We arrived in Strasbourg mid afternoon yesterday and started wandering around town. As with most French towns there is a cathedral. This one is a bit different to many of the others we have visited this trip as it is built in red sandstone and seems to have much finer columns and decorations on it. This morning we climbed the bell tower which gave us some good views across the surrounding country. We also got to see many gargoyles up close. After climbing anoth...

We have spent our last couple of days in Paris just wandering the streets enjoying the sights and sounds of this wonderful city. Yesterday we walked down the Champs Élysées and I guess fortunately for someone the Louis Vuitton shop was on the other side of the street. We also found some extraordinary shoes and fashion along the way. Today we have just wander through streets and lanes on the right bank not far from the river and found more fabulous little sh...

Last night we enjoyed dinner on the Eiffel Tower. We went to the late sitting, 9.00 pm, so we could enjoy the sunset. Restaurant 58 is set on the first level if the tower and looks out across the Seine and over the fountains of the Trocodero. It also looks west and we enjoyed a splendid sunset across Paris. The food and wine were wonderful and we decided the lamb we had for mains was some of the best we had ever eaten. When we came out after dinner the Tower...

Today we spent the morning on a boat trip along the Seine and then through one of the canals that goes into the northern districts of Paris. We travelled through tunnels, locks and swing bridges but, unlike our narrow boating in Wales a few years ago, everything was automated and we didn't have to get off the boat to wind, winch, pull or push anything. The cruise started in the heart of Paris and headed towards Notre Dame. Then we turned left and headed up th...

Yesterday we spent the afternoon wandering around the Luxembourg Gardens which are not far from our apartment. It was another public holiday here, VE Day, so the Gardens were full of Parisians enjoying the day off with their children and spending time beyond their apartments. The gardens are part of the Luxembourg Palace which now houses the Senate of the government. I am not sure exactly how the government works here and if the senate has the same role as at ...