ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Villers-Bretonneux – Sunday, 25th April 2010

This morning we got up at 1.50 am to be on the bust at 2.20 am for our two hour drive to Villers-Bretonneux. We arrived at the Australian National Memorial at 4.30 am and found some good seats toward the front. The service commenced at 5.30 am with Major General Paul Stevens AO (Rtd) as the Master of Ceremonies. The Sydney Boys High School provided the music and the Australian Federation Guard provided the Catafalque Party (sans Arms). The Hon Stephen Smith MP and the Chief of Army were also in attendance. An approximate impressive 3,500 people were in attendance despite the recent European airspace closure woes.

Wow! The service was incredibly moving and I felt the greatest privilege to be honouring the memory of our fallen servicemen in such a significant location. The service was beautiful and a very fitting way to remember them all. Amazing Grace was sung during the service and it sung in the most beautiful way I’ve ever heard it sung. The significant and tragic loss was emphasised by the names of 11,000 Australian Soldiers, Airmen and Nurses who have no known grave surrounding us on this great Memorial. This very fitting memorial sits on a ridge which gazes out over the wide fields of the Somme where their lives were so suddenly cut short.

The service concluded at 6.30 am by which time the sun has risen, the birds tweeted and light now fell on the memorial. We had time to view the wreaths laid during the ceremony and visit the graves. I was also able to say hello to about half a dozen Navy people at the ceremony who I know - small world! I also had the opportunity to have my photo taken with a very handsome French Policeman in his ceremonial uniform! Ooh la la!

We departed at 7.30 am for our next stop – Adelaide Cemetery 1918 - which is also at Villers-Bretonneux. Here lies the head stone which reads “The remains of an unknown Australian Soldier lay in this grave for 75 years. On 2nd November 1993 they were exhumed and now rest in the tomb of the unknown Australian Soldier at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra”. Wow! To know understand where the remains of the Unknown Soldier exactly came from is pretty special and I also have an increased appreciation.

We then went into the town of Villers-Bretonneux and visited Victoria School which has the sign “Do Not Forget Australia” above a covered out-door classroom. Above the school is the ANZAC Museum – Musée Franco - Australian. It’s a great little museum and definitely worth a visit. Most of the shop windows within Villers-Bretonneux contain various Australian signs and symbols – my favourite being a pharmacy with the yellow road sign ‘Kangaroos next 10 KM’ in their window – Very funny!

Our next stop was a visit to an Australian Memorial at the location where the Battle of Amiens took place which near Le Hamel and looks down to Corbie and the River Somme. It is also a place where two Victoria Crosses were awarded to two soldiers within 10 minutes between 3.20 – 2.30 am.

We made a brief stop to a New Zealand Memorial then made our way to the Thiepval France-British Cemetery which is the largest Commonwealth Memorial in the world (as opposed to the largest Commonwealth Cemetery at Tyne Cot) and contains the names of 73,000 English, Canadian and French soldiers. It is a huge and awe inspiring Memorial. It was a very impressive way to end what has been an incredible and extremely educational three days. Our tour guide Vic was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about telling the stories of these men and women which made our trip even more so memorable. Our bus driver Hamed was fantastic and lots of fun and exerted the right amount of road aggression when those pesky purple coaches tried to take our bus parks in tight little county back roads. They seemed to always be getting in our way and added a little fun to the trip. Vic had some fun with them and would make jokes about them on the PA as we regularly encountered them during our journey.

After we left the tour in Lille Asha and I sat down for a lunch and I tried a local beer which was meant to taste like something else I like – It was called CH’TI – and quite frankly to me that is what it tasted like – shitty!! But I drank it anyway, which was a good thing because despite being at the train station early to catch our 4 pm train back to Paris, we missed it!! Evidently the method we used to pre-book our tickets was not recognised in France and the SNCF had no record of our booking. So being a little tipsy helped lower my care factor and so did being up since 1.50 am I think!! Eventually the ticket guy took pity on us and gave us tickets for the next train at 5 pm. So I voted that we go have another beer while we waited for the next train. This time I had a 1664, which was much more pleasant – this is a big step for me – not being a beer drinker!! I’d be drinking bubbly whilst out if it didn’t cost between $12 - $18 a glass! So I save my bubbly drinking for home where you can buy a great bottle for the same price!

