Paris - Mum's 10 Challenges!

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Paris - Mum’s 10 Challenges! (5th-8th June, 2007)

For Mothers Day last year I gave mum a voucher which Jessica put together for me and it said that I would take her to Paris for the weekend when she came out to see me. The voucher had a picture of the Eiffel Tower in the background and listed 10 challenges that she must complete while in Paris.

In true ‘Mum Style’ all 10 challenges were completed leaving us with lots of great memories. These were the challenges with an extra one added in for some more laughs!

1. Climb the Eiffel Tower using the steps.

2. Find the Mona Lisa in the Louvre Museum (there are just one or two signs in the Louvre that help!).

3. Eat a course of Escargots (snails). The eating part wasnn't the challenge but getting the slimy little suckers out of their shells!

4. Eat a course of cuisses de grenouilles (frogs legs). A bit like chicken mum said!

5. Sample every flavour of crepes on offer including; fromage and jambon (cheese and ham), chocolat and banane and chantilly (chocolate, banana and whipped cream) and nutella. There were many crepes consumed during our 4 days in Paris and on some days more than one!

6. Enjoy an evening at the Moulin Rouge. It was a fantastic show to finish off a great evening that started with dinner at a restauant up the Eiffel Tower and then a cruise on the Seine River. Lots of big colourful costumes and in between the dancing and singing there were comedy performances. There was also a big glass water tank that rose up from the stage and a performer swam with 2 giant snakes. Mum didn't realise at the time that the snakes were actually real!

7. Cruise along the Seine River. Mum did this one twice. The first was part of the Moulin Rouge evening before it got dark and the second was a romantic cruise with Rupesh and I to see the Paris night lights.

8. Drink van Chaud (hot red wine with a few spices). Mum had her share of these in the French Alps so we went for French Champagne instead dictated by the weather of course.

9. Eat baguettes with cheese. During our travels through France I don't think a day went by where we didn't consume a baguette. On the Eurostar on the way back to London we enjoyed a picnic with French wine, baguettes, cheese, fruit and creme brulee lindt chocolate.

10. Drive around the Arc De Triomphe. We may have been in a bus at the time (the safest option!!).

Challenge Number 11 - Everyone over here thinks mum has a very strong Aussie accent so to hear her try and speak in French was really very amusing. Mum had to go in to a Boulangerie and order a baguette in French. She did it and came out with a baguette!

We had almost 4 days in Paris, catching the Eurostar from London on the Tuesday morning and returning on the Friday evening. We spent 3 nights in a hotel in the Latin Quarter which is popular for it’s social scene and having many great restaurants.

Rupesh was in Paris for work on the Thursday and took us out for dinner where we enjoyed some fine French champagne. Later that evening we cruised along the Seine River, enjoying the lights across Paris.

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