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PARIS EXPERIENCE Fun on the Continent December 2004 Tunnels, Towers and Baguettes Our regular city experiences went international as we bagged some seats on the Eurostar and headed to Paris. Early start Everybody made it to Walton station at a totally unreasonable hour to board the early train to London. It was even more unreasonably busy, but we all managed to find a seat. Eurostar Going on Eurostar is a bit like going on a plane, in every respect except flying itself. We raided the shops the other side of passport control, and boarded the train. We took over all but two seats of an entire carriage (sorry if you occupied the other two seats) and made our way noisily towards France. Ticketmaster Eurostar did us a fab deal on the tickets - thanks! Unfortunately Ed confused everyone by dishing out the return tickets at Waterloo, thus meaning nobody was able to get through the barriers. Quite funny watching people try though. Toilet applause Everybody who used the toilet in our carriage was greeted with a round of applause. The longer you were in there, the more profound the applause. Seems fair. Paris We arrived in Paris and were instantly impressed. It's got a great atmosphere. We were less impressed by the queues for the Metro and the crowds on them. It was like travelling in a cattle-cart. Still, it got us about everywhere we needed to. We enjoyed wandering around the city, taking in the views and getting close-up to some of the famous places you see in all the postcards. Champs Elysee We trotted along Paris' most famous street in order to sniff out a decent place to have lunch. Some people got a baguette, croissant or other type of food you can buy in English supermarkets. The cultured ones opted for a French restaurant selling French dishes like Royales with Cheese and le Big Macs. Nice to eat it with a view of the Arc de Triumph too. Paris Sewers We went on an underground tour of the Paris Sewers. The smell was as you'd expect, and next time we'll be taking some sort of breathing apparatus. It was actually very interesting discovering the history (and journey) of the evolving waste and water management in a city as big as Paris. The scouts seemed to find the 'floaters' in one of the channels even more interesting. Parents won't be looking forward to the photos being developed! Catacombs Unfortunately the people who run the Catacombs decided for it to be closed, contrary to what their website says and what their historical opening hours have been. Boo! We've put you on the same list as South Central trains. Eiffel Tower The undoubted highlight of the trip was an ascent of the legendary Eiffel Tower. It looks amazing from the bottom or afar, but the view from the top is as good as it gets. We went by night, when the sea of lights below takes your breath away. Even got to watch a game of football going on in the stadium below. The scouts insisted on running down the stairs rather than taking the lift, not sure why, but it seemed more noble. The scouts behaved impressively across the weekend and it's nice to keep our record of first-class international (and urban) events intact. Watch out the rest of metropolitan Europe - we're coming to get ya!