess we are experienced travel professionals!! We finally arrived to find that the Museum was already closed, but that the gardens were still open so we decided to take a look anyway.



The actual Musée Rodin is housed within the old Hotel Biron, which in itself is a beautiful building of the stately home variety, surrounded by landscaped grounds filled with some of Rodin’s best known works. We saw ‘The Thinker’ amongst others, but I was more impressed with the bronze sculptures tucked away amongst the trees.



For me, ‘The Gates of Hell’ was the most intriguing piece, and I could have happily studied it for hours and probably never seen the same thing twice. The detail and work involved to produce something like is just incredible and I couldn’t help thinking of the doors in the film ‘The Haunting’ – this is obviously where they got their inspiration…



All too soon it was time to make out way to the hotel and check out the restaurant possibilities for dinner. We’d chosen a hotel in the Latin quarter as we wanted to be able to explore on foot as much as possible (probably a good idea given our metro experiences so far), so we headed up in the direction of Montparnasse and found so many that we realised we’d find it difficult to choose! We’d been hankering for a Chinese (Chintok in French slang), but when we came across Le Bar à Huîtres – The Oyster Bar – we both knew that there was no point in looking any further.



What a stunning place! Inside was really stylish and decorated with shells and what looked like drawings and explanations of various fishes from an ancient biology book. The food was excellent, and we had oysters (yuk) and a smoked salmon salad (yum) to start, followed by two different main courses so we could share and see what they were both like.



We choose the baked salmon and pasta which was cooked perfectly and delicately flavoured, but could have done with a bit of salt or lemon to pep it up a bit, and filets of Grondin Rouge which was a delicious little fish served with rice and a tomato and vegetable sauce. Dessert was out of the question as we’d stuffed ourselves silly with dinner, but it was washed down with a delicious white wine, and I’m sure the walk back to the hotel did us good! On the way, we discovered a really quaint, old fashioned station so of course we just had to stop for a photo. I am sure the commuters thought we were mad…

The next morning we were up and about nice an early to pack in as much sightseeing as possible. The plan was to do the Panthéon first, but after a delicious café breakfast of tartine with jam, croissant and a few espressos between us, we discovered that the guide book had led us astray and it didn’t open until 10am. As it was still before 9am, we decided to head down to the Jardin du Luxembourg first.



The gardens at that time of the morning were really peaceful with only a handful of people and the odd office worker catching a few rays. The gardens are again packed with statues, this time mostly of former queens, which are arranged in the gardens surrounding the Palais du Luxembourg. Apparently, this is largest public park in Paris and covers a whopping 22.5 hectares or grounds.



We didn’t have time to explore properly, so we just did the formal gardens in front of the palace, but apparently there is a puppet theatre, duck ponds where children can sail model boats, fountains, enclosed childrens play area, café, open air music and even an orchard! What really struck me about both the Tuilerie Gardens and the Jardins du Luxembourg were the amounts of chairs provided which is enormous. Not only that, but they are not fixed benches, so people can move them round to enjoy their preferred view or even to do a spot of impromptu sunbathing.



We made our way back to the Panthéon and were treated to the perfect blue sky background without a cloud to be seen in our photos – hurrah! We wandered around the outside admiring the pretty flowered window boxes of the neighbouring hours before heading inside. Once again, I was amazed that you are allowed to take photographs inside – even of the paintings and tapestries. We saw some stunning statues and tableaux of Jean of Arc amongst others, as well as the famous Faucoult Pendulum which was used in 1851 to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth.



Below the Panthéon is the crypt which is absolutely enormous, and the burial place for a number of intellectuals such as Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie and Louis Braile.



The tombs themselves are much simpler than others I have visited and seemed almost an anticlimax given their historical importance, but it was a fascinating visit nonetheless.



Just next door to the Panthéon is the Eglise de Saint Etienne du Mont. Small by comparison with the Panthéon, this little church is an absolute must. We’d seen it in the guide Michelin where it’s ‘Jube’ was rated as 2*, but as neither of us had any idea what a Jube was, we weren’t sure if we’d find it! This turned out to be the intricately carved staircase and passageway above the congregation. The detail was incredible and from a distance it looked almost like lace.



We took a moment to sit and read the guide book, and I was glad we did because we discovered that there was also some beautiful stained glass windows in the cloister. This was in itself a curiosity as it was an indoor cloister leading onto what looked like (and smelt like) and old fashioned school hall.



Astonishingly, we still had plenty of time before lunchtime, so our plan of campaign was to wander up to the church of Saint Severin where there was some interesting twisted looking stone masonry and modern stained glass windows which we weren’t keen on, and then on to the Place Saint-Michel where there is a huge fountain with two dragons.



Unfortunately, it had started to cloud over, so after a quick and expensive Guinness in the Irish pub where they didn’t speak French, we decided it was time to find our Chinese restaurant that we’d been fancying since we arrived. We’d seen one listed in the guide Michelin called the Mirama, but sadly we realised that our sense of direction was no better on foot than it was on the metro, so it took a bit of time to locate it. It did indeed look delicious, but very pricey, so we wandered a bit further through the Quartier Latin (bum pinching territory).



This is a fascinating area of Paris and worth wandering through the narrow streets just for the atmosphere. There were huge numbers of themed restaurants; Mexican, Thai, Japonese, Italian and so many Greek restaurants and kebab shops that I lost count! We also saw souvenir shops and a delicious looking bakery before stumbling across the ‘Petit Hongkong’. This was a bizarre restaurant but we had a lovely table overlooking the square below and the famous ‘Chez Clement’ restaurant.



Lunch consisted of nems, special fried rice, chicken and mushrooms in a scrummy sauce, a selection of steamed delicacies, all for the princely sum of 15.50€ including drinks – for 2!! What a feast. I know it seems strange to go to Paris and eat Chinese, but when you live in Corsica you rarely get the opportunity to try foreign foods as they just aren’t available here, so it was a real treat.



After lunch we decided to do a boat trip along the Seine. My comfy flippy shoes turned out to be no match for my trusty old flipflops (RIP) and I already have two blisters so it seemed like a plan. Within 10 minutes, we’d bought tickets and managed to push our way to the seats we wanted despite them already having occupants! It’s a good job I am not easily embarrassed.



We picked a BATOBUS as opposed to a Bateau Mouche as the Batobus work on the same principle as the hop-on, hop-off bus, so your ticket is valid all day and it’s a great way to see the city. We’d jumped on at Notre Dame, and within an hour we’d seen the Hotel de Ville, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Musée d’Orsay to name just a few.



One of the strangest sights was the ‘Paris Plage’. Apparently, every year since 2002, roadways on the right bank are blocked off in July and August, and host various activities, including sandy beaches and palm trees – did someone really think this through? We saw people sunbathing on imported sand, old fashioned ice cream sellers and brightly coloured beach huts. It was the most bizarre experience until Micheal Jackson got on the batobus and sat opposite us. Yes, complete with red ‘Thriller’ Jacket, tight black trousers, glove and Michael Jackson haircut it is clear that Michael lives on…



As we still had a few hours to spare, we decided to pop into the Conciergerie. This was something I’d wanted to do since our last visit to Paris but we ran out of time. This also had a star in the Guide Michelin, but whereas the other places exceeded our expectations, this disappointed a little.



OK, so the medieval halls were impressive, but it was difficult to really appreciate them as a temporary exhibition had been set up between the columns. We weren’t expecting to see baubles and opulent decorations because, after all, this was a prison in times gone by, but we did expect a little more for our money.



Three prison cells had been arranged to show how life would have been for the those incarcerated here, and also the difference. Paupers were expected to sleep on straw on the floor, whilst the rich could pay for a bed. Famous people could ‘buy’ a private room with a desk and camp bed where they would work or read. Although the building is enormous, it is still difficult to imagine that up to 1200 people at a time were imprisoned here.



One of the star attractions – OK, I’m pushing it a bit there – is the cell of Marie-Antoinette where she spent 76 days before being taken to the Guillotine. Between 1793 & 1795, nearly 2600 people were tried at La Conciergerie and subsequently Guillotined. Trials during ‘The Terror’ (French Revolution had only two outcomes – a declaration of innocence or a death sentence – very few were found innocent. After a quick walk down rue Rivoli for a spot of last minute bargain hunting, and we were on our way back to the airport.



As we set foot in the terminal building, the heavens opened and we watched as the torrential rain was joined by lightning. As we were on such a short stopover, we had no choice but to return by the last flight back to Ajaccio which happened to be Air France. What a difference to our EasyJet experience – miserable and unhelpful ground staff that looked like trout, delayed arrival, delayed departure and incorrect information. We were sitting just next to the desk and the bloke who announced the delay felt obliged to come and apologise personally – do you think he’d noticed the tight-lipped, daggers-drawn glare he’d been given…

UK - War of the Worlds in St. Leonards?

I just had to share this story from my friend Sue - it really made me smile...

'There's a fashion down here for sending out Chinese mini air balloons, which are basically paper lanterns with candles in them. They can travel for miles and have been known to set places alight. We saw about 20 of them 2 weekends ago when my friend was down - we were convinced it was the war of the worlds! It was Robin's fault really - he said they must be aliens (didn't realise it was tongue in cheek). I actually wasn't convinced and thought they were a type of firework, but my friend (who's very excitable) kept stopping people in the street to say had they seen the aliens and eventually somebody said what they were.



It was slightly embarrassing actually, but luckily everyone here is odd so people were just mildly amused, especially a young West Indian couple - I could see they thought we were absolutely barking. Well, it was partly Robin's fault really because he said that strange lights had been sighted and it was in the Observer (which was true) so he half believed it too. I'm the one who is terrified at the idea that they might even be possible, but I wasn't really convinced.'

They’re out there…

UK - Bexhill & Alfriston, East Sussex

With record temperatures in the UK last week, I was hoping I wouldn’t have to repeat the events of my last visit when I arrived at Gatwick in a spaghetti strap t-shirt and my trusty flipflops, and had to drive straight to ASDA to buy a jumper! Sadly, it was not to be, and my quick trip back to Bexhill was destined to be mainly under cloud.


Bexhill beach - not quite the same as where I live in Corsica...


The De La Warr Pavillion on the sea front

I wanted to catch up with Kerry as we don’t see each other as often as I’d like. We weren’t sure what we wanted to do because the weather had been so iffy, which is a shame as there are so many beautiful places in Susesx, so we decided to rendez-vous at her place for 9:30 and decide from there. Alfriston is a gorgeous little village nearby which is the English village of my imagination (or whichever Agatha Christie novel I happen to be reading that week!).



Being slightly obsessed by food, neither Kerry or I could help ourselves visiting the village stores which were amazing – really quaint with nice smiley ladies serving behind the counter where there were old fashioned jars of sweets and scales. There was a Delicatessen at the back and we found lots of delicious sounding local specialities such as pickles and chutneys. I could have spent a fortune if I’d thought I could have got it back to Corsica unscathed by the EasyJet baggage handlers.



We wandered round the miniature art gallery and were tempted by a few oils depicting the local scenery such as the Sussex downs and stunning cliffs, before heading past the other intriguing shops such as the Bat’s Wing Apothocary (herbal medicine), the Steamer Trading Co. where we agreed we’d like to have the money to completely refurbish out houses with oyster knife kits to the Tye.



The Tye is basically the village green and even during the week there were pensioners sitting on the grass in their fold up deckchairs waiting for a cricket match that I suspected might be a long time coming! We wandered round the graveyard and looked at some of the headstones dating back hundreds of years, including one that looked like it was made of wood in the style of an anchor.



We were keen to be nosy and visit the church but sounds from inside made us weary that there may be a function going on, but I’m far to French these days to be put off by social niceties. All that noise turned out to be two old biddies inside running the ‘shop’ so having got past her nervousness, Kerry then got brave and started directing the photography session of the beautiful stained glass windows!



Just next to the church is the Clergy House, a pretty 14th-century Wealden 'hall house' was the first building to be acquired by the National Trust in 1896 for £10! The thatched, timber-framed house is surrounded by a delightful, tranquil cottage garden featuring a magnificent Judas tree, and views over the river Cuckmere.





Once again I was thwarted on the photography stakes as it was forbidden inside the house, but I managed to sneak in a few shots of the ground floor rooms. The medieval hall has a traditional chalk and sour milk floor with explanations of the processes. It was strange as some areas had a green mould which apparently is caused by the sunlight. It was also damp to the touch and very soft so could easily be damaged by high heels – luckily I had my comfy shoes on.



It was soon time for lunch and a quick magical mystery tour through the leafy lane brought us into the garden of The George Inn. This is another stunning timber building adorned with flowers and a mouth-watering menu – yum! It was a bit overcast so we decided to sit inside. The bar is the oldest part of the Inn, has an impressive inglenook fireplace with a huge copper hood, oak floors and Sussex hop bines decorating the walls. The foundations date back to 1250, and there are is network of smuggler’s tunnels leading from its cellars – eek!



The food was delicious. I’d had trouble deciding what to have as it all sounded just so tempting, but in the end we both went for the Salmon and prawn salad with a bowl of chips between us to naughty it up a bit. It was huge! I must admit I was surprised at how nicely it was presented; little towers of prawns wrapped in smoked salmon sitting on a bed of mixed salad with peppers, cucumber, celery and tomatos. After a quick swap of my tomatoes for Kerry’s peppers, we tucked in.



After lunch we checked out a few more of the shops such as ‘Not Just Chocolate’ (won’t bother then!) and a weeny gift shop tucked away amongst the white timber framed houses where we smelt all the candles and bought some cast iron insects – a bit bizarre perhaps, but we liked them. It was lucky we were so stuffed from lunch because otherwise the homemade cakes in the old fashioned tea rooms would have been too much to resist!



All too soon it was time to pick the kids up from school and on the way home we were reminded how kids minds work when Sam told us his polo shirt was called that because it is white and the same colour as ‘polo’ bears! Bless him.