Brussels not sprouts

We stopped in Belgium for a couple of nights (to miss the storms in London - not interested in the wind and rain, only snow!) and found the didn't speak Belgiumese but French and Anglais too luckily. Also Dutch and Flanders but not so much in Brussels. 

We got to see over 100 amazing parts of Europe today - all at a scale of 1/25. 

Next door was the Atomium - pretty impressive. It was constructed in 1958, the year Mum and Dad got married. 

And back to town and 'The Grand Place' for waffles and coffee. Yum!

Comic strips - they have these all over Brussels. 

And some cool ads

The famous 'Manneken-Pis'

!

Would have got this model for you Mike - but it was a tad over our budget!

Post Paris reminisce

We had numerous coffees, orange juices and croissants at numerous cafés - all warm and cosy while the rest of Paris hustled and bustled by.

We had several meals chosen at random from French menus which thankfully were all good and none of which featured raw mince so no having to hide bits all over the place like Mr Bean. 

French women are wearing massive chunky knitted scarfs this year which are tied around the neck of their hooded coats so the massive fur lining of said hoods surround their beautiful faces. They are wearing their hair long and their dresses/coats short with long opaque and booted legs. Older French women are also wearing lots of fur and perfect makeup and grooming. French men and women of all ages have darling little dogs which go everywhere - on trains, in shops etc. 

We climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower and saw Paris laid out all round, we climbed to the top of the Arc De Triomphe. We walked the length of Champs-Élysées - and the Christmas Village from Rond Point to the Place de la Concorde. We went to the Louvre museum where I came within touching distance to those famous works of art, sculpture, objects and architecture that only ever existed in media. There they were, for real! We also visited the Centre Georges Pompidou and the Musee d'Orsay where it was the same; Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, degas... (gaspy gaspies) I am so going to get back into my painting when I get home!

We spent our last day in Paris at Montmarte and climbed the hill to Sacré-Cœur and Place de Terte where I had my portrait done on the spot by one of the many resident artists. We also visited Pigalle and the Moulin Rouge. Yes, there it all was too. 

And on the way to all these places we walked and saw and took photos. We used the Metro, just like the London Tube - just as busy, dense and efficient. The coffee was good. Our small bits of French were improved and served us well complimented by the fact that they all seemed to know 'Anglais'. 

It's what I've heard, read, seen on TV  and in films and pictures that makes being in Paris so amazing to me. And now that we have been there, we have a dozen or so movies we want to see again. A week was not long enough! And Paris is not enough. We took the train to Belgium and passed a whole other side to France. A road trip in summer would be ideal! 

Au Revoir Paris!

Had an amazing time in Paris. The last two days were spent walking the streets, visiting the sights, enjoying coffee and patisseries, gasping at the works of the 'great painters' (but sadly not the female ones because they weren't allowed in the art schools of the time), and trying to lap as much of it all up as possible!

Pont des Arts, al la 'Lovelock Bridge'

My digital versions of Van Gough

Not quite me but a genuine piece of French art nonetheless!

:-)

Journey to the centre of the Louvre

'Twas a fine day for a walk so we wandered across town to the Louvre. Along the way, there was Paris....just there at every turn.

(This reminded me of Dr Who - 'Blink')

And then - the Louvre, where we spent the rest of the day - and probably got to only see half of it! 

For you Bernie...

And of course....

By which time we were stuffed. Yah for Le Metro!