A weekend in Paris

As we begin to feel a bit more settled here in France, we are finally getting out and about more in Paris. For my birthday weekend, Keith and I took advantage of the fact that my Mum was visiting us to leave the girls at home and spend a night in the city.


We stayed on Rue Scribe in the appropriately named and luxurious Hotel Scribe right in the heart of the historic Opera district.


We spent Saturday afternoon checking out the last day of les soldes in Galeries Lafayette. An incredible theatre for shopping. Then miraculously fourteen of our friends had managed to find a babysitter and joined us for dinner at Brasserie Gallopin. I was having too much of a good time to take any decent photos but this is what the restaurant looked like. Everything you would imagine a Paris brasserie should be with excellent food and service to go with the good looks. We would definitely recommend.


We woke up on Sunday to blue skies and sunshine so after breakfast we set out into what turned out to be the last day of the big freeze to explore some of the most famous sights of Paris.


In Place de L'Opera, the stunning Opera National de Paris glistened in the winter sunshine.

We walked down Avenue de L'Opera to the Louvre.


I have yet to visit the museum since we moved here - don't worry I will - but Keith did take the big girls to see the Mona Lisa at Christmas. Believe it or not, they chose to go there rather than Disneyland!


We carried on our walk through the Jardin de Tuileries.


It was still so cold that the ponds were frozen over.


Chilly weather for seagulls!


We walked back to Place Vendome past the Ritz and the high end boutiques and on Avenue de la Paix found this amazing window display in the Repetto store.

The history and fabrication of the tutu. This fascinating and gorgeous exhibition appealed to the sewer and former curator in me. An unexpected and unique end to one of the most famous walks around Paris.