Once we’d arrived back at Paris at 6 pm it was time to shower and collapse! But my shower woke me up so I ventured out at 7.30 to go see Damien play Jazz at the International Bar. Damien is a budding musician who had served us our tea and pastries at Musée Jacquemart-Andre and had invited us to come and see him play. Unfortunately it turned out to be a fizzer. The International Bar was run down and had only a few sad looking patrons in side. Evidently Damien was across the road at a restaurant. Being alone in a dodgy part of Paris and a little tired didn’t bode well so I went back home to bed! But at least I tried!!

A Region of War Cemeteries and Tunnels to Surprise the Enemy - Saturday, 24th April 2010

Our first stop on the tour today is to where the battle of Fromelles took place. It is where the Australians first saw action on the Western Front alongside the British. Australia suffered 5,500 casualties including 1500 killed in one single day. This, to put it into context, is equivalent to a quarter of the men killed at Gallipoli over a seven month period. The losses here for Australia is quite significant. At the VC Corner Australian Cemetery these men are buried in mass graves with a single large cross on the ground above the approximately 410 men buried here. We then made the short trip up to Pheasant Wood, Fromelles where the Germans’ had moved the bodies of some 400 Australian troops to by train to bury them in a mass grave. These men have been exhumed recently and most of them identified using DNA or by items of identification, ie dog tags which were on still their body. As we made our way back up the mown grass path with green fields around us, a beautiful blue sky above and bird song in the air it was hard to imagine this lovely serene place was one a living hell on earth. I also wondered where the birds would have gone back then to flee the war.

Then we made our way to the new cemetery where these exhumed men will again be laid to rest. The new Cemetery has not yet opened but is mostly finished and we could see it from the bus and the viewing hut. The new cemetery is about 100 metres from where the men were originally buried in the mass grave. Coincidently the names of these men appear on the memorial wall at the VC Corner Australian Cemetery on the site of the Battle of Fromelles, which was the first cemetery we visited today.

During the bus transit to our next stop our guide Vic read out the numbers of each surname of those on the bus killed during the Great War. According to the British Records there were 1016 Wilkinson’s killed in the Great War. This data was only taken from the British register and did not include Australians with the surname Wilkinson!

We made a quick stop to the Canadian Vimy Ridge National Historic Site of Canada where we could see original trenches, mine craters and upheaved ground where men once fought. Just up the road stands the awesomely huge memorial to the Canadian Troops on the top of Vimy Ridge which over looks the towns beneath.

Between the two locations there is a great deal of land fenced off with electric fences and red signs warning of ‘No Entry Due to Undetonated Explosives’. Inside the fences there are sheep that graze and evidently just sometimes find a mine. Poor Sheepy’s!!

German cemeteries are dark, sombre and basic. Just a dark cross marks each grave and there are no flowers or poppies. In a German cemetery, we drove past but did not stop at, held 40,000 men – it was a staggering sight.

Vic our guide told us a famous quote “In war there was only one winner; war itself”.

We stopped in the town of Arras for lunch. There were markets on in the large cobble stone square. They were selling all sorts of things from shoes and clothes to food and fresh produce. One line of stalls included all sorts of cured meats and fresh poultry. Another sold all sorts of spices. The smells were intoxicating and the sights delicious (and some not quite so)!

Following lunch, still in Arras, we visited the memorial to the Battle of Arras. Here we watched a short film detailing how the battle came about and the devastation to life because of it. We then were taken on a 1 hour tour of the tunnels dug out of the limestone chalk by New Zealand and British Engineers. Here they worked quickly and in just 8 days had joined many disused quarries which could then house up to 24,000 troops. The tunnels and the feats of these engineers are quite impressive.

On the bus we saw a pictorial description of the war at Ypres taken by CAPT Frank Hurley, Official war photographer. Watching the pictures and hearing the accompanying stories you can’t not shed a tear or two. With such suffering and loss and as was heard on the film one troop cried out to a fellow troop “What are we fighting for?” After seeing such death and destruction and learning about some poorly executed battles I can’t help but ask the same question. So many parents, siblings, wives and girlfriends were left heartbroken and feeling no comfort at all knowing that their loved ones died a hero or for the freedom of another country.

