Happy Anniversary :-)

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Hard to believe so much has happened in just a year, but there ya go, we made it!

Got up at 7 for breakfast, and predictably even in our teeny hotel we got lost trying to find the dining room - it was below ground level and quite reminiscent of the underground restaurants in Bath (think onefishtwofish) After a very good breakfast (can't go wrong with copious amounts of scrambled eggs first thing in the morning!) we (or possibly I) decided it was far too early and went back to sleep for a few more hours.

When we did get up we decided to head into central Paris to check out Napoleon's tomb (guess whose idea that was) After successfully navigating the Metro to St François-Xavier we decided to get a quick drink in a café... turns out this is nigh on impossible in Paris. The general setup is as follows: you walk through the door and are immediately greeted by a serveur, who ushers you to a table and provides you with their full lunch menu and two sets of cutlery. They are so efficient and eager to please (very unlike the old stereotype!) that you'd feel bad NOT ordering some proper food. We eventually found a little place called LM's Crepes and decided it was a sign. They really should jump on the bandwagon back home - there is very little in the world that beats a hot chocolate and banana crepe.

We found Napoleon's tomb, and about 10 minutes later successfully found the entrance as well. All I have to say about the guy is... he thought a LOT of himself. Statues and dedications aplenty. To be fair it was all very impressive and a lot of it quite pretty, but a giant sarcophagus surrounded by statues, sitting on a circle which lists your most famous battles in its circumference??? Come on...

After deigning not to pay a ridiculous amount for the privilege of using their smelly toilets, we left the tomb and searched for another café, where we felt obliged to buy a full meal just to use their loo - figure that one out for sense. After that it was time to finally meet Faye, rather prosaically under the Eiffel Tower. Her best friend Abi was in Paris with her as well but wasn't feeling great so she went back to their hostel while the three of us wandered along the Seine admiring French-looking buildings. Matt and I also checked out the dinner cruises and booked one for the evening. Having paid rather a lot for a rather posh night out, I realised I had very little to wear, so we took the guidebook's advice and got the metro to Abbesses. I am never taking advice from a guidebook again. Sure, it was indeed a fashionable district with lots of clothes shops. It was also bloody expensive. Eventually managed to find a jacket for an almost reasonable price and got the hell out of there!!!

By the time we got back to the hotel it was a rush to get ready and I discovered the perils of buying cheap disposable razors - those things are vicious. Realised I'd neglected to bring a suitable bag to go with my outfit, so I did the unthinkable and committed a full-on fashion faux-pas in the fashion capital of the world - I teamed a brown bag with my black dress. The shame, the shame...

The cruise was... well, amazing, worth every penny (or cent, as would be more accurate in France) The food was incredible, the onboard band and singers were fantastic and the views were breathtaking (I've lost count of how many times I've visited the Eiffel Tower over the years, and I still just can't take enough photos of it lit up at night) The only slight downside was that our waiter insisted on addressing me as Madame - way to scare off the boyfriend, thanks!

We got back pretty late after wandering the Parisian streets for a bit, and Matt produced the champagne and chocolates he'd secretly bought earlier in the day - perfect end to a perfect day! Though next year I think our combined bank balances will stretch about as far as a trip to McDonald's...

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