Au revoir Paris... pour maintenant

Paris, you are an utter delight and I will miss your seductive charms.

Such as Le Marais - how can you not have a good time in the old Jewish quarter (ie. amazing food) and the gay centre (= best nightspots) of Paris?

And the Latin Quarter - more cafes and bistros per square kilometre than anywhere else in the city, hip shopping and the best people watching in Paris.

St Germain-des-Pres and Rive Gauche - less funky but never fails to deliver with its leafy boulevards, historic cafes and of course, home of all the best fashion labels from around le monde.

The delightful and quirky juxtaposition of old and new which somehow just works.

The patissiers and chocolate shops. This one is literally 10 steps from my house - so far I've resisted actually going in but I window shop every day...

There is however one thing however, my darling Paris, my love - but only one - that I won't miss...

Final musings

So I head back to Paris and it's my last night in the apartment. It's a hot Paris summer's evening so I'm sitting at the double windows that open out onto the shared courtyard below.  The downstairs neighbours have returned from their summer vacances and a light breeze and their music are wafting up, both of which make a nice accompaniment to my chilled Rose.


In my final days I have made a few lovely last-minute discoveries - just when I thought Paris had nothing left to offer - in the words of a famous NZ beer - yeah, right!  

On the way in from the airport I finally spotted the infamous Shakespeare & Co. - a famed English language book shop on the left bank, opposite Notre Dame.  I was beginning to think it was a fictional character in a book but not only is it real, it's probably one of the most amazing bookshops I've ever been in. Legend has it they never turn anyone away and that you can sleep here for free in exchange for working in the shop if you're desperate.

And I've turned into an avid "Invader" spotter - three more tropies!  The most exciting of which was just steps from the apartment on the street corner in Vincennes. I'm sure it's new and has gone up since I've been here as I simply can't believe I didn't spot it before.

And these two in Le Marais.

And the cars!!! Too amazing to mention them all here (and I never get my camera out in time to photograph them as they whiz by) but it's a joy to see old cars still being used normalement. 

Old Citroens and Renaults in the main, but also loads and loads of original Minis like this one. You can't really see it in the photo but it the cutest little black canvas sunroof - such a poppet.

I'm sending out an SOS

Hvar and the islands immediately surrounding it seem to be reminiscent of what (I imagine) Ibiza was like 20 years ago.  You can just jump in any one of a number of local little boats and they will take you out to any of the islands and drop you anywhere you like, depending on what you feel like that particular day.

You can choose from any one of a number of stunning beaches (well, more like smooth rocks) but all with the most amazingly clear water, among other things...

Or the beach clubs that are common in Europe but with huge big cushions you can either lounge around on in situ if you want 'cushion service', or you're welcome to drag them anywhere you like along the beach for more privacy. In all cases clothing is completely optional. And I mean completely.

And of course in both cases drinks are always available, and the local beer is cheaper than bottled water. And no I can't remember what it's called on account of probably consuming too many.

When the sun goes down, the real action starts. This is the Hula Hula bar which has great drinks, fantastic DJ, stunning location (ie. right on the water and people regularly just jump in whenever they feel like it) and is a great place the start the night.

When Hula winds up around 12.30am, Carpe Diem club is just getting started (opens at 1am, seen here during the day in relative peace and quiet). You can only get there by boat (luckily we have our own, complete with sober pilot) and basically is a massive dance party which goes until 4am when the last ferry leaves to go back to Hvar.

Thanks Croatia - I had a blast! Although I think my liver is officially sending out an SOS.

Incredible Croatia

I think I've fallen in love - Croatia is my new favourite place on the planet (well, this week anyway). After flying into Split it is a 10-minute taxi ride to Trogir, a very old coastal town where the super yachts pull in (briefly) to pick up their passengers, ie. moi!

Wherever you look the coast is beautiful even in the populated areas - this is the coastline between Split and Trogir...

and this is Trogir as you approach from the sea.

We headed up the coast straight away to the island of Hvar about 90 minutes away by sea (cruising at a mere 26 knots in our modest canoe...).

Hvar is a gorgeous little seaside old town which reminds me of Venice, with people and boats of all shapes and sizes, and the best bit is you can only get there by private boat or ferry.

