Thoughts on Paris...

1. Wear sensible (yet pretty) shoes. Even if you don't plan on visiting 10 museums in 5 days, you'll be walking. Paris is the perfect city to view on foot. There's something new, exciting and full of life around every corner.

2. Take some kind of city tour early on in your stay. This will give you a better sense of all the different areas and let you know where you want to spend more of your time. We arranged for a private tour in a vintage Citroën car. It was awesome having the roof "rolled" down and looking out at all the amazing architecture. (our tour guide)

3. Prepare for stairs! 99% of the time, the toilette is not on the same floor as you are and more often than not, it's 2 stories down in the basement. There are also many opportunities to climb up to the top of these historic buildings and the views are certainly worth it. This is from the top of the Arc de Triomphe...(I just kept chanting "buns of steel, buns of steel" as I counted the 284 steps up to the top!)

4. Spend time by the river. The Seine is so vibrant and full of life. There are many beautiful bridges you can cross over and watch the canal and tour boats fighting the current, or pack a picnic and join the locals at the Ile de la Cité (home of the Notre Dame Cathedral), right in the centre of the action.

5. Have a crepe from a street vendor. This is one of the more affordable luxuries of Paris and oh so delicious. When George and I were there 14 years ago, this was our backpacking staple. They were just as delicious this time around - a savoury ham and cheese followed by a sweet nutella and banana to share.

6. Take the Metro! The system has 199 km (124 miles) of track and 15 lines. There are 368 stations (not including RER stations), 87 of these being interchanges between lines. Every building is within 500 metres of a métro station. There are 3500 cars which transport roughly 6 million people per day. There are 15000 employees of the métro. Yep, it's crazy and confusing but it's where you see the best of life happening - underground!

7. If you're a meat eater, always find out what part of the animal your dish is from. Just because it says lamb, that doesn't mean it's a chop!!! (don't ask:) sorry...no pic here!

8. Have a coffee. At any time of the day and into the night, you'll find Parisians sipping a coffee at one of the many brasseries on pretty much every corner. Café (kuh-fay) is plain coffee with nothing added, but is strong as it is brewed like espresso. The cups are small and usually come with 2 cubes of sugar. A breakfast of "pain au chocolat" (chocolate filled croissant) and a cup of café is a perfect start to a day in Paris!

9. Baguettes, Baguettes, Baguettes. Get one while they're still warm and bite off a chunk as you're leaving the store - just like a local. The baguette is a descendant of the bread developed in Vienna in the mid-19th century when steam ovens were first brought into use, helping to make possible the crisp crust and the white crumb pitted with holes that still distinguish the modern baguette. Long loaves had been made for some time but in October 1920 a law prevented bakers from working before 4am, making it impossible to make the traditional, often round loaf in time for customers' breakfasts. The slender baguette solved the problem because it could be prepared and baked much more rapidly.

10. La Tour Eiffel. Go to the top if you can - the line up is well worth the wait. From any angle though, this is the ultimate symbol of Paris so soak it in and enjoy the VIEW!!! As you can see, we sure did!