Hosts of posts about .... Paris

Another week in my favourite city.  The whole point of this journey was the 'Annual Rovers Meet up' of PJ's Scouting friends.  We met up on the Friday and dispersed on the Sunday but PJ and I stayed over for a few more days .... have to doncha!!
There will be lots of photos, hopefully, and lots of laughs .... we had lots of food and drink as well but they don't translate into typing!!
The sun shone every day, it felt like Summer especially with most of the flowers in bloom and the leaves on the trees.

We travelled down to London by coach and PJ had his early start!!!  The taxi arrived at 04.15hrs as we had to be at Digbeth in time to catch the 05.00hrs coach.  See what I mean ... just loves an early start.  I don't really mind as I am not awake, just travelling in automatic mode 'go here', 'go there', 'sit here', 'sit there', all the same to me until I have had a coffee that is!
The taxi flew along empty roads and green lights so that we could arrive at 04.25hrs .... nice and early like ...
The coach soon filled up - all that queuing and waiting for the driver to check the tickets - not any more .... leave the cases and tickets with one person and everyone else get on board!!!  Soooo funny - not.  I am a quick learner and climbed on board to get the seat behind the driver ... thankfully most people wanted to get down the back.  As we pulled away PJ suggested (a change of plan!) we get of the coach at Golders Green and go straight to St Pancras on the Underground (Tube) - ok.  I'll go with that ... was looking forward to travelling on a red London Bus (original plan) and the ride round London seeing places I haven't visited but  .... Tube is good.

Inside St Pancras Station

So at 07.45hrs, inside St Pancras Station, there we were - sitting in Costa having a coffee and texting two of the lads who were on the 07.55hrs Eurostar!!   What time did our train leave?  15.37hrs.  We took an hour over our coffee, changed some cash, wandered round some shops, by which time I was very cold and waking up!!!  We went to see if we could go through to Duty Free but the very pretty blonde lady said no and I said I wasn't going back into the cold hall.  She took our tickets and then came back with fresh ones for the next train .... our gasts were flabbered!  I wanted to hug her, but allowed my English composure to just say thank and shake her hand.  THEN she escorted us through Customs to the actual border so that we bypassed all the queues, I am loving it.  I thanked her profusely.

Gare De Nord, Paris

We boarded the train and found our seats, we were travelling backwards but at this point I didn't mind!!  We settled down and somewhere around Ashford I closed my eyes and when I opened them we were in France!! Such a quick journey and the Tunnel!  What Tunnel?!?!  PJ was as amazed as me that we had BOTH slept ... unheard of for me to sleep.

Paris was warm and sunny so we made our way to the Bar where we had arranged to meet Rover 1, thinking that we now had four hours to wait but hey!    this is Paris!

Bar Au Baroudeur

We found a table down the end of the windows outside, as One does in Paris!  The waiter was friendly and spoke some English so we sat and watched Paris go by.

Bikes at charging points

I bought some postcards - the first of many! - and we sat there in the sunshine, watching the ParisBikes fill the charging points and then be taken off to be ridden who knows where ..... 

The two ladies at the next table were eating some delicious food and we felt quite hungry so we ordered a Croque Madame - Croque Monsieur with an egg - and frittes of course!! - hot, crispy, soft inside chips.

After another couple of hours we left the bar and waited on the corner for Rover 1 and then caught a taxi round to the Hotel.

After a wash and brush up, we emerged to meet up with the others and have something to eat ........