Our diary of Paris. 4 blissful days.

PARIS - DAY ONE: Thursday 5th April.

We got up really early this morning (2.30 am) and left Cardiff. Drove to London and dropped the merc and Suzie back at Europcar Marble Arch. We caught two cabs to St Pancreas which was so easy to do. We have alot of lugguage which will be OK when we get the car on Saturday. We got to St Pancreas very early - about 6am and our train didn't go until 7.55am. It was so relaxing doing it like this as we went to a nice cafe and had ham and cheese croissants and coffee. We were all so excited about going to Paris. Boarded at 7.30am and the train left at 7.55am.
The train trip was fun at first until a turd of a child decided to have a screaming tantrum for 15 minutes. I was so annoyed and the parents were laughing. Finally the mother took the child out and the carriage cheered.
We arrived at Gare du Nord at 11.17am. We couldn't check into our apartment until about 3 or 4 so wanted to put our luggage in lockers. We found the locker room but the change machines were broken and the lockers took coins only - AND had to be exact money!! You can imagine the total bedlam with everyone trying to get coins and lockers. Eddy and George went upstairs to the platform shops to change some money and managed to get some - but not enough. Then Soph and I scrounged around buying bits and pieces to get change. At last we did it and off we went! We were all SO excited to be in Paris. Walked down La Fayette, caught the metro from Poissonniere to Pont Neuf. walked along the river to Ile de la cite. walked up to Notre Dame. It was really crowded - tons of school groups etc. but the cathedral looked great.  We were all hungry by this time so found a cafe called Esmeralda just across from Notre Dame. We thought it would be really touristy with bad food but it was great - the waiters were so warm and friendly. We were all bonjouring and smiling away just because we were in Paris. Had my first croque Monsieur of the trip and had wine and coffees. Sophie and I decided as it was 2pm and we had to go and check in the best plan was for the boys to go to Gare Nord to get the lugguage and then catch a cab to the apartment while Sophie and I went and met Marco at the aparment. Finished lunch with lots of practising of French to the waiters ( la toilette, not bain de lavins!) and got lots of tips to enhance our French.  Headed off round the rest of the Ile de la Cite over to the left bank.
The boys set off to get the luggage and Soph and I headed off to Rue de la Bucherie via Rue Dauphine, along St Andre des Artes - the area is absolutely fantastic and busy and lots of little narrow alleyways. We're coming back on Sunday. Got to our apartment and met Marco - a funny, over the top gay Italian who was so funny. He showed us round the apartment which is fantastic - a big kitchen/dining/ sitting room, 2 beds, 1 bathroom and a loft for Eddy. We were very happy with it. Marco went through everything with us - how everything worked etc. Soph and I were so excited, calling out BONJOUR out the windows. The boys arrived and were very excited by the apartment. It's a fantastic area and has so much room. When everyone had settled in and ready to go we set off and got the tube to Les Halles. Found a SNF shop and bought a sim for my IPAD from Jeremy which was interesting with the lingo!
Walked to the Louvre and through the Tuileries which are so beautiful. Walked to Place de Vendome and to Madeleine. Saw the square with Faucon and tried to go to Lauree for a "lude" (our word for interlude - a food and drink stop usually including alcohol and which happen often!)  but it was packed so headed down to Place de la Concorde which was so chaotic with the traffic - it made us all laugh. It's frantic.
Walked up Champs Elysee part of the way - the nice part with all the trees to Rue de Marbeuf and found a really nice bar called Pub Elysees. The waiter was friendly and Soph and I had a kir (wine and cassis). Had some pommes Frites. It was great.
Caught the metro to Trocodero. Looked at the lovely view of the Eiffel Tower and took lots of photos in the garden grounds of the tower and family shots.  I love the view from the Trocodero. We walked across the bridge to the tower. As gorgeous as ever. It was cloudy but not raining and really cold but it was divine. It was 10 to 9 by this time so we sat on the grass and waited for the 9pm lights to come on. It was so beautiful but we were inundated by the guys selling stuff - when we were here 3 years ago they were just selling little eiffel tower replicas and a few souvenirs -- now they are everywhere and even sell bottles of wine (to enjoy while watching the light show!!) . We had to be quite rude to them in the end. We were right in front and could see the lifts moving up and down and people at the top. It was absolutely beautiful and magical with the Eiffel tower sparkling for 5 minutes. We then strolled over to Rud St Dominique to got to the restaurant that Heidi Lillyman recommended - Cafe Constant. It was really busy with a really long wait so we left which was a shame as the restaurant looked really good and really French and bustling. It was pretty late so we decided to get back to our area and have dinner there. We were going to catch the metro but we were all starving and tired after our early start. We tried to get a cab but none of them take 5 - unlike London cabs!! Eventually there was a big van taxi - he charged us an extra 6 euro to take 5 of us - a total rip off. Got the cab to Blvd St Germaine and walked up to a little restaurant that Sophie and George went to when they were last here called Les Pipos. It was right near where we stayed last time - near the Parthenon and University and it was a really cute little French bistro. I found the menu a bit tricky but chose fish and gnocchi which was delicious. Had a really good night but by this time we were all really exhausted. Walked back to our place which wasn't very far. So excited to be in Paris.
I need to check on the voucher for our car as I don't seem to have it or know where to pick it up on Saturday - even who we are actually hiring it through. We are going to Duncan's tomorrow night for dinner so will get him to help me.
Our apartment is great - beds are so hard and shower leaks badly but such a fantastic location!!


PARIS - DAY 2 - Friday 6th April (Good friday)