Our last stop for today was a visit to pay our respect to the Bullecourt Digger. The statute of the Digger looks out over the fields where in April and May 1917 around 10,000 Australian Soldiers were killed and wounded in the first and second battles of Bullecourt. A significant loss indeed for what is described s a “small, tactically useless piece of ground”.

Incomprehensible Numbers of Fallen Soldiers and Belgium Chocolate - Friday, 23rd April 2010

Wow – another totally amazing day – and the most amazing and significant day thus far. We caught the TGV train to Lille – which we only just made by the skin of our teeth with 30 seconds to spare! The train ride was great and within 60 minutes we were in Lille, with no stops in between.

We checked into our hotel and then took a look around Lille and enjoyed some lunch. I had the yummiest chocolate and caramel brownie (following my baguette) and the small boulangerie storeman was so nice and appreciated my attempt to relay what I wanted in French.

We then met the Pillow Tour group at 3 pm and commenced our Wester Battle Front Tour. We spent the afternoon and evening in Belgium with our first stop at the Berks Cemetery Extension 1914 – 1916 which commemorates 11,447 men with no known graves who well in nearby battles. There are four Victoria Cross holders on its panels.

We next visited the New Zealand memorial at Messines which stands on the Messines Ridge overlooking the unprotected fields. Some German bunkers still stand. This was one of the few victories where Australians and New Zealanders were able to advance and force the Germans back.

Then we made our way along small country roads to Polygon Wood Cemetery and 5th Australian Division Memorial where 2200 men lie. The messages and epitaphs are so moving and heart wrenching and you can feel the personal loss of those left behind. One inscription reads ‘Beloved son of Harry & Emily Hunter, Nanango QLD. At rest after being lost for 90 years’. He was identified with the aid of DNA testing. Many of these men were only 16 and 17 years old – they are oh so young.

We also met Tom the Donkey who lives across the road and is a bit grumpy if you don’t give him an apple or a sugar cube, but is still quite endearing nonetheless.

We then made our way to the Tyne Cot Cemetery following a drive along the Passchendaele Ridge. Tyne Cot is the largest Commonwealth Cemetery in the World and the most important reminder of the bloody battle of Passchendaele. Approximately 12,000 men lie there with 72% of them known only unto God. The rear wall of the cemetery is a memorial to the missing and bears the names of 35,000 British and New Zealand servicemen who fell in the vicinity after August 1917. The Tyne Cot Memorial continues the list of the names inscribed on the Ypres Menin Gate (pronounced e-preh).

One of the saddest stories I saw in the small museum at Tyne Cot Cemetery was a letter a wife had written to her husband dated 9th October 1917. Coincidently and sadly he was killed the same day as detailed on his War Roll. It’s just heart breaking stuff!

We then made our way to Ypres for dinner and a spot of Belgium Chocolate shopping – Yum!! I had a chicken and mushroom vol-en-vent for dinner, which some might say is very circa 1980’s but it was so delicious.

Then it was time for the last post at Menin Gate. It commenced at 8 pm sharp with a bugler playing the last post. Wreaths were then laid and the ceremony was completed with the playing of the reveille. It was such a stirring and emotional ceremony especially with the names of 55,000 British and Empire soldiers killed and missing in action on the memorials surrounding us. We faced the wall with the names of Australian soldiers making it all the more personal. It was an amazing ceremony to be witness to.

Grand Apartments Sporting Rembrandts and the View from Our Window - Thursday, 22nd April 2010

This morning Asha and I enjoyed a Petit Déjeuner at the Pont Neuf Café which is quickly becoming our regular. It has a great atmosphere, is close and has excellent views over the River Seine and beyond. I love the hot chocolate over here because they actually service it steaming hot – just the way I like it.

