Last Paris post - for now...

So I have left Paris now - the month is over unfortunately. I loved it though and I am really sad that I had to leave actually. I am in London now eating chocolate and drinking Spanish wine with Leon in preparation for my trip to Barcelona tomorrow morning (and I also have to leave at 3am for my flight and its currently 10.45 and I haven't finished packing)!

I've uploaded some of the better shots from the final week I was in Paris, so enjoy! But before I let you scroll through - like you haven't already! - I'd like to write about some of the things I did in the last week that were so cool that I forgot to take photos...

I went to The Tennessee Bar (which is like a sister bar to La Cameleon and I have previously spoken about) quite a bit. I have made friends with the bar staff and took various other friends there so that they could experience such a friendly, beautiful bar too. Its become like my 'cheers'! Then the bar manager said he wanted to show me the caberet before I left so I went there with him one night after the bar closed and it was sensational! I didn't pay for it which is great because its sooooo expensive to get it. It runs all night till 6am - and we stayed until then. I have to say that the highlight of the night was the little black guy with an afro who sang R.E.S.P.E.C.T so much like Aretha Franklin that it was disturbing and wonderful at the same time. This is the cabaret that the girls from the Moulin Rouge go to on their night off. In fact there were 5 or so there that night who were dragged on stage to participate. In fact it is so small (in a little wine cave under a piano bar restaurant) that every audience member is encouraged to get up. This was such an incredible night!

Also, last night I watched a french film with no subtitles and I understood 90% of what was said! I'm so excited!!

Anyway - enough rambling... enjoy...

Jardin du Luxembourg. This is my favourite place in Paris for a picnic lunch.

And the Catacombs which run under Paris. They were originally mines for the stone to build with, but 200 years ago Paris had a big sanitary problem with the cemetaries, so they dug up the bones and transported them at night under priest escort. Absolutely fascinating. The bones are all lined up neatly by type and labelled by date and where they were dug up from. There are even alters where they had services down there (20m underground). It was also used during ww2 by the resistance. I'm not the sort of person who is worried by small spaces but I have to say that half way down the tiny spiral staircase, I was feeling a little less than ok!

This was the only candle in the whole place. I don't know what it was for specifically. Its so dark down there and it drips water from above.

Pont de Bir Hakeim

The Musee de Rodin - or at least the garden. This is amazing. I went on a Sunday morning and it was a little grey and overcast - the first day I had in Paris that actually felt cool. I wandered around with my iPod on listening to Radiohead and it was sensational. Then I sat by the pond for half an hour. Its such a peaceful place.

The famous Le Penseur (or The Thinker in English) It sits in the garden along with all the others. I can't believe how relaxed the French are about their beautiful artworks and monuments in general. I guess they just have so much...

So now I'm in London and I took this photo last night in China Town. Hehe.

Sit tight for Spain...