France and Switzerland, August 2022

9-12th August - France

Once departed, the train journey was pleasant, and after what didn't seem like a very long time at all, we arrived in the centre of Paris. There's something great about walking from home to the local station, getting on a train, and ending up in the middle of a city in a different country.

We don't care much for cities, but Paris is kind of on the way to Switzerland, so it seemed like a good idea to spend a few days there rather than just pass through. We were expecting it to be dirty, unfriendly, and expensive, but actually it turned out to be none of these: running along la Seine early in the morning to beat the heat, I saw workers washing away urine, cleaning grafitti, and picking up rubbish; shopkeepers and waitresses were friendly, and the food extremely good and cheaper than eating out in Guiseley!

After a bit of sightseeing, we attempted to go to the Louvre, but after queuing for 2 hours in relentless sun, close to heat exhaustion, we gave up and went back to the apartment, right in the centre of Quartier des Halles. Air conditioned, endless free coffee, and right next to a boulangerie. And then Matthew's vomiting started.

With Matthew confined to bed, and Debbie picking the short straw to look after him, Megan and I set off on an evening adventure to the Eiffel Tower, wilfully ignoring the Google Maps suggestions that certain Metro lines were closed and getting somewhat lost when we found they were indeed closed. The Eiffel Tower in my mind was one of those overrated tourist magnets, bound to disappoint. On arrival, we stood underneath and stared up... it's not overrated: it's truly enormous*! A magnificent structure, all the more impressive given it was only meant to be temporary. Though apparently not universally liked: French writer Guy de Maupassant hated it so much he ate lunch in it every day, as it was the only place he could sit and not see the blot on the Paris skyline.

Mindful of our ordeal trying to find the tower, we opted to follow Google's directions back to the apartment precisely, and hopped onto the indicated bus, confident of an uneventful return journey. We then watched in dismay as we started to travel out of Paris in the wrong direction. After an abrupt disembarkation, we concluded it would be quicker to simply walk back, and arrived at the apartment at midnight after a pleasant walk along the warm streelit Seine.

Just to prove it's not just British incompetence, the next day, the queues in Gare de Lyon to get the train to Switzerland were also unmanageable, and half an hour after the train was due to leave, they abandoned the idea of checking people's tickets and just herded everyone onto the train.

* Fun fact: if you built a box around it, the air contained within would weigh more than the ironwork.