Then we jumped on the Metro and made our way to Musée Jacquemart-Andre. It’s a museum I like to visit each time I’m in Paris and despite it being my third visit, I still enjoyed it as much as if it were my first. It’s the private residence of a couple who spent their time entertaining and collecting amazing pieces of art. There are even three Rembrandts in one of the rooms of this grand apartment. On the death of the couple their home was bequeathed to the French National Trust and one year later was opened to the public as a museum around 1913. It also sports one of the prettiest cafés in Paris where we enjoyed lunch following our visit. My lunch consisted of red wine and a patisserie! With a stomach as small as mine – who can afford to fill up on lunch and miss dessert!! It was a beautiful apple and caramel tart with egg custard and a crème bruleè top!

Afterward we took a stroll through the very beautiful and picturesque Parc de Monceau under the warm sun.

It’s becoming quickly evident that the small construction sight offices set up directly across the road from the apartment (and next to the wall of the church) is actually a cunningly disguised public toilet! Every day and night men are regularly looking around and then quickly relieving themselves just behind the waist high barriers. They think that no one can see them – but they are sadly mistaken. A girl or two have also been spotted using this open air lavatory and laughing loudly with thier friend!! Ahhhh Paris!!

Fabulous Shoes and Exquisite Art - Wednesday, 21st April 2010

It’s cold today and we’re expecting a maximum of 14 degrees – Brrr!

This morning saw me take the metro to Montmartre to find my favourite shoes because they are the nicest I’ve seen so far, and to of course make a purchase - and voila! I love them. I’ve decided that I’m not buying anything unless it’s Paris Love – and these are Paris Love. Paris Love is very exciting!

The afternoon was spent wandering the streets nearby the apartment and discovering little gems of shops along the way, including a Parisian vintage shop where I picked up a perfect fitting dress by one of my favourite French clothing designers –'Morgans’ - it’s greache! So exciting and quite a lovely little find!

At 6.30 pm I went to the Louvre where I only had to queue for 10 minutes. Having been before I thought I knew what to expect and did not anticipate that I’d still gasp with amazement to the degree I did. The Louvre is such an amazing awe inspiring museum. I visited one of the three wings tonight – The Denon Wing and experienced the utmost delight as I made my way along each amazing Salon. The sheer scale of some of the artwork is completely amazing. But sadly the light was beginning to fade so I left for now, but will return again soon.

As I walked back through the grounds some buskers were playing Avé Maria on a clarinet and cello. It sounded beautiful and a perfect way to end another wonderful Parisian day.

Going ‘Greenie’ and OMG its Tiffany’s! - Tuesday, 20th April 2010

Wow – what a day!

After such a frustrating afternoon yesterday I decided to stay in this morning and re-group my thoughts!

I commenced with devising some sort of plan to ensure that I can squeeze in everything that I want to see and do whilst over here – so much to do and so little time! It’s exhausting being me sometimes!!

Then I thought I’d play ‘greenie’ and see what exactly the situation was with the Internet AC adaptor I’m meant to purchase. I learnt in the process that different devices have different Amp inputs and outputs. And then – another Paris Miracle – somehow I manage to get the apartment internet connection working – hallelujah! Despite referring to myself as an analogue girl in a digital world, I actually can’t live without my internet connection or Google!! So after a check of my e-mails and a chat with Pete via Skype I was happy again! Such a relief!

Then it was time to go out. On my way to Boulevard Haussmann via a bag shop – another Paris miracle happened - I stumbled across Tiffany & Co! So, of course I went in, and of course I found something to buy. Well actually, I found several nice pieces to buy. Now I just have to decide which one(s)???

Next it was up to Musée Jacquemart-andre. Too late to go in so Asha and I went into the Salon de Thé which is the former dining room of the home and is considered one the most beautiful cafés in the city. I enjoyed a menthe tea and a huge slice of rose flavoured macaroon - delicious! We then walked back home via shoe shops, perfumeries and of course Tiffany’s – so hard to decide which item to buy!

We got Italian takeaway for dinner and spent the night in. As I type the church bells are ringing and they sound really lovely.

In Search of Bloody Internet AC Adaptors and Dreamy Lemon Meringue - Monday, 19th April 2010

This morning my knee still hurt a little so a stroll instead through the Louvre! It’s such a magnificent building and its right across the road!

