About Me

Amateur Photographer and part-time traveller. Travelled New York to San Francisco by car and train and back to NYC by train in August/September 2017. Returned to USA in March 2018 to see my girlfriend, Nancy whom I met on the train in September.

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Saturday 28 March 2015

Best Day in Paris So Far

The day started really well when I joined one of the free walking tours of Paris
 
 
 
This is the famous Moulin Rouge (Red Windmill) in Montmarte
 

Our guide (wearing the pink vest) showed us round Montmarte in the North of Paris which has kept its village atmosphere
 

This is a statue of a famous Parisian singer. The guide told us if you place your hand on her breasts it will bring you seven years of good luck. One of the walking tour made sure he got his seven years.
 

Elsewhere in Montmartre the guide showed us the short bus which was specially built to negotiate Montmartre's narrow streets.
 

This is a dramatic moment. Just as the guide was pointing out a local landmark a small boy (not the one in the photo) ran down the street and straight on to the crossing just as a car was speeding down the hill. The guide grabbed the child back just in time. Cue one very grateful parent.
 
 

This is the end of the tour where you can see the beautiful Sacre Coeur church.
The guide had mentioned three really good restaurants down a side street where the tourists didn't go. I went down there and met up with a really nice couple from Brighton who had been on the walking tour and we had a lovely meal together. I told them why I was in Paris and all about Eileen and they thought it was a wonderful idea. The tour guide walked past, saw us inside and joined us for a drink.
 

On my way to a photography exhibition I came across these wooden sunbeds that the council had left out for people to use. Sunbathing on a cold March day? That's Parisians for you!
 

While waiting to go into the exhibition I spotted this gentleman giving his little dog a lift in his wheelchair.
 
 
After going back to the hotel for a well-earned rest I went out at 10pm for a meal. I came across a nice little restaurant just around the corner from the hotel. At the next table was a family group with a little girl the centre of attention. After a few minutes the little girl came over to me and started speaking to me in French. I managed to get from her hand gestures that she was now three. I asked the mother if her little girl had ever seen a man in a kilt before. I passed my phone over so she could see my kilt selfie. The girl giggled, put her hand over her mouth and then indicated with her hands what a big belly I had. I tried to point out to her that it was really camera distortion but her English wasn't very good. As they were getting ready to leave the little girl rushed over to me, put her arms round me and gave ma a kiss! I asked the mother if I could take a picture of her and her daughter and she agreed. Like almost everyone else I had met I told Eileen's story to the parents and they were very happy for me. A perfect way to end a perfect day!
 
 



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