Checked out of hotel and headed for the Gare de Nord. My train wasn`t until 17.30 so had a few hours to kill so headed up to Montmartre. It`s a steap climb up but you are rewarded with a fantastic view, especially if you climb all the stairs to the dome on top of Sacré Cœur. The whole of Paris is laid out at your feet.

Spent some time wandering the lanes of the village in the footsteps of Van Gough and Renior., before heading for the train and the three hour journey back to London

Spent the day in the luxurious surroundings of Versailles. An amazing place in a gorgeous location. It’s not far from Paris, just 30 mins on the metro, Was a bit packed but I managed to squeeze my way in and enjoy the sights. There is a magnificent Chapel, a wonderful opera house and the stunning Hall of Mirrors, which is just finishing a massive restoration project. There are also the grounds with lakes and formal gardens, plus The Petit Trianon where Marie Antoinette could play at being a housewife. The park has a whole model village built for the Queen including a farm and a dairy. Must have been quite idyllic and a bit of a shock when she was dragged of to Paris to face the guillotine.

Spent the morning in The Louvre, immersing myself in art and culture. Saw all the big ones, Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo etc, plus a few hundred others. It`s an amazing place and you could spend days in there and not see everything. The apartments of Napoleon the third are sumptuous beyond belief.
A beautiful day so spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the islands of the Seine. Popped into Notra Dame. There was some sort of pantomime on with guys in funny costumes waving smoke around and warbling. Very entertaining.
Finished with a boat trip along the river as the sun went down.