After our walk and breakfast Asha and I ventured out for a walk around the streets of Paris and a spot of shopping!

Then home for the internet guy to come and fix the allegedly broken internet connection, prearranged by the owner. It then all went down hill from there!!

According to these very helpful chaps, the problem with the apartment’s Internet connection was the AC adaptor which needed to be replaced. So, determined to have internet access after lugging my laptop all the way over here – I went out to buy one. Evidently not such an easy task! I was given the name of two shops to buy one from so I went to the street of the first shop address and walked down one side and then the other, but no shop in sight, anywhere!! I asked some people handing out brochures out the front of a Blackberry/electronic looking shop and the girl I spoke to was so helpful. She walked around with me trying to help me find the shop, but still to no avail, however I was so very grateful for her help and I enjoyed meeting and talking with her. She was so nice and friendly. Anyway, as it turned out, the shop I had been looking for was only 20 metres from where we’d started but it was downstairs under the street on the way to the metro. Doh! They couldn’t help me and neither could the next three electronics ships I found with the replacement of this evidently outdated AC Adaptor. Double Doh!

I was very exhausted and emotional by this stage after my 3 hour unsuccessful trek, so I met up with Asha at our local café for dinner and bubbly! Bubbles can fix anything! On the way home from dinner I picked up some lemon meringue pie - and it was wow! It was so amazingly light and yummo. Unlike the lemon meringue you usually find in Australia which has too strong a flavour, this lemon meringue was subtle in flavour and very delicious!

Streets of Art and Streets of Sex and the Odd Bumble Bee! - Sunday, 18th April 2010

Sadly no run for me this morning. Each night since the plane flight my knee has woken me up by giving me grief! So unfortunately today is a rest day today from running for me.

Asha and I dressed and made our way to the Metro. On the way we walk along Quai De Gesvres which runs alongside the River Seine. There are many pet shops and Nurseries along the way. In front of the Nurseries, the street is lined with pot plants of bursting colour. They line the shopfront wall and the curb so that you must walk through them. The perfume from the flowers is soft and pretty.

Down in the Metro, the tunnels are long and wind in all manner of ways. Six gentlemen are busking and singing A’cappella. They sound amazing and their smooth voices carry through the tunnels. On the train, it smells like someone has left a fish under one of the seats – pee-yuh!! We get off the Metro at Chateau Rouge and make our way up toward Basilica Sacre Coeur and as it comes into view it is such a spectacular sight - Just beautiful! It’s also familiar to me. I’ve seen it many times before. We make our way up to my most favourite place in Paris, Artists Corner, which is also known as Place Du Tertre. It’s bustling and there are so many people here today. The weather is warm and spectacular. It’s a perfect day as we enjoy a baguette and a drink at a pretty patisserie.

After lunch we wander around the Artist’s square admiring the artwork on show for sale and then make our way back down to Sacre Coeur and take look around inside. It is quite busy with many visitors both inside and out, but still as magnificent as ever.

Then it was time to wander the streets of Montmartre, which was a lot of fun. The main street, Place de Clichy, is a blast. It is wall to wall sex shops and adult entertainment. Some are classy and some are seedy. None are discreet and some are quite explicit. All the flashy shop fronts were quite entertaining! I also wandered around the back residential streets with the pretty terrace houses.

Unfortunately being Sunday, many shops were not open or closed early so at 4.30 pm I caught the train back to Pont Neuf and then parked my derrière at the café around the corner from the apartment which looks over the River Seine and enjoyed some wine as I wrote in my journal and started some post cards!

This red wine is going down a treat, oh and again I was picked up today!! No holding back by the French men!! They are very charming but I politely decline their offer of a drink or meeting at some later time. I also neglected to mention that earlier today I enjoyed a Chocolate filled doughnut – yum!!

As I sit in the café a huge black bumble bee with a little yellow stripe on his abdomen flies into the café does a lap and then disappears again. How cute! (I am a big fan of bumblebees!!)

