Paris in November

Diamond Holidays were offering a value weekend break in Paris which we couldn't resist.  Bad timing but one has to do it!!!
We left home on Friday morning to catch the train to London - PJ had downloaded the tickets - so it was non stop to St Pancras where we met up with fellow coach passengers and our Rep - Alex.  He was a young Frenchman, living up north so he had already been travelling for several hours.

When we arrived at Gare de Nord, Alex led us round to the coach so that we could arrive at the Hotel safely - Paris rush hour traffic is not for the faint hearted.
The Hotel is in La Defense area and was very clean and modern, the room a modern cube!!!
We decided we would have our meal in the Hotel and it was a delight - best meal the whole weekend (apart from the one that Rover 1 cooked for us!)
Next day we caught the Metro and RER to see Rover 1 and M, stopping for a quick shop at C&A - of course!!!.  We each chose a coat for the winter, mine has a removable fur lining.  We managed to see some of the 'Dressed for Christmas' windows at Printemps but we still had to travel over to meet up with Rover 1 and time was running out.  We stopped off at the Charolais Bar and eventually wandered back to the apartment.  We decided to have a meal out at a bar which would give us less distance to go to Gare de Lyon and our return journey back to the Hotel.  Le Bistrologue had a covered area outside for dining.  We all had something different, I had a salad with Mazzarella & Walnut - yum! yum!
The next day we were up early as I wanted to visit Le Marche - I need books!!  We managed to get the Metro the Square, lost our way a bit (as one does) and then we were there .......

I wandered along the lines of stalls and found some booklets on Versailles so I bought three of them, two for some of the other members of the group.  I eventually found a couple of books that could be useful for my cardmaking  - when I approached the guy to pay him, he cheekily said "Oh! no! not you again!"  I guess he didn't like my haggling!!!!  We wandered back to the Charolais to wait for the terrible two, it was very busy and there was much laughter and singing!!  We stayed to see the start of the last F1 race and wandered back to the apartment.  Rover 1 cooked lunch and then we all moved out onto the balcony, watching the emptiness of the market being cleared and cleaned.  It was most peculiar to think that we were sitting out on the Balcony until quite late and it was mid November, the Tour d'Effel sparkling on the hour!
We packed our cases ready for the off next day and collapsed into bed.
Another sun shiney day  - our last in Paris - so we were going to spend the morning wandering around La Defense to look at all the changes since our last visit.  We wandered up the esplanade towards the Grand Arch.
Absolutely amazing!
When we last came here there were hoardings along each side of the esplanade, now there were tower blocks of all shapes, and the largest shopping area I have seen in ages.





There will be a Christmas market open soon so at the moment it is just a collection of huts but......
..... from the top of the steps we could see over them straight across to the Arc de Triomphe.

After we left the Grand Arch we decided to have a cup of coffee so wandered into the shopping centre and found a Costa ...... we must have walked for hours looking at all the shops (and C&A!).  We eventually came outside and, as we still had time to spare and the office workers were coming out of their offices for lunch, we decided to sit and watch..........  the view was interesting ..... men in suits ...... women in suits ..... folk in casuals walking their dogs...... From C&A across the Grand Arch to the offices on the other side ........... and the 'art work' of course........

I could have sat in the sunshine for a while longer, it was so peaceful and it is good to watch the world going by .....
All too soon we had to turn round and return to the hotel .......

We had Croque Monsieur for lunch in the reception restaurant and all the others joined us as we waited for the coach.  We returned to Gare du Nord through Montmartre, which was a bonus for us, seeing all the old places where we stayed before.
Alex managed to get our group onto Eurostar before all the other passengers and before we knew it, there we were ...... in among the rush hour of London.  We managed to get our train back to Brum and, one bus later, we were walking in the frost!  Yes!  FROST!  I could not believe it!  And where was my fur lining, my beautiful fur lining?  Packed away in my case!!!
We managed to shiver our way home and collapse into bed!!!