Happy Birthday to Me

Yesterday was my 26th birthday, and I didn't even have time to wake up and have my annual freak-out as I was up in the FOURS. Something which I am usually violently opposed to except when it is for the purpose of travel - and yesterday it was. Last year I spent my 25th birthday in Amsterdam cycling along canals and had such a lovely time, I decided that all birthdays should be spent in another part of the world (I realised this rule had also been adopted by Jen Ven who spent her birthday in Siem Reap with Cambodian coconut cake and many rum smoothies). So this year I was up so early in the morning because I was going to PARIS!

We got a ridiculously early Eurostar and, having slept through most of the journey, arrived in Paris a little after 10am. First we walked through tiny and eerily quiet streets towards the district of Monmartre, so that we could see the Scare Coeur basilica and the famous steps, which are Ollie's favourite Parisian landmark. We walked up ALL of the steps, shunning the cable car, so that we could reach the top and get an amazing view of Paris. Following this, we walked all the way back down, dodging the guys selling bracelets and models of the Eiffel tower and went to find some lunch. We had lunch in this beautiful little organic cafe and gorged ourselves on soup and bread, vegetable tartlets, salads, cakes and yummy little French sweet things. Then we walked off lunch and went to the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower before spending the evening drinking in the Left Bank. Unfortunately we were unable to stay and fully experience Paris nightlife, but definitely some other time.