Cooing Trees and Silk Scarves - Saturday, 17th April 2010

Evidently 7 am on a Saturday morning is garbage collection day and then at 8 am the bells at the church across the road toll. Fortunately I am awake and feeling great despite the bottle of bubbly from last night. I’ve decided that the best way to start my Parisian day is to take a run through the Louvre and Jardin Des Tulleries. I literally walk across the road from our apartment and am at the gates of the Louvre. There is a homeless man (or woman) asleep next to a wall. It’s still quite cold, around 5 – 6 degrees Celsius. I feel sorry for them. I make my way through the grounds toward the gardens. There are more women out today running, but slowly the men begin to emerge. It’s still relatively quiet on the streets, and the sun has been up for an hour. As I run through the gardens the perfectly spherical topiary trees are cooing. I peek inside and see a pigeon – whos now keeping a close eye on me, but continues to coo from their sheltered hideaway. I continue to run up toward Place de la Concord with beautiful lawns, trees and flowers either side of me. Then I can see further ahead the Arc de Triomphe and now coming into view on my left is the Eiffel Tower. What a wildly spectacular way to begin the day!

After some breakfast I get ready for the new day. Asha and I then retraced my steps through the Louvre and then made our way up to Champs Elysees. It was just lovely, the sun was shining, there was no wind and it was lovely. (right now outside the café I’m sitting in to write this, a policeman is directing traffic through the nearby intersection and I hear his whistle chirping to move the traffic on) Champs Elysees is of course line with many beautiful shops and where I come across the most beautiful blossom silk scarf which of course I have to purchase. I just love it and it’s very me!

We find our way under the crazy roundabout which circles the Arc de Triomphe at the end of Champs Elysees and went right up to the Arc. It is magnificent. Unfortunately all four facades were covered by scaffolding for work, but fortunately I’ve seen them before and already have photos of them. We make our way down the other side of the Champs Elysees. Asha and I parted ways and it was time for me to do more exploring. I think I could just walk the streets of Paris forever!

I’m so exhausted after seven straight hours of walking with short stops for lunch and drinks. Tonight we enjoyed bubbles and stirfry at home. And it was delicious!

An Amazing Way to Start the Day - 16th April 2010

Today I began my day in the most amazing way which words can not do justice. But a little happened before that which I’ll mention first!

I woke up at 5 am to the hot water system dripping as it does (which is in a cupboard/void in my bedroom of this 300+ year old building), which was closely followed by the arrival of the workmen outside my window as they set about getting to work on the renovations of the large department store close by ‘Sumaritaine’.

I was pretty much awake anyway so I read for two hours and then it was light enough outside to get up and go for a run. And this is where my day really began. I stepped out the front door and run approximately 30 metres and voila – I’m about to run through the grounds of the Louvre! There, in this prestigious 16th century former royal residence, I run with the biggest smile on my face as the statutes of famous men and women stare down upon me. Wow!! I ran past the Grand Pyramid, through the Arc de Triomphe de Carrousel and half way down the Jardin Des Tuileries and then back again. It was just delightful.

After my run Asha and I re-traced my earlier steps through the Louvre and then we made our way up to Rue Saint-Germain for a coffee, hot chocolate and a Croissant. We were going to go to Le Procope (The oldest Café in Paris), but they don’t do croissants! Following breakfast we walked through the Latin Quarter and shopped. We enjoyed a fresh ham salad baguette for lunch and sat at a bus stop while we ate and watched the world go by, basking in the sun. It was bliss!

We’ve made many discoveries and I’m consolidating my local knowledge and bearings. I’m becoming quite intimate with the streets of inner Paris and can easily navigate my way around. As I write this I’m now sitting in a lovely large Park up from the Louvre, but back a few streets from the Seine. There are some older men playing petanque (boules) in the gravelly ground under the shade of the trees. It’s quite charming. There are also pigeons doing the dance of love around their lady pigeons, but the lady pigeons are not too interested and wander off from the male pigeon advances to see if they can find any breadcrumbs to eat.