Woke up this morning and couldn't think where I was. I lay there for ages until I remembered that I was in Paris - so exciting!! I got up and lent out the window that looks over the little narrow street  and said "Hello Paris"
George and I walked round the corner to the Bourlangerie - about 2 minute stroll - to get breakfast.Managed to get croissants and a bagette and coffees. ( quatre croissants s'il vous plait - aussi une bagette, merci beaucoup!haha) It's all such fun asking for things in French. Back to our apartment and we all had breakie at our kitchen table. Soph and I planned the day based on the plan we'd done. Paris was very quiet. Nobody seems to get going till much later. It's like 9am and no ones around even on a work day (they don't celebrate Good Friday here), shops are closed then it all starts waking up, shops open, people start appearing so we set off. Walked over the Pont de l'Archeveche which is full of locks - couples buy padlocks, write their names on them, padlock them to the bridge and throw the key in the river - very cute.  There are hundreds of them - thousands probably. It was really cold and overcast today but at least it wasn't raining. Only about 8 degrees - meant to be 14 later today.
Caught the batobus up the Seine. It's such a lovely thing to do but it was 75e for the 5 of us so it's not cheap - but so worth it.. I LOVE cruising along the Seine checking out all the beautiful buildings.  Got off at the Louvre stop. I wanted to go to the Musee d'orsay this time but Soph wanted to go to the Musee D'Orangerie to see Monet's water lilies - and guess who won. Sophie's reasoning was that I didn't know what art was even on display there so why did I want to go. She wanted to go to the Musee D'orangerie for a specific reason. I couldn't really argue - it's just that everyone recommends it and I like the look of it. Oh well... next time.
We walked through the Tuilleries ( I just love these gardens) to the gallery. It's in the Tuilleries. All 5 of us cost only 25e. George is free as he's an EU resident and Soph and Ed were reduced as they are 18-25. Such a good system to encourage young people to go to the galleries. The exhibition is 2 rooms only and is stunning. We got the audio to hear the history. The rooms are massive and circular with huge artwork on the walls of the water lilies. I think it's 8 paintings only. It was sensational and I was so glad we went.
Walked across the Tuilleries to Rue de Rivoli. I bought Soph some hand painted artwork of a paris boulangerie sold to us by the artist. Went to Angelina's - famous for it's hot chocolates. We had a table upstairs - the downstairs area was very elaborate and crowded but Paris finds 5 difficult. We ordered the the famous hot chocolate, some macaroons and a St Honore I think it was. The hot chocolate came in jugs and it was all quite a process by the waitress. We poured out the hot chocolate and it was thick and delicious and hot - so yummy - as were the macaroons and pastries.
Eddy and George are so funny - they get on so well and revert to like 10 year olds - giggling and being silly. Eddy walks along the street calling out "bonjour" to everyone he passes. It's such fun. The French are great - not sure if it's because we are making such an effort or not but it's all great. Caught the metro to Rue de Montorgueil - a great food street full of yummy cheese shops and cafes - it was great. On the metro at the station there was a 9 piece bank playing - there's often bands playing in the metro stations and people playing on the trains. We got on one train and a guy started up playing the accordian. The French ignored him but we got right into it clapping and giving them money. It makes the whole thing such fun. Sauntered down Rue de Montogueil looking at all the yummy things then caught the metro to Passage des Panaromas which is in the 2nd arrondissement and is so divine. It's this arcade full of really French looking bistros and book and old letter shops - really old world. We missed all these last time but thanks to our research this time we discovered them. It was so cute. There are several but we picked this one as it looked the best. Paris is pretty dirty though - lots of bags of rubbish just lying round all over the place - London was the same - not so much rubbish on the streets as piled up bags. Alot of the buildings are grotty too - but it's still so divine.  Really enjoyed Passage des Panarama - definitely worth going to. It was so cute and so French.
There were people riding around on bikes in bunny suits which we gathered was because of Easter. Walked past the Pompideau Centre which I hadn't seen before then walked all the way to the Marais for lunch. Eddy and George were whinging about being starving (j'ai faim) and all we'd had was a croissant, bagette and some cake. We went to the cafe that Sophie and George went to last time - Le Voltigeur. It was very french and cute and cute and there were only 2 things on the menu - Croque Monsieur or Quiche ( 3 types). We had a gorgeous waiter who when we left he gave us a French book which was so sweet. The food was yummy - I had quiche Lorraine. Had some wine of course and noisettes (short black with milk) Wandered all round the Marais, down Rue de Rosiers full of people queueing for falafels. So funny. Lots of lovely shops and streets. Went to Place des Vosges which is beautiful - I remembered it from last time. It was a lovely day even though it was cold. It was sunny some of the time. We lay on the grass in the square and chilled for a while. The boys all fell asleep for about 20 minutes. Then we went to find this "secret" spot in the corner of the square that I had read about in my Paris book - but it was not so secret - haha. Lovely square and buildings. We did a walking tour around the streets of the Marais. I had read about a square I wanted to go to - St Paul's. We saw a high school where they were all standing right outside the school smoking. We found the square - it was really lovely, full of shops and cobblestone streets and cafes. Walked back down to the Seine and hopped on the batobus (which was really crowded this time) and hopped off at the Arc de Triomphe stop. Sophie and I had all these things on our agenda (golden triangle and rue cler) but we had to be at Duncan's between 6 and 6-30. We walked along the Seine which was a lovely walk amongst the trees. It was so pretty. Headed to Avenue Montaigne - part of the Golden Triangle and a divine area.  Very wealthy area all around here.  Walked onto the Champs Elysee - God it's so tacky, lots of people and food outlets, big cinemas, some OK shops but it's foul and next time I don't think I'd even bother with it.
Walked past Abercrombie and Fitch - you should have seen the queue - it was amazingly long - like the first time we saw the queue in London.
The boys were starving so got Macas - which took forever. I remember last time Eddy got a burger from the same place last time and it also took forever. From there we caught the metro from George v to Charles de gaulle Etoile then the RER (normal train but quite luxurious) to Jovel a Citroen. Walked over the bridge and saw the Statue of Liberty which I hadn't seen before. Walked to Dunc's in the 16e via a supermarche. They sell everything in them including alcohol. Some of the wine there is so cheap - only a couple of euros. Got a couple of bottles of Burgundy Chardonnay for 4e each. They were hopeless in there and it took 20 minutes to get a few things. To Dunc's place. We couldn't remember what number his was for a while but eventually got in.  The flat looked lovely - it has the tiniest kitchen.Masha was away -  Kids were great - Emma is gorgeous and loud, William watched quietly for a while in his shirt buttoned up to the neck not saying a word but it didn't take long for him to warm to the big kids! I got Dunc to ring up about the car we're picking up tomorrow but didn't get very far. I'm abit concerned as I have no voucher although fully paid and not even sure who are hiring through. I thought it was Europcar, now I think it could be Hertz. I will have to email Flight Centre - although it's Easter so not sure what to do. In the end I worked out it was Hertz and we were going to set off to Place D'Italie in am. Dinner was lovely - Dunc had cooked roast lamb and me some chicken and the kids had set the table and made name tags etc. It was a lovely night. We left about 11.30 adn we caught the RER straight through from his stop to our stop with no changing - so easy. It's a lovely residential area where they live. When I got back to our place I emailed drive away holidays and flight centre just to confirm where we had to pick the car up as all it said was "Paris downtown" which could be anywhere. Hopefully I'll hear back from them very soon!
I really enjoyed tonight - seems surreal to think we are in Paris having dinner with Duncan. It was lovely to see hm.