It's so small that what super yachts there are have to snuggle in cheek by jowl with the locals and don't seem to receive any special treatment. The general atmos is just about perfect. And I'm sure helped immeasurably by blue sky, crystal clear azure water and 35 degrees every day... Jealous much?! I know I am, I don't ever want to leave!!

Slumming it on a super yacht

So I was invited to go and spend four days on a super yacht off the coast of Croatia.  Moi? Absolument!

Here is said super yacht - it's a 112 foot Westport design built in Seattle called Integrity.  It has four cabins, each with their own en-suite, and three bars, all fully stocked. Happy much?!

Let me show you around. This is the top bridge and that large protuberance in the foreground is actually a spa pool.

And behind that the perfect spot for sunbathing. With kayaks just in case one feels like doing some exercise. Never happened...

Meet the crew - there's a permanent crew of three. From l-r: Andy (deckhand, from Wanganui), Dawn (chef, Canadian, and partner of Brendan), Jennifer (English lass, hostess/maid, temporary for the 'summer season'), and Brendan (not pictured but top Irish guy) is the captain who you can see in the photo above on the top bridge.

And here's me with the owner, Bill, a truly generous Kiwi bloke and a good friend of my publishing mate Steve (hence the invite), and who likes sharing his big boy's toys. Bless that man!

Reunion de famille

More rellies, this time from mon pere's side of le familie.  Dad and Una came to stay last weekend and we had a surprise early birthday lunch (mmmm lunch - my favourite!) for Dad's 78th birthday with three English relatives who came from the UK for the weekend for the occasion.

Here's the old fella again - looking disgustingly healthy given the last family reunion was at Limoges Hospital!

From left to right: me, Dad, Barbara (John's wife), Una and John Dahl (Dad's first cousin). Trevor, also Dad's cousin and brother of John was photographer for the occasion hence not pictured here.

And let's not forget lunch! All prepared from food Una and I bought fresh that morning at the local street market. The lobsters were still trying to climb out of their buckets and we're in the middle of Paris. Truly marveilleux.

...more things I love about Paris

I love...

that everywhere looks like a postcard.

Old blokes playing boules in the park. With old sheilas cheering them on.

Being a tourist. It's actually quite fun!

Deyrolle, the amazing taxidermy store that's been there for 150 years - and where I got my bunny.

The beautiful flower shops - on every second corner where there isn't already a bookshop...

Cheese - oh my god the cheese!!!

Cafe culture

A few of my personal favourites, as well as the St Germain des Pres icons.

Les Deux Magots on Blvd St Germain is an absolute tourist must if you're a Paris virgin. Established in 1884 it was the haunt of the arty set including Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Satre, Picasso and Hemingway to name a few. Downside - there are no actual French people ever eating there.

Next door is Cafe Flore, also a Paris landmark. It's art deco decor is pretty much unchanged since WWII and the upside is that the locals do actually eat here so it has a much better atmos - I prefer French conversational hum with my Rose rather than American.

Opposite both is Brasserie Lipp, the oldest of them all having been there since 1880. They have never taken bookings and apparently you can't even apply for a job as a waiter - you have to be invited - tres French!

Another regular haunt if mine is Le Sant Germain which sits handily at the crossroads of Rue du Bac, Blvd Raspail and Blvd St Germain with Rue du Bac Metro station in the middle. Perfect for people watching at any time of the day or night.

My absolute favourite though is L'Esplanade which is also in the 7th but further west in a much more chi-chi area at the end of Rue de L'Universitie and overlooking Invalides. This is guaranteed celeb spotting territory and the tourists don't know about it which is even better, but the downside is it's pricey so much as I'd like to, I'm not able to make a daily pilgrimage...

Random wackiness

This is actually all part of the "things I love about Paris section" but here is a small selection of some random things I have stumbled across over the past few days which have amused, thrilled or titillated me.

Coming across a fully operational apiary in the middle of Jardin du Luxembourg.

Then coming across a old fashioned fun fair in The Tuileries complete with a log flume ride. It was raining anyway so it had to be done...

Wacky statues - always with stupid pigeons on their heads.

Not so wacky statues - but always with stupid tourists.

Discovering an original piece of street art in Montmartre by "Invader", a famous French street artist featured in "Exit Through the Gift Shop". Cool.

The red light district in Montmartre - "Love Store" is just so much nicer than "Sex Shop" don't you think?!