JoJo in Paris

So much for being over my wanderlust. Back three weeks and off again, this time to Paris, but with one difference.

I did an awayday. What I've realised more than anything is that I'm less over travelling than I am over staying in hotels. I've been thinking about how much I love visiting Paris for a few months now, even while I was in Thailand, and so when I saw a tweet saying Eurostar were doing their £69 returns to Paris I went for it. At that point I still thought about spending a couple of days there but then I thought why not get the first train out and the last train back and avoid having to pack, unpack and schlepp a suitcase anywhere? So that's what I did.

The date was chosen purely because that's when the cheap tickets were available, but it turned out to be the perfect choice. It was, after all the first day of spring. I didn't have anything concrete planned ahead of time, either. I knew I wanted to get back to the Left Bank after discovering it on my last longer trip, and I fancied a bit of chill time in the Tuileries if the sun was shining. Other than that I was kind of open to whatever happened.

The downside of this was of course that the train out left at 5.40am which meant that I was up at 3am - yikes. I spent the day before working my ass off in the gym to make sure I was tired and went to bed at 7pm the night before, so actually I was as rested as if I'd not been up before the dawn had even thought of cracking. I even had a little twinge of nostalgia for Thailand as I put the BBC World News on and there was Mr Over-pronouncer Rico Hizon, so that's where he goes when I come home!

The journey was perfect, marred only by a report of a parcel bomb that had gone off outside the Indonesian Embassy in Paris at 3am. Nobody was hurt, but I wasn't sure how easy it would be to move about the city if it was on high alert. As I got off the Eurostar at Gare du Nord, I saw soldiers with machine guns patrolling the place - it took me back to my first ever trip to Belfast in 1980 with Dexys, the first time I had seen such a thing on the streets - but other than that everything seemed ok.

I grabbed a cafe creme and plotted a route of sorts. On the train I'd read that there was an exhibition in the Gallerie des Arts Decoratifs dedicated to Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs which I quite fancied, so that went on the list.

My route for the day then was as follows -

Galleries Lafayette and Au Printemps on Boulevard Haussman (I'm a girl I have to shop!)
The Louvre for the March Jacobs/LV mash-up
Lunch in the gardens
Left Bank for a browse around Le Bon Marche and a stroll around the streets
Le Marais for more wandering
Dinner and train home.

I'd bought a one day Metro pass at St Pancras for a tenner. It came with a map which meant I was able to hit the ground running.

The beautiful ceiling at Galleries Lafayette

Some days things just work and today was one of those days. From the off things just went to plan. For ages I've been searching for an emerald green handbag (not sure why but I have), I'd not found anything on any of my travels either fake or real and yet within five minutes of being in Galleries Lafayette, there it was suede, roomy and the most perfect emerald green! Just to add to the joy, it wasn't a €8000 designer job it was an own brand and less than £80 cos it was on sale! I didn't fancy carrying it around all day so I made a deal that if I didn't see anything better I'd come back for it before I caught the train home. That deal didn't extend to the dress and top I got in H&M next door - they fit into my rucksack no problem!

The Pyramid at the Louvre

 I took the Metro to the Louvre and went into the Apple store to use the free wifi so that I could check up on this bomb. I also took the time to have a look at the new iPad. Im sure it's fabulous and everything but it's still that bit too big and too heavy for me to carry round in my handbag all the time. My iPod touch and my Kindle are safe for the time being.

The sun was blazing and I found myself glad to be in the cool confines of the gallery, even happier when I could dump my coat and rucksack in the cloakroom before going in to see the exhibition. The history of the LV trunks and logo etc it pretty interesting - I didn't know they made a trunk that actually held a camp bed! The second part was a Marc Jacobs retrospective and for a Bag Slag like myself this was bliss, I spent a good long while staring at his work over the last 15 years, and kicking myself for not buying one of the Richard Prince "jokes' bags when I had the chance.

Outside, and the Tuileries was calling. I bought a baguette (compulsory) and found a bench and sat soaking up the spring sunshine. There was quite the little wildlife documentary going on before my eyes - pigeons, sparrows and starlings (I think) all attempting to make more pigeons, sparrows and starlings - and there were a few humans up to the same thing! I guess Spring really has sprung!

I sat for ages just 'being' in the space, which I know sounds really hippyish, but it was beautiful to just stop and enjoy the moment, and to count my blessings.

Birthday Boots!

After lunch I was on the Metro again, via a quick trip to Colette, down to Sevre Babylone (and ting) to check out my favourite department store in Paris - Le Bon Marche. Last time I was here I found a perfume that has become my signature scent. Again today it didn't let me down. I've been after a pair of Ash silver studded motorbike boots for a while and they're out of stock in the UK until September. I'd only just put my name on the waiting list for a pair on Tuesday in their Marylebone shop. So there I am gazing at all kinds of leg-breaking but lust-inducing stilettos, when I spot they have an Ash concession! I hardly dared allow myself to think they'd have my size but bugger me, they did! Happy as a pig in shit, I minced around the shoe department and then reluctantly took them off so that I could pay for them. Here was yet another treat, they were a good £40 cheaper than in London. Aaaah Paris I love you! Even without the box they were heavy, but this was one bag I was happy to carry.

I made my way up to Le Marais and by now it was getting late-ish so some of the little shops were closing (probably not such a bad thing) which meant it was cafe time. I found the perfect cafe bar, ordered a caffeine injection and sat and watched people while I waited for the anti-inflammatories to kick in.  I was close to the Pompidou Centre, so once my legs had recovered enough I wandered around there and watched some street entertainers and enjoyed the fabulous street art.







When I booked my trip I did think that I might have trouble filling the whole day, but now time was getting away from me! I made it back to Galleries Lafayette by 7pm and got the bag. It was even cheaper with the voucher that came with my Metro pass - perfect! Plans for a fancy dinner went out the window though, all I had time to do was grab another baguette before I had to check in for my train home.

Once I took my seat, my knackered old knees gave up the ghost, I slept the entire journey home. What a perfect day!

Faaaabulous!