PARIS - DAY 3 - See Champagne Post.

PARIS - DAY 4  - Sunday 8th April

We had the BEST day today - it was so good. My status this morning on Facebook was  - I feel very lucky to be in Paris on such a spectacular Sunday" or something like that.


Minky and I went to our little boulangerie and got croissants, bagettes and coffee for breakie. It was a lovely sunny day. Had breakfast together and planned the day. The plan was to wander round our arrondissement and 6e. Eddy wants to go back to the Eiffel Tower one more time so we are going to head over there this arvo and have dinner in Cafe Constant that we couldn't get into on Thursday night. Left our apartment and headed up to Shakespere & Co (famous bookshop) but it was closed and didn't open until 11am. Wandered down Rue de Petit Pont, Rue Saint Andre des Arts, Rue Dauphine to Saint Germaine. Just wandered around checking it all out - very relaxing. Wandered through passages and saw the oldest teahouse - it's completely crooked and dating back to 1600's. Lots of cute shops in Saint Andre Passage, Passage Dauphine, walked along Rue de Furstenberg full of cafes and food shops. Walked back to St Germaine and went to Cafe de Flore for coffee. It's a famous cafe here. It was busy and they sent us upstairs but we could have been anywhere and I didn't see the point of being stuck there by ourselves and not able to people watch and feel like we're in Paris. Amazing when we went to leave they found us a table in the thick of it all, in the main dining room. The service was so slack as it usually is at this big touristy venues but it was something we wanted to do that we didn't do last time. Had coffee there - won't bother going there again. Wandered off again to Rue de La Princesse. I had put this on my blog as an area with alot of atmosphere. It was a beautiful area - not a soul around but full of lovely art galleries adn beautiful streets - we loved it. There were lots of people on Blvd St Germaine outside all the churches as it's Easter Sunday. There area all around Princesse was lovely and we strolled all round there. Walked to St Sulphice where we had a drink with Duncan last time. Sat in the square for a while on the fountain and decided where to go for lunch. I had put a bistro on my blog in 6e but we weren't sure if it was open today. We found that alot of places don't seem to be open on Sundays - very odd or maybe its' because it's Easter Sunday. Got to the restaurant - Cremerie Restaurant Polidor - right near Jardin du Luxemburg which we were planning on visiting after lunch. We got a table - which was one long table. It was THE most perfect place to spend our last lunch in Paris. It was so French and bustling and just fantastic. Our waitress was gorgeous. We ordered wine, I ordered chicken and mash potato, the others ordered Boeuf Borginon - so french and so much fun. Ordered more wine and desert and laughed alot. It was great - our favourite spot for a meal in Paris we all decided - and funnily enough we saw Marco there - the guy from the agency who is our apartment contact. So funny. We had a wonderful lunch.
After lunch we strolled through Jardin Du Luxemburg which I really love (although I do love the Tuilleries as well) Jardin Du Luxemburg is so green and lovely - beautiful flowers everywhere although it was pretty cold so not really springlike. It was a beautiful sunny day but more like a Sydney Winters day. Divine nonetheless. Had a lovely stroll, took lots of photos and lots of laughing and silliness. We are so lucky we all get on so well - as a family and with George. Eddy and George are like brothers and we're all just as relaxed with him round as he really is one of the family.
Spent quite a while in the gardens wandering round and the kids rumbling. Walked down to Rue Moufftard. The markets had been there this morning but there were lots of nice shops. It was quite a steep street but lovely - lots of lovely shops and restaurants. Walked past the Pantheon and back past Les Pipos to our apartment where we had a bottle of champagne. we were all really enjoying our day. After our little Champagne lude we wandered over to Notre Dame for a last look. We noticed the green people on the roof that I've never noticed before. We bought Nutella crepes ( a paris staple) from beside Notre dame and walked along the Seine then over to Rue de Pont des Artes. Minky had seen a shirt he liked earlier today when the shop was closed so we went back to get it now. He tried on a couple of shirts - trying to get one on sale - but of course the one he liked and in his size wasn't on sale so he got one for 119e that was really nice.  Caught the RER train to the Eiffel tower stop. Got off and walked along the Seine, along the promenade d'Australie  to the Eiffel tower. Took more photos and checked out the restaurant there - "only" 86e for a starter and 316e for a set menu - quick lets go!! Walked down to the Rue St Dominque to Cafe Constant to see if we could get in this time. we had to wait almost 1 and 1/2 hours for a table and had to stay at the restaurant! We all sat at tables outside on the street and drank wine while waiting ( it was very cold). I was chatting to people on Facebook. Andrew and I had driven past the street yesterday when we picked up the car and it all looks great - lots of restaurants and shops. We were half way along at the restaurant. Eventually we got a table and had a lovely meal - the waiter was a dick which we haven't really found to be the case at all in Paris. The French have been fantastic - friendly and helpful. We have made efforts everytime though by trying to speak French - they like that. After dinner we walked up to get the metro and saw the Eiffel Tower light up and sparkle again. We were ooohing and ahhing and yelling out "au revoir Paree" all sad it was our last night. Have had the best time in Paris - really loved it adn really saw so much. Back to our apartment. Early start tomorrow - all looking forward to our new adventure in the French countryside. Packed our bags, had a few drinks and off to bed.

AU REVOIR PAREE, Je t'aime. A beintot I hope!!

Let the fun begin - Our diary of London.

So we're on our way after a few annoying delays. We had a 5 hour delay in Singapore before boarding the A380 - QF 1 due to having to wait on some people coming from Brisbane who couldn't miss the connnecting flight which was us. The A380 was so much better - more room and so much quieter but if you're surrounded by dicks it ends up just as bad really. The kids in front put their seats back SO far. We had a lovely girl from Cornwall (now living in Perth) next to us. Finally landed at Heathrow. It took an hour to get through customs and get our bags which wasn't too bad then jumped on the Heathrow Express (19 pounds each) and within 15 minutes we were at Paddington station to meet up with Soph, Ed and George - a very happy reunion.

We bought travelcards for us all. The kids get a discounted card for 5.60 pounds each (16 - 25 year olds) and Andrew and I got travelcards @ 7 pounds each a day. This was a big saving - we could go on unlimited tubes and buses all day. That cost us 30.80 pounds per day.

We had an absolutely wonderful 3 days in London – but definitely not long enough. Of course we didn’t get to do everything on the list so pretty quickly we realized we had to cull – especially as we arrived 5 hours late on Friday morning. It was very hectic but so much fun.

