Hello Paris! Hello Jessie!

My much anticipated trip of the year arrived through a blur of a final essay, and tidying up a million bits and pieces for work, to be able to leave the country for a month! Clexane injections to prevent coagulation, and a hot and surreal plane change in Doho, and finally I was in Paris!

I made my way to our hostel, where I found Jessie, and Heath, who I hadn't seen since Barbados!

After freshening up, we went downstairs and found a street facing table at a nearby bar, for beers and catching up, where Hemant, Rhys, Belinda, Jess, Tamara, Dillo, and Remy found us. As a big group, we weaved through the streets to find the Latin Quarter for dinner.

The next morning, I went with Hemant to Montmarte, whilst Jessie and Heath went to see the Eiffel Tower for the first time. Checking out Sacre Coeur, and the little streets overlooking Paris, we the found the Moulin Rouge in the daylight, and wondered down the red light street for a giggle. He-man and I then got the metro to go and meet up with Jessie and Heath, on the grass below the Tower.

Rhys came to join us, before we walked to the Arc de Triomphe, and under the crazy round-a-bout to explore it. Last time I was here, we didn't climb up into the Arc, but Jessie and I were rewarded for our climb by seeing reference to the Aussie version of the Arc, being the one and only Arch of Victory, in Ballarat!

I loved Paris more this time than last time, I think because I wasn't rushing around to see all the sights, so I could just soak it up. Plus the weather was glorious, and so it wasn't the kind of hard work Winter in Europe makes everything!

Back to the hostel, we all got ourselves ready for our exciting dinner date for the evening. Now, the story goes that when Jessie was working in Edinburgh, she met an older gent who said she should come to his place for dinner when she's in Paris. Turns out that gent was Jim Haynes, and he has a dinner at his place most Sunday evenings, with a collection of people from around the world who hear about it through word of month. How amazing it that!

Our large group made it to the address, and whilst we were not meant to be such a group as it's not the flavour of the event, we soon found a spot out in the courtyard, and enjoyed the meal that was put together by a Chef from London.

Several wines into the evening, a few of us set out to embody the spirit of Jim's vision, and mingled with older couples from Boston, a freelance writer from Edinburgh, a German scientist....and 2 sisters from Ballarat, Australia! No kidding, we are everywhere!