Tuesday 22 February We thought we'd celebrate John's birthday by going to church (well, for a look anyway)! Saint Eustache church is a hybrid Gothic/Renaissance affair (it took 105 years to build) just down the road from where we're staying. It has been the scene of many historically significant ceremonies such as the communion of Louis XIV, the baptisms of Cardinal Rischelieu and Madame Pompadour and the marriage of the playwright Molière. Next we headed off to the Conciergerie - former royal palace and prison on Ile-de-la-cité. It's most famous for being the prison used by the Revolutionary Tribunal to hold those about to lose their heads(!), including Marie Antoinette and Robespierre. There's even a guillotine blade on display. During the 'reign of terror' (1793-4) more than 2,700 people were despatched by "Madame Guillotine"! We headed ... read more

Well, it's great to be back in Paris - even though we're both really tired! The flights were uneventful (which is the way we like them!). The only upset was finding out we were flying on a 747 instead of an A380. I was relying on getting some work done during the flight, but didn't take a spare laptop battery because the A380 has laptop power! Ah, c'est la vie! I did get some done - but the biggest problem was simply lack of space. Once the person in front of me pushed their seat back, I was stuffed! So, there was nothing for it but to watch movies! It was foggy in London, so we saw hardly anything flying in or out. Saw even less of the channel - too much cloud. We were rather ... read more