We did some things I’d never done before which I love doing as I can’t see the point of going back to all the same places and never exploring new spots. That is of course unless you can stay for weeks which I would so love to do. And there are so many places to explore. Of course we did all my favourites as well.

Our apartment “Scampston Mews” in Cambridge Gardens was perfect for us. Booked through an agency “One Fine Stay” it was actually someone’s house and they rent it out when they go away. It was on 3 levels with a winding staircase to our huge room complete with a fireplace and sitting area and then up again to Soph and George’s attic room and ensuite. The room Ed was meant to sleep in  had a tiny bed that could only fit a small child or a dwarf so he dragged the mattress and couch cushions up to the floor of Soph and George’s room. It was very comfortable and had the comfiest couch and chairs – seems it was an old stable and is in a cobblestone area off the street with several other old stables – all fully renovated. Really lovely and pretty central to everything as it pretty much is in London with the tube.

Our tube station was Ladbroke Grove.

Sophie is such an expert on London and the tubes so we just followed her around from line to line to end up where we needed to be. It was very busy in London – or so I thought although the taxi driver on Saturday night told me otherwise. I think it’s just that it’s so different in Sydney that naturally it seems so busy. One time on the tube it was packed – with people squashed against the doors. Sometimes when you’re in a really crowded tube it’s just such a sea of people. Luckily if you don’t get on one tube another one turns up only a minute or so later. Although they say there are cameras on the tubes now I do think about some mad bomber being on the tube especially when warning messages are coming over the loud speakers. The escalators are SO long and so steep too and some of the tube stations go on forever – making you go up and down dale to get to the actual train.

So this is what we ended up doing in London:

Day 1 which was really only 1/2 a day  (Friday 30th March)

Headed downtown from Paddington. As it's a Friday this area would be busy as opposed to the weekend when Sophie had visited this area and it was dead. We left all our bags at the luggage minding place as there are no lockers here. It was I think 7 pounds per bag. There wasn't really many options and we certainly didn't want to drag our bags around London with us.

Got off at Temple tube station - strolled along the Thames and headed over to Fleet Street. It was lunch time by now so we went to THE OLD BANK OF ENGLAND - a beautiful old English pub. It was a lovely day so we sat out in the courtyard and had good old English fare - chicken pies.

The inside of the pub.

St Paul's was next. We didn't go in as it was 15 pounds per person and when you x that by 5 it makes a very expensive outing. Anyway we've seen it on TV! We sat round on the steps to take in some of the atmosphere. Walked over to Leadenhall Market where Harry Potter was filmed. This is a shopping arcade with lovely high ceilings, shops and pubs.

Walked to Bank tube and caught the tube back to Paddington to pick up our bags as we had to meet the person who was checking us into our apartment. Picked up our bags and as we had so many we decided to catch a cab to Scampston Mews. Well that was absolute bedlam as the taxi area was really really busy and full of impatient people and the cab driver was really rude and uphelpful. Hope they improve at such a major train station for the Olympics!! We couldn't all fit in the cab with all our bags so George and Eddy caught the tube to the Mews.

Driving through Notting Hill we were getting really excited as it was all just buzzing and so busy - so many fantastic looking pubs and cafes and shops and just busy and fun.

As I mentioned our apartment was fantastic. The girl who checked us in showed us around. We received a "welcome pack" which was a box of things for our stay - tea, jams, biscuits and all shampoo and soaps were in the bathrooms.  This is actually someone's home that they rent out for holidaymakers so it's very homely and lived in.

After the boys arrived and we had had a couple of wines and a short relax we headed out for dinner, walking to the tube we then caught the tube to Baker Street and walked to Marleybone High Street and to the Marleybone pub. It was fantastic - really busy and fun although Andrew and I were alot older than most people there! It was happy hour so Soph and I had a 1/2 price cocktail. Stood outside on the street as it was too crowded inside - and we were allowed to drink there as long as we stood behind a barrier. We were so excited to be there and be altogether.

Next door to the pub was this amazing cheese shop called La Fromagerie with a window full of wonderful cheeses.

It had been a wonderful sunny day and not too cold at all. I really like Marleybone - I hadn't been there before.  It was really lively with lots of pubs and people around.
Walked along the High Street  through St Christopher's Place which was fantastic and over to Sth Moulton Street to Rocket. We had been here before, last time we were in London.  The lane way is full of bars and there were so many people there. It was packed. We went upstairs for dinner - Sophie had booked. It was pretty busy and the service wasn't great by any means. Food was average but for Mayfair it's not expensive. Andrew was really jetlagged and falling asleep at the table so after dinner we got a cab back to our place. I didn't feel too bad!

Day 2 - 31st March 2012

Woke up this morning feeling good after a great sleep in the really comfy bed. We were all excited so got ready and set off . It was cold and overcast today which was really disappointing as the weather had been really hot for London for the whole last week.  Luckily it wasnt' raining.  Walked through all the streets up to Portobello Road where the markets were just setting up. It was so exciting. Last time we were here we could barely move but now it was deserted! All the fruit and vegetables looked so fantastic.

Walked into the really divine part of Notting Hill - Westbourne Grove. Lovely shops and cafes - very upmarket. Went to a cafe for breakfast that Soph had found on Streetview - called 202. It was very exclusive and often has famous people eating there (not today :() and often there are queues out the door. We were pretty early so luckily we didn't have to wait.  It was a mixture of tables and fashion. We were served by a lovely Spanish woman. Had a yummy breakfast - It was expensive though - 95 pounds although we all had full breakfasts and the coffees all add up too! But it was worth it. So nice.

Headed off to the tube and caught it to Westminster, changed to Jubilee Line and got off at London Bridge.  Walked past Southwark Cathedral to Borough Market. This was another new experience.

It's a huge produce market, really busy and so much yummy looking stuff. We all wondered around, bought fresh juices and then some yummy chutneys and cheeses from France. It was really worth visiting.

Caught the tube to Waterlo and walked over Golden Jubilee bridge to Trafalgar Sqaure via Northumberland Avenue. Trafalgar Square looked fantastic as ever. It was really busy. Saw the sign telling us how many days it was until the Olympics which is exciting.

Walked down Whitehall, had a viewing of the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the Westminster Abbey. Walked towards St James Park via Horseguards Road.