Streets of Wonder and Volcanic Mayhem - Thursday, 15th April 2010

Today Asha and I started the day oblivious to what was unfolding across Europe. We got up and went for a walk. We walked over Pont Neuf (bridge) and around the Latin Quarter, whilst also enjoying a spot of shopping. Asha had to depart for a meeting with a friend so I just kept walking and discovering. As I walked I smiled, because I felt so happy to be back in Paris, and then I was stopped by a man and literally hit on! The French men, I am learning, are very unlike many Australian men in that they are not backward in being forward! He thought that I was beautiful simply because I was walking along smiling. How fabulous! (as I sit here in the café writing this, a man walks by with sunglasses on which have a tiger print on the outside of the lenses. I love this place!! And it’s amazing just how many policemen and police cars there are. Four Police vans just drove by in a cavalcade! I feel quite safe with so many police around)

I then went to find my favourite dress and perfume shop where after trying on about ten dresses finally decided on the one I want! It’s quite exhausting work!! Then I just walked and walked around the magical streets of Paris. There’s just so much to see and learn and I love to explore. By the end of the day I am exhausted.

I also just learn that the entire UK airspace is closed which is unprecedented! Twelve hundred flights pass through Heathrow each day carrying more than 1800,000 passengers. I’m counting my lucky stars and somewhat in disbelief at the severity of the situation and how close we became being caught up in it! It’s just unfathomable that a volcanic eruption in Iceland could disrupt, close even so much European airspace. Perhaps it’s me! I say this because the last time I transited through Heathrow in 2007 some terrorists drove a car laden with explosives through the entrance to Heathrow Airport only hours after I’d boarded my flight and departed for Australia! Another serious event left in my wake!!! Asha and I revel in our fortune of actually arriving in France before the airspace closures and celebrate with a lovely meal and red wine in our local arrondissement. Wow – what a day!

Woo Hoo, the End of the Line - Wednesday, 14th April 2010

At 7.30 am we boarded our short one hour flight to Charles De Gaulle, Paris. Forty-five minutes later we’d passed through customs and collected our bags. We were not required to complete an entry card, they just checked our passport, stamped it and we were done – Easy! Add another 30 minutes working out the trains. How soon we forget! Another 30 mins dragging suitcases a relatively short distance across Paris in the general direction of the apartment and we finally arrived! Then another 2 hours receiving a very thorough handover of the apartment from the owners and then we were finally free to start exploring this amazing city. Our apartment, which is in the 1st arrondissement, is literally down and across the road from the Louvre. We look out the windows directly at the Royal Parish Church Eglise St Germain L’Auxerrois built between the 13th and 14th centuries in a mix of Gothic and Renaissance Styles. On the back of the small block we are on is the Seine River.

In for the Long Haul - Tuesday, 13th April 2010

Yay – Asha and I are going to Paris today! After lovely Pete dropped me off at the airport, I waited for Asha to join me. Once she arrived, we checked in, but no luck with getting seats together. We were both perplexed at how we could book and pay for our tickets in September 2009 and both be on the same itinerary, but not be seated together! A mystery!! The unhelpful British Airways check-in woman said she’d try to get us seated together – hmmm doubtful, but still hopeful!

Next stop customs with a couple of thousand other travellers and then finally on to the International Qantas Lounge for some celebratory bubbles and snacks. Much to my delight they serve Chandon! Not a bad drop! Yippee!!

When it came time to board we asked if we’d been moved to be seated together, but still no luck! Evidently you can now pay additional to select a window or aisle seat hence why we were no longer seated together. We’d apparently been bumfed by another??? So we had one more shot of sitting together on the flight from Sydney to Heathrow via Singapore, and that was to appeal to the good nature of our fellow passengers.

Victory at last! A kind woman from the UK agreed to swap with Asha so that we could sit together.

We stopped over in Singapore for a short and then back onboard for the 13 hour leg to Heathrow! Time to eat and then sleep! Evidently the Premium Economy seats are meant to recline a little further, but I disagree. They are a little roomier and we did receive awesome service from our cabin crew. But when it comes to sleeping on a plane, you do what you need to.

We landed at Heathrow at silly o’clock AKA 5.30 am. Woo Hoo we’re almost there! And I must say that the BA Lounge at Terminal 5 was pretty good. And we saw CDRE Peter Lockwood (?),UK Defence Adviser/Head of Australian Defence Staff there as well - small world!

Paris Here We Come

Look out Paris! Not too many more sleeps until Asha and I arrive in the City of Lights!