My Not So Exciting Life in BrisVegas...

I've had a few enquiries over the last week or so as to what's happened to my blog! Well, I can tell you that I started back at work last Monday to a few surprises... seems there were a few resignations in our department while I was away. Just what I need - more recruitment!! I also ended my holiday with a bit of an injury.... cellulitis in my ankle. Just glad that it wasn't on the way over! So, after getting home on Friday I was banned to the couch for the weekend, and unable to play in our netball grand final last Saturday. The team did really well, but as can be expected with a player down in the final - we lost :-( There's always next season!

So I've been taking it easy over the last week, resting up so my ankle can mend. The Lions made the final of the pre-season NAB cup against Carlton on the weekend. It was the long awaited return of Jonathan Brown, however, it wasn't to be the Lions night as Carlton ran away with it in the 3rd quarter. Still, a good showing for the Lions in pre-season with plenty of new stars.

Sunday saw the launch of the newest NRL team - the Gold Coast Titans. So Pat, Meg, Liz and I ventured out to a pretty packed Suncorp Stadium to watch them take on St-George Dragons. A lovely sunny Sunday afternoon, it was a good match to watch - the Titans did well but pulled up 2 points short with the Dragons claiming victory 20 - 18.


So that's an update on my first lesser exciting weeks back in Aus.... now the count down is on to America!

Hello Australia!

Hello blue skies and hot weather!! After an exhausting 28 hour trip home, it was great to be back on land. I arrived home on Friday night with Mum and Megan meeting me at the airport. I couldn't wait for some non-airline food, a hot shower and a real bed!

Leaving London

After some stressful middle of the night phone calls sorting out my flights, it was finally time to leave London. Ben had to work, so Lisa and I headed out to Heathrow - our last tube trip! It was a sad goodbye, but the good news is that Lisa and Ben will be home in 6 months for their wedding. After saying goodbye I had to navigate the many check points at LHR, and by then it was time to board my flight.

Kensington Gardens

My last day in London was another clear and sunny day with blue skies. This being the case Lisa and I took a trip over to Kensington Gardens to feed the squirrels. Lisa and Ben have discovered a secret spot in the park where there are plenty of squirrels to feed. We only had spiced roasted peanuts on hand and weren't sure whether they would like them, but seems that squirrels like anything going for free. Once they cotton on to the fact that you have nuts they are very tame indeed!

After feeding the squirrels we stopped for high tea at the Orangery inside Kenginston Gardens. It was a lovely traditional high tea with cucumber sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, and their specialty the Orangery cake.

After tea, we walked past a beautiful lake in the middle of the park full of big white swans. We continued through the park to catch a bus to the tube and head home. Now it's time to pack...

Nobu

[Note: more photos to be added tomorrow]

Lisa managed to find the right connection and at last minute we got a reservation at Nobu. The original Nobu restuarant opened in New York, and there are now a number of them throughout the world. Having experienced the menu last time I was in New York, I knew it would be a great way to finish off the trip. We had some absolutely amazing food, (if you ever go the yellowtail tuna with jalapeno and the black cod with miso are a must!) a few cocktails, and also met some interesting people sitting around us. After dinner we checked out the Met Bar downstairs and then Mahiki another bar nearby. A fun night out in London!

Knightsbridge

[Note: Photos to be added tomorrow]

Today we had a bit of a late start and then headed to Knightsbridge. We had a few errands to do, and then met up with Mandy again, this time for a browse in Harrods and some lunch.

The great news today was that Mandy had had a second interview that morning and while we were having lunch she was offered the job! That was some good news for the day. After lunch Lisa and I had an appointment at a wedding shop to look at accessories so we said goodbye to Mandy and walked to our 3pm appointment.

Au Revoir

Au revoir Paris, je serai de retour bientôt.

The Latin Quarter & Notre Dame

We caught the metro over to the Left Bank - the area known as the Latin Quarter. We hopped off at the bottom of the Rue Mouffetard - in Roman times this was the main road from Paris to Rome. It is now well known for it's lively morning street market and many cafes. We took advantage of this and stopped off at a creperie for lunch.

We continued to wander the streets after lunch towards Saint Germain boulevard - next stop: Notre Dame.

The Cathedral of Notre Dame stands on the Ile de la Cite. Alexander III laid the foundation stone in 1163, however, it was another 170 years until completion. Although it was almost destroyed in the Revolution, it was restored in 1841. This Cathedral is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. It is still used as a Roman Catholic cathedral and is the seat of the Archbishop of Paris.