Entered St James Park which looked lovely with geese and birds all around. Went to Inn on the Park which was a lovely cafe in the park. It was really cold today and it was full inside so we had to sit outside on the verandah. There were heaters but it was still icy - around 8 degrees. Such a change from yesterday. We had soup and crusty bread and wine for lunch with Jenny and Ian who were in London for the weekend from Florence.

  After lunch we walked up to Buckingham Palace which looked as wonderful as ever

then up the Mall. Took photos of the guards then to Malborough Road to the suburb of St James. Walked along Pall Mall to St James Square. It is such a lovely area. Last time in London Soph and I  had lunch in the square but today it was all closed up. Walked up Duke of York Street to Jermyn Street to Picadilly. I love Picadilly!! Walked along to Picadilly Circus. Went to a tourist shop to try and buy the dilly bag I bought last time but sadly 3 years later I couldn't find them. The shop was still there but not the same bag.

Continued onto Carnaby Street and wandered through there which I love and to Oxford Street - to Regent Street - my favourite Street in London. Ducked off into the little secret area of Heddon Street and to the cafe we had planned to have breakfast at yesterday - Aubaine. It was really lovely. We had wine, coffees and were talked into pastries by our cute (but very gay) waiter. It was such fun and a good relaxing "lude" (as we came to call them) after a manic day of walking.

Walked down Saville Row to Burlington Arcade. There's so much work going on around London in preperation for the Olympics. Lots of shops boarded up - e.g Fortnum and Mason. Still open but closed off.

Went to Burlington Arcade - which I love, full of beautiful jewellery shops and onto Old Bond Street and Bond Street - i just love this area. So posh!! Lots of very expensive shops I'm sure I'll never set foot inside.

Got a cab back to Scampston Mews, had a quick relax then got a cab back to Trafalgar Sqaure. It was bitterly cold and I was shivering! We walked across Trafalgar Square to Terroirs Wine bar in William 1V street. The bar was really crowded but great. We met Jenny and Ian there and Penny and Peter. It was great to see them again. We stood around barrels. The waiter was French and very knowledgable about wine so tried some very nice ones. It was a very cool bar - and has been written up in lots of magazines (latest being Gourmet Traveller) I noticed. You could also have dinner there.

We went to Penny's Club for dinner - down a really cute narrow alleyway and hidden. Right neare thte bar. Penny had to press an intercom to enter and once inside it was fantastic - full of little rooms so we had our own individual  room. It was very British and felt like our very own dinner party. The food was fantastic and it was so much fun.

Day 3 - Sunday 1st April.

Up early and headed off to Covent Garden. Got the tube from Ladbroke Garden (our local) to Charring Cross. Walked up to St Martin's lane to Covent Garden. There was so much work going on. It was pretty early and not many places were open - and it was cold but I do love Covent Garden. We ended up at one of the few places open and had a pretty yucky but inexpensive breakfast.  Wandered up to Neal's yard. Sophie had been here a couple of weeks ago and it reminded her of Byron Bay. It was really lovely except we had to be really quiet as there were a whole lot of people on benches meditating!

Walked to Monmouth Street to 7 dials - a monument with 7 streets coming off it. It was a really lovely area.

We got the tube for Leister Square to Holburn and then to Marble Arch. Walked through Hyde Park - my favourite - to Kensington Gardens. 

Eddy had said something that made us all just crack up!!

Had a leisurely stroll through there - it was a lovely day but cold! Got a takeaway coffee and took a replica photo of Soph, Ed and George on the bridge - same as we took last time!

Walked along Carriage Drive to Sth Kensington tube station via Exhibition road - great area. It's all been done up and is really lovely. Walked for miles and miles in the tunnel to the tube! Caught the tube to Sloane Square. walked to lunch on Pimlico Road at the Ebrury. This area round Pimlico road was SO lovely. I must have gone here when I lived in London. It is so lovely.

Met Debbie and Susanne Barnes and partners Bob and Simon for lunch. Belinda and I went to Gordon West with them briefly - then we were pen pals.  Debbie was in Belinda's class and Sue was in mine. I saw Sue in the 80's when she came to Sydney - but we all found each other on facebook - as you do. We had a really lovely lunch there - it was very upmarket - and expensive!!(200 pounds for the 5 of us) But it was so lovely and the food was fantastic. I had a really yummy gnocchi and we all had lots of wine. After lunch we took lots of photos.

After lunch we said goodbye to Debbie, Susanne, Bob and Simon and headed over to King's road - one of my favourite spots. It was busy and lovely. Walked through Duke of York square -lots of lovely shops and cafes. Wandered up through Sloane Square to Cadagon Place - God it's so divine. Can't believe I lived here.

Stoppped at no 37 and took photos. I realised I was the same age as Eddy now when I lived here. The whole area is unreal. Headed into Motcomb Street (another favourite) Belgravia. This is the street that Harry took Sophie and I to lunch last time I was in London - on the day I arrived.  We went to the Pantechnican for a glass of wine and hot chips.  We had planned to go here for lunch but when we rang to book it was full.

Everywhere is so busy - everywhere you go is full, hard to get into restaurants. Walked up to Harrods. Went to the top floor to the souvenir section to buy a new cup and tin of tea with London designs on it. It was SO crowded. Got on tube to Paddington. George had to leave and head back to Cardiff as he has to go to work tomorrow.

We had to go back to Scampston Mews to pick up more money  - we had a huge day of expenses today. We're not being very good sticking to our budget but I don't actually think that we exchanged enough pounds.

Headed out via tube to Waterloo.It was such a beautiful evening with a lovely sunset.

There were masses of people around and the queue for the Eye was huge. It was also 20 pounds per person and we would have had to wait for hours.

I had planned to go to a pub in Clerkenwell but decided once we got to London that this was a very random place to go - and it would be much better to go to the city. We also wanted to go to somewhere on our list. We decided to got to St Christopher's place - although we had walked through it.

Walked all along the Thames - it was so lovely. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament looked fantastic as the sun set. There were lots and lots of people around - a really fantastic atmosphere. It's also the start of the Easter holidays. Had a lovely stroll all along the Thames and through Jubilee Gardens. It's daylight saving here so it doesn't get dark till late.

We walked across Golden Jubilee bridge to Charing Cross then caught the tube to Oxford Circus. Walked along Oxford street (lots of Olympic construction)but fun all the same to St Christopher's place. We met Stevee and Tory at a little Italian restaurant called Olivetti's. Soph had been here a couple of times. Had bruschetta, platters of anti pasta and pasta - it was really nice and great to catch up with Stevee and Tory. They are loving living in London.

We got a cab back to our little mews. Last night in London - I just love it. Wish we were staying longer.

London dining and bars.

There are of course a huge amount of places and areas to eat in in London - and some great sounding bar.

We plan to go to The Marleybone on our first night. http://www.themarylebonelondon.com/

Sweetings also sounds good -  39 Queen Victoria Street. The City -  This place has been around since 1830.
It has a mosaic floor.

We wanted to go for dinner at The White Swan pub and dining room, 108 New Fetter lane, The City - www.thewhiteswanlondon.com on Sunday with Stevie and Tory but it's closed on Sundays (and Saturdays) which is so wierd but I guess it's because they are in the city which may not be very lively on the weekends.

The Wine Library - 43 Trinity Square, - www. winelibrary.co.uk. Not sure if it's the same as the one in Paddington!

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese - 145 Fleet Street - this is a historic pub. We had a walk through here after we'd been to The Old Bank pub - it was pretty dark and all little rooms. Not that appealing but glad we had a look.

There are lots of places around Covent Garden.

Soph has picked out a bar to go to on Saturday night.

Terroirs Wine Bar - 5 William 1V street,
http://terroirswinebar.com/

Around Covent Garden are plenty of places to go - some that look good are:

Salisbury - in St Martin's Lane and next to the St Martin's Lane Hotel. It has a very British pub interior.

The Lamb and flag sounds good too. The interior is more than 350 years old and live jazz on Sunday afternoons.

Neal's yard Dairy - 17 Shorts Gardens - a fabulous smelly cheese shop with over 70 varieties of cheese.

Inn the Park - www.innthepark.com
St James Park
This is a stunning wooden cafe and restaurant offering cakes and tea plus quality British food. It has a new roof terrace. We are planning on going here. It looks amazing.

Lamb bar in Bloomsbury - very popular with mahogany bar.

Clerkenwell sounds quite interesting and has quaint streets. A couple of places that sound good are:

Moro - www.moro.co.uk
34-36 Exmouth market.
This is the best known restaurant in Clerkenwell serving African/Spanish food with apparently fantastic food.

Coach & Horses - www.thecoachandhorses.com
26-28 Ray Street, Clerkenwell.
This is a gastropub with old world charm and well priced food.

Jerusalem Tavern - very cute pub with booths and a small bar - 55 Britton Street, EC1.

We have booked Rocket for our first night - http://www.rocketrestaurants.co.uk/ - we have been here last time and we decided that this is where we'd like to go for our first night together.
4 Lancashire Court, London W1S 1EY - this was very average but great value to have dinner in Mayfair  - and in a fantastic area.

We'd like to go to Beach Blanket Babylon again - that was great. http://www.beachblanket.co.uk/home.html

Extra costs..

In my research and costs of the holiday I realised that there are alot of bits and pieces that you forget about in all the planning - admission costs, tube costs, bike hire etc so thought I'd make a list of places we'd like to go to as this can really blow out the budget. In our case with 5 of us we need to weigh up what we want to go inside to look at as all being adults I'm not sure that a family ticket applies!  I first thought of doing this when I said to Sophie that we'd go inside Westminster Abbey this time - until I looked at the admission cost which is ridiculous for a Church. I don't remember it costing money when I lived there but I wasn't on a budget then at 20 so who knows! It's good to be forewarned in this day and age of the internet and knowing everything before you get there (what the street looks like with streetview to planning what you 're going to eat at a restaurant after looking at the menu online).

Have found this website which looks like it has some good suggestions:

25 Ways to cut the cost of your next holiday.
http://www.yourmoneymag.com.au/article/25-ways-to-cut-the-cost-of-your-next-holiday-120662.aspx?p=3

LONDON:

Tube: Sophie to investigate. We'll get either an Oyster card or travelcard - should be around 15 pounds each.

Westminster Abbey: 16 pounds per person, 38 pounds for a family of 2 adults and 2 children + 6 pounds for extra (if the kids get by as kids - although to my mind a family ticket is for a family and we are a family!!) At this price - no way. I'm not spending about $90 to go inside here.

St Paul's Cathedral: This is 12.5pounds per person or 29.5 for a family of 4. Again - will give it a miss and just look through the doors maybe.

Boat on the Thames - 13.5 pounds for 2. (2 for one deal)

http://www.citycruises.com/city-cruises-sightseeing-prices-timetable.aspx

London Eye - Standard ticket is 17 pounds per person online and 18.80 on the day. Fast track ticket is 25 pounds per person online and 28.80 on the day.

We can also get a combined London Eye and Thames Cruise -
http://www.londoneye.com/TicketsAndPrices/

This works out at 24.40 pounds.
PARIS:

Musee d'orsay - 8e for us and 5.5e for Soph and Ed. George is free as he's an EU resident.

Climbing  Notre Dame -  8E for us, 5e for Soph and Ed and free for George.
Musee de l'Orangerie -  7.5e for us, 5.5 for Soph and Ed and free for George.

Metro -  We can get a Paris Pass for 9.75 euros each.
BATOBUS -  1 day is 12e per person, 2 days is 14e so we'll get that one I would think.

http://www.batobus.com/english/index.htm

CHAMPAGNE AREA:  Moet and Chandon Tour - $100 for all of us. (booked but not paid)

BURGUNDY:  Bike hire - approx 16e for a day - not sure about 1/2 a day.


SARLAT: boat hire to ride down to river in La Roque-Gageac

On this website http://www.northofthedordogne.com/canoe.php it says that its only a few euros to hire canoes.

MADRID:


BARCELONA:

Paris Dining

From blogs and travel books I have found a number of restaturants and cafes in Paris that sound lovely. Heidi Lillyman also suggested a couple so thought I'd add these all here.

http://hipparis.com/2011/08/08/petrelle-discreet-dining-in-sopi-south-of-pigalle-paris-9th-arrondissement/

This is the one that Heidi recommended. The reviews are in the blog.

This is a good blog - Cafe des Musees is a bistro in the Marais.
http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2010/03/cafe-des-musees-paris/

Heidi also recommended this one:

www.cafeconstant.com/4.aspx - 139 rue Ste Dominique - 7e. This has original mosaic floors and wooden tables. Doesn't take reservations but you can have a drink at the bar while you wait.

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurants-g187147-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

This is the tripadvisor page for restaurants in Paris.

Les Papilles sounds good too - this is at 30 rue Gay Lussac - 5e. It's a set menu though so not sure if I would be able to eat what's on the menu - www.lespapilleparis.com
It's a wine bar and bistro and is very popular.

Le baba Bourgeois - 5 quai de la tournelle.5e. - very trendy, smack bang on the Seine with a pavement terrace facing Notre dame. http://www.lebababourgeois.com/menus.html. It looks abit groovy and I can't really read the menu as it's in French!

Les Pipos - Soph and George went here. It looks lovely and I definitely want to go here.

Angelina's - tearoom with the best hot chocolates.

Stohrer

La Baron Rouge (no website. see reviews here and here)

A list of David Lebovitz' favourite places to eat in Paris.

Le Petit Machon - 158 rue st Honore. 16.50euros for lunch menu. This is close to the Louvre and gets a good write up as a welcoming bistro.

Cafe Marly - 93 rue de Rivoli - 1er  -  faces the Louvre with great views of the pyramid - pastas and sandwiches. Priced as more than 40E a person so I think you are probably paying for the view.

Les Troubadours - 10 passage des Panoramas 2e - Old style bistro with traditional French dishes in the Passage des Panoramas. Plat du jour is 13E and the chocolate cake is not to be missed.

Mon Vieil Ami - 4e - 69 rue st Louis - In one of Paris' most sought after areas. A very welcoming area. Alsatian Plat du jour -13euros.

Berthillon - icecreamery on Ile St Louis - went here last time. Icecreams are so yummy.
Cremerie Restaurant Polidor - 41 rue Monsieur le Prince - 6e.

In the Saint Germain area two brasseries sounded good - Le petit zinc - http://www.petit-zinc.com/
This is a big brasserie with lots of fresh seafood. Looks abit pricey though - depends what you have  I guess but seems about 30euros or so for a main. 11 rue st Benoit.

Also Chez Allard - 41 rue St-andre des Arts- 6e. This is a left bank favourite with snails and frogs legs and a speciality chicken dish from Burgundy.

L'Arbuci - 25 rue de Buci - big brasserie - a popular choice for breakfast or brunch. Packed tables on the pavement. Live jazz in the basement on fridays and saturdays.

Cremerie Restaurant Polidor - 41 rue Monsieur le Prince - 6e. Decor dates from 1845. tasty family syle french cuisine.

Au Pied de Fouet - 50 Rue St-Benoit - an authentic bistro - busy with packed tables and very good value.

Amorino - serious competition for Bethillon. Homemade icecream apparently better - sounds like we'd better try both and decide for ourselves!! 4 Rue de Buci. also one in Luxemburg Gardens.

Le Pre Verre - a french bistro - 25 Rue Thenard in 5e. 13 euros for lunch and great wine list. Busy and buzzing. Very Parisian!!

Champs Elysee area - Le Hide --  www.lehide.fr
Tiny little place with traditional french food - and a Japanese chef. Plat du Jour is 16 euros. Looks very cute.

Marais area - There are lots of French bistros and cafes that seem quitte reasonable for lunch -

Le Petit Marche - 9 Rue de Bearn - 3e - just up from Place des Vosges - 12.5e for lunch.

Chez Janou - 2 rue roger Verlomme in 3e, 12.5e for lunch just up from Place des Vosges. It looks very cute - http://www.chezjanou.com/

Le Tire Bouchon - 5 Rue Guillaume Bertrand - 11e. Close to Rue Oberkampf. Wooden tables and gingham tablecloths.

Cafe Hugo - Place des Vosges - affordable eatery on Place des Vosges. Plat du Jour with a glass of wine is 12.5e.

Bastille & Gare Lyon area - (12e) - 

Le Train Bleu is in this area (Annie Wallis recommended this restaurant). Looking at the website the building and interior looks amazing but it's very expensive for 5 of us. There is a bar though.

Some others in this area are:

La Muse vin - 101 Rue de Charonne. 12e - this is a wine bar with food - plat du jour is 9e.

Chez Paul - 13 rue de Charonne - 11e. very popular and traditional french bistro.http://www.chezpaul.com

Les Galopins - 24 Rue des Taillandiers , 11e - a cute little neighbourhood bistro.Simple and straightforward - Menus 14.5e and 17.5e for lunch. http://www.lesgalopins.fr/?page_id=7

Food streets
 Rue Montorgueil - good for a quick bite to eat.

Rue Mouffeard - food market and great for ethnic and French budget eateries. One is La Salle a manger - is a sunny terrace under trees that has a great view of the market place, fountain and church and has lovely tarts, salads, toasted sandwiches and pastries.

Da Rosa - 62, rue de Seine 75006 Paris. This is a delicatessen where you can eat - very hip and groovy and a real foodie place (i.e sounds like Andrew would love it) Has a vast array of meat, salamis, pates, caviars and cheeses. Everything can be bought to take home. For a place to eat it looks like a tapas bar and seems very $$.

Food shops along Rue de Seine and Rue de Buci. Also the covered markets of Marche St Germain. Open air markets of Rue Cler.

Quatre hommes - 62 Rue de Sevres, 6e - the king of fromageries. The smell alone is heavenly.

Carrefour Market - 79 Rue de seine 6e - a good supermarket in the area.
Rue Poncelet and Rue Bayen - in Champs Elysee area.

Parisian Markets:
Some of these I've already mentioned but here are all the markets in order of arrondisements and opening times as well:

Rue Montorgueil - Rue Montorgueil between Rue de Turbigo and rue Reaumur - 2e.
8am - 7.30pm Tues -Saturday, to noon on Sunday. Favourite street in Paris for food.

Marche couvert des Enfants Rouge - 39 Rue de Bretagne - 3e. 9am - 2pm & 4 -8pm - Tues - Thurs. 9am - 8pm Friday & Saturday. 9am -2pm Sunday. This covered market south of Place de la Republique has ethnic and French stalls.

Marche Maubert - Place Maubert.5e 7am - 2.30pm Tues, Thu & Saturday.This market is spread over a small triangle of intersecting streets.

Marche Monge - Place Monge - 5e - 7am-2pm Wed, Fri and Sunday.One of the better open air neighbourhood markets in the Latin Quarter.

Rue Mouffetard - around Rue De L'Arbalete 5e. 8am - 7.30pm Tue- Sat, 8am - noon Sunday.
This is the city's most photogenic commerical market.

Marche Raspail - Blvd Raspail between Rue de rennes & Rue du Cherche Midi - 6e.
7am- 2. - 30 Tues & Sun. Traditional open air market.

Rue Cher - 7e. 8am - 7pm Tues, Sat,8am - noon on Sunday - a breath of fresh air.

Marche Couvert - St Quentin - Blvd Magenta 10e, 8am - 1pm , 3.30 - 7.30pm.
Glass and iron covered market.

Top Bakeries/Patisseries

Boulangerie Eric Kayser - 5e - 8 rue Monge - looks so yummy - especially the white chocolate brioches.
 http://www.maison-kayser.com/
Oneof 15 branches and has become a household name in Paris.

Poilane - 8 rue du cherche Midi - 6e. - a legend in it's own lifetime - the sourdough loaf is France's most famous bread.
French food specialities - vol au vents, potage Saint germain - a thick green pea soup.
Paris brest - ring shaped cake filled with praline and topped with icing sugar and almonds

Boulangerie Besnier - 40 rue de bourgogne 7e - watch bagettes being made.

Le Notre - 10 Rue St Antoine - 4e - Has some of the most delectable pastries and chocolate in Paris.
BARS:
A glass of wine starts from 3 or 4e, cocktails 10 - 15e and beer is between 3 and 4e.
Happy Hour is 5pm to 9pm.

Some bars that sound good are these one:

Le Cochon a l'Oreille - 15 rue Montmartre, 1e. A Parisian jewel in a heritage listed hole in the wall. Has only 8 tables.

Taverne Henri 1V - 13 place du Pont Neuf - One of the very few places to drink on the Ile de la cite.  This is a serious wine bar dating back to 1885.

Alcazar -  very groovy and hip - 62 Rue Mazarine. 6e. Looks amazing actually.
http://www.alcazar.fr

Au Sauvignon - 80 rue des Sts-Peres 7e. - right near Le bon Marche. Great little wine bar - sounds really fun and very french.  Wine served by the glass and platters of food.

Cafe Delmas - 5e. Drink on one of The Latin Quarters leafiest squares.

Breakfast Goes Trendy

By Sylvia Sabes

Bread and Roses is a hip, exceptional bakery that you'll find nestled in the tony St.-Honoré neighborhood in Paris, next to Hermès and a short walk from L'Eclaireur, Buddha Bar and Hôtel de Crillon. This is where the affluent locals and fortunate expats come for fantastic baked goods each morning. At lunchtime original sandwiches and incredible quiches with gourmet ingredients like girolle mushrooms and pine nuts are impossible to resist. As the lunch crowd thins, weary shoppers can come in for afternoon tea, with scrumptious scones as well as more-traditional French pastries like lemon tarts and Mont Blancs. Finally, those in the mood for a relaxing cocktail made from the finest liquors are well served, with no lack of savory snacks to accompany their personal happy hour. And as you sit, enjoying an international people-watching scene par excellence, you may seriously begin to wonder if a rose by any other name would truly smell as sweet.

www.breadandroses.fr/

62 Rue Madame 75006 Paris, France 01 42 22 06 06

This is a newsletter I have signed up for: Bonjour Paris. This is a dining section.

http://www.bonjourparis.com/story/cat/dining-bars-tea/

And Paris Updated..

Our Paris daily plan;

Day one:

• The Islands - walk down the Seine and across the Pont de l'Archeveche over to Notre Dame
• Climb the Notre Dame
• Square du Vert Galant and Place Daphine
• Pont Neuf over to right bank
• Walk along the Seine to The Louvre 
• Walk through the Tuileries and go to the Musee de l'Orangerie (have a picnic in the gardens for lunch)
• Place de la Concorde 
• Along Rue de Rivoli, have the famous hot chocolate at Angelina's 
• Up to Place Vendome 
• Place Madeleine
• Walk up Champs-Elysees to Arc de Triomphe 
• Wander around the Golden Triangle
•  Trocadero
• Cross the river to the Eiffel Tower
• Grab some pre-dinner snacks along rue cler to have while we watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle
• Dinner out

Day two:

• Breakfast at home
• Batobus to Musee d'Orsay 
• Batobus to The Louvre
• Check out areas around Rue Montorgueil and have coffee around there
• Wander down to Centre Pompidou
• Onto Place de l'Hotel de Ville
• Through the Marais, wandering around the cute streets. Have lunch around here
• Musee Picasso
• Place des Vosges
• Stroll down to Promenade Plantee and surrounding streets
• Batobus tour around the Seine at dusk
• Dinner out or at home

Day three:

In the Champagne District

Day four:

• Breakfast
• Stroll through back streets of the Latin Quarter up to Shakespeare and Co.
• Back down to the Pantheon
• Onto Rue Mouffetard
• Jardin des Plantes?
• Luxembourg gardens
• Have lunch around St Germain area
• Stroll through all St Germain back streets
• Have coffee at Cafe de Flore
• Wander up to pedestrian streets close to the Seine 
• Head over to The Islands. Grab an ice cream at Berthillon and watch sunset over Seine (depending what time it will be by then)
• Have dinner out

London - our plans for 3 days.

Since we will be in big cities like London and Paris for only short amounts of time, we are planning out our days to make sure we get the most out of our time. This will mean we won't be spending all our time tube hoping from one side of the city to the other over and over.

Our daily plans look like this;

Day One:

• Aubaine (Heddon Street - just off Regent) for breakfast
• Walk down to Trafalgar Square, via Piccadilly Circus and check out the National Gallery
• Houses of Parliament
• Westminster Abbey (peek inside)
• Change of Guard at 11am at Horse Guards Parade
• Stroll through St James' Park to Buckingham Palace (coffee here?)
• Green Park up to Wellington Arch
• Hyde Park
• Walk through Mayfair
• Oxford Street/Regent Street and Bond Street
• Savile Row and Burlington Arcade and Fortnum and Mason
• Stroll through Soho to Carnaby Street
• Afternoon tea at Liberty of London
• Meet George and go for a drink at The Marylebone Bar or Beach Blanket Babylon
• Go back to our place for pre dinner chill sesh
• Dinner at ?? (around 8pm)

Day Two: (Pub lunch at any pub we stumble upon when hungry?)

• Walk down South Bank to Borough Market for breakfast. Elliot's at 10am.
• Millennium Bridge 
• St Paul's
• Monument
• Leadenhall Market
• Tower Bridge and Castle
• Stroll around the city area (Gherkin etc)
• Stroll around Bloomsbury area (Bedford Row and all around the British Museum)
• Afternoon all around Covent Garden
• Have Drink with Marney & Bickey, Peter & Penny
• Dinner

Day Three:

• Morning stroll around Notting Hill
• Breakfast at La Fromagerie
• Marylebone
• Wallace Collection
• Marble Arch
• Kensington Gