Paris

Rick and Anne invited Alan and I to spend two nights with them in Paris in the apartment they had rented at La Chappelle.  Who would say no to such an offer?  It was lovely.  We left the blustery, rain splattered weather of Holland for the warm balmy nights of France.  For once we were able to confidently leave the house without our raincoats and umbrellas.  I was pleased as I had bought a new outfit to wear out to our evening at the Eiffel Tower and didn't want to spoil it by covering it with my blue camping rainjacket!  This is Paris, after all and one must dress the part!.  Anne had pre-booked our entry, so we were seemingly able to walk straight in, by-passing the plebs who had waited for hours in the hot sun.  In we walked smugly, only to find we had joined the next stage of queueing!  It took us more than an hour to get to the top and a further hour to get down!  Once at the top though, it was magic.  It was such a clear day, we could truly see for miles.  We had planned to have champagne at the top, but there were so many people, we were virtually swept along and would not have been able to sip and enjoy as one should with champagne in Paris.  We joined the throng in the lift and headed down under the tower and walked to Trocadero for dinner.  Afterwards we wandered to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elyees.  What beats that?