We continued up boulevard St Germain to St Michel's. This is one of the main pedestrian streets of the Latin Quarter and is lined with many food stalls and cafes. Lisa couldn't resist stopping for a final sample of a Nutella Crepe.

Arc De Triomphe & Champs-Elysees

We were welcomed by a clear and sunny day for our second and final day in Paris, so after a quick breakfast at the hotel we had a snap on our balcony.

Then we began our day with a visit to the Arc De Triomphe. This is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It was commissioned in 1806 after the victory at Austerlitz by Emperor Napoleon I at the peak of his reign. It was not completed, however, until 1836 due in part to Napoleon's fall from power. Four years later, his funeral procession passed beneath it on its way to his burial at Les Invalides. The Arc De Triomphe in the middle of one of the craziest roundabouts in the world. There are 12 roads running into this intersection and there are no rules regarding driving on this road at all! In fact, you cannot be insured for any accident that occurs on the roundabout surrounding the Arc! There is a viewing platform on top of this monument... and the only way to get there... the stairs!! There are 284 stairs to the top... and its a circular staircase the whole way! Maybe this is how the French don't get fat... they just climb this staircase daily! Another great view of Paris from a different angle.
Beneath the Arc is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the First World War.

After our morning exercise at the Arc, we ventured down the Champs-Elysees. Undoubtedly the most famous street in Paris, it came into being when the royal gardener planted an arbour of trees byond the border of the Jardin des Tuileries in 1667. First called the Grant Cours (Great Way), it was later renamed the Champs-Elysees. In the mid 19th century the avenue acquired pedestrian paths, fountains, gas lights and cafes and became the fashionable place for socialising and entertainment. It is an obligatory part of any visit to Paris!


At the end of the Champs-Elysees lies the Musee du Louvre. One of the world's most impressive museums, the Louvre contains more than 350,000 priceless objects. The building was previously a palace and is famous for holding several of the world's most prestigious works of art including Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Alexandros' Venus de Milo. The equestrian statue of Louis XIV marks the entrance to this arena, with the famous pyramid denoting the entrance to the Louvre itself.

We then headed across the Siene to the Left Bank to explore the Latin Quarter for our final few hours in Paris.

Sacre Couer & Montmarte

This afternoon we visited the Basilica of the Sacre Coeur in Montmarte, at the summit of the highest point in the city. The Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) was built as a memorial to the French soldiers who were killed during the Franco-Prussian War. It took 46 years to build and was finally completed in 1923. Priests still pray for the souls of the dead here 24 hours a day. It is also one of the most photographed sites, with panoramic views of the city (above). As it was Saturday afternoon, this tourist hot spot was in full swing. We did our best to avoid the touts at the base of the church, and then climbed the stairs to the summit. Along the main stairway were a group of locals who had set up a bit of live entertainment with acoustic guitars, singing in both English and French. It reminded me of the Spanish Steps in Rome.

After an afternoon of strolling around Montmarte we made our was to a fondue restuarant that had been recommended to us. Refuge des Fondus is a tiny, crowded space on a quiet and quaint street in Montmartre. Inside the restaurant, the walls are covered with graffitied proclamations like "Tim waz 'ere" and "I’m drunk!" It opens at 7pm and by 7.20 the place was jam packed, with people starting to queue outside - we thought this was a good sign.

Rather than pull out our crowded table, the French waiter made people walk over the table to take their seat in the booth. Next an aperitif (a glass of sweet wine rimmed with sugar) and a plate of finger foods were delivered and the waiter asked "Viande ou fromage?" to which I replied "fromage" - I went with the familiar as I couldn't understand what the other option was! (It was meat for those of you playing at home)



Then he hit us with “Blanc ou rouge?!” – I guess it’s just assumed that every diner will be having wine. He goes to the kitchen and returns with three baby bottles filled with wine, each complete with a big fat rubber nipple. I'm sure they introduced this concept just to have a laugh at the tourists drinking from baby bottles!




Our French man returned with the fondue. He lit the burner and we dug into the bubbling pot of yellow goo. The fondue was super-creamy and delicious, but after about five minutes of dipping and twirling I started feeling sick. I just can’t eat that much cheese! The people next to us, on the other hand, were obviously fine with cheese - they downed their entire pot in like four minutes!

When the waiter came to clear our table he seemed really disappointed that we hadn’t finished our cheese. Under pressure I couldn’t remember how to say “I’m finished” in French (which is so easy - Je suis fini) and instead repeated “Je ne suis pas faim. Je ne suis pas faim (I’m not hungry. I’m not hungry).” But I was still hungry, I just didn’t want any more cheese! Luckily I decided to have dessert which consisted of a lemon (citron) hollowed out, filled with sorbet and frozen solid. This could have been the best thing I had in Paris! It tasted like what I imagine sucking on a frozen lemon would be like - real fresh lemon sourness.

After dinner we made a stop back past the Eiffel Tower for a night view and the light show.

Sassi - Our French Bartender
Then our final destination for the evening.... Lisa was so in love with the chocolate mousse she had for dessert the previous night that we made a stop in on the way home to a place called Buffalo Grill near the hotel for her dessert!! It turned out to be a lot of fun, as our French waiter sat us at the bar and had a bit of fun with us... it also resulted in cocktails on the house! Lisa tried to tell the bartender "C'etait tres bon merci" (It was good thank you) but when his response was "Ooh La La".... we're not sure what he thinks she meant!! All in all a fun end to the night. And the best part was that our hotel was just around the corner.

Rue Du Faubourg Saint-Honore & Galeries Lafayette

After a morning at the Eiffel Tower, we caught the Metro to take a walk down Paris' equivalent of 5th Avenue - Rue Du Faubourg Saint-Honore. With nearly every global fashion house being represented here, it was like heaven to me! I only popped into a few shops for a quick browse, as it was rather depressing to see all the people who can really afford to shop there. At the end of this strip we crossed a few streets to visit Galeries Lafayette which opened in 1894 and is one of the oldest department stores in Paris spanning 4 blocks and 8 stories. The main building is topped with an intricate glass and steel dome (right), and the top floor has a terrace area with great views of Paris (below).

We stopped off for a bite to eat at a true Parisian cafe... and by true I mean it took ages to get served! And, of course, a french pastry!

Tour Eiffel

Our first morning in Paris, and where else but Tour Eiffel. We caught the Metro to the Left Bank to visit the Eiffel Tower. When we got there we were disappointed to learn that the viewing platform at the top was closed due to strong winds. So we decided to have a walk around the bottom and come back another time to climb to the top. The tower was built in 1887 by Gustave Eiffel and was the tallest building in the world until it was surpassed by New York's Empire State Building in 1931.

It was a lovely day - but still cold and very windy. We took a stroll around the gardens surrounding the tower, and managed to get some great snaps.

Bienvenue Vers Paris! (Welcome to Paris)

After a smooth trip on the Eurostar, we arrived in Paris! As we were pulling into Gare du Nord station, we noticed that people we very eager to get off the train. We soon found out why. We exited the terminal to join the cab queue.... now we know why everyone was in a hurry! It was very, very long. As it was raining and we were heading to the hotel to check in, we had no choice but to join the queue. An hour later we were finally on our way.

We arrived at the hotel - Hotel Amperes. It was a great hotel - we even had a balcony.... and if you stood on the bed on tippie toes you could just see the top of the Eiffel Tower. By the time we had checked in, we took a short stroll to a restaurant close by for a late dinner and then called it a night.

Eurostar to Paris

Bon Voyage! We boarded the Eurostar at Waterloo for a weekend in Paris. Cards were the entertainment of the trip - with a lively game of 'May I'. There were a few dummy spits... but with cards it should be expected! In 2 and 1/2 short hours we were pulling into Gare du Nord station in the heart of Paris!

Borough Markets

Today, we had a bit of a slow start - Lisa got hooked on watching back to back Season 3 of Grey's Anatomy last night and it was a very late one indeed! Once we got going we headed to London Bridge to the best food markets in London - The Borough Markets. We had a stroll around tasting cheese, jams, bread, sausage, pesto, cakes and brownies. It was amazing all the different types of ingredients available! I was very jealous - lots of things that are hard to get in Aus. We then made a stop at one of Lisa's favourite places - Neal's Yard Dairy (a Jamie Oliver favourite). They were the cheese experts! Every type of cheese imaginable. And they did a good job at selling their product... they sucked me in!

After a stroll around the markets tasting cheese, jams, breads, sausages, cakes and brownies we stopped off for the famous chicken burger with mayo mustard and relish.

Lisa stocked up on fudge as a snack for our train trip to Paris tonight. We then headed home to pack

It was another bright and sunny day in London... who said the weather is miserable here all the time! We caught the tube back to Canada Water and took a walk in the sunshine to Tesco before heading home to pack.

The Coal Hole

Does this pub look familiar to anyone?? Dad?? A reliable source informs me that around 30 years ago you were removed from this pub not of your own accord!! Lisa and I thought we'd get a photo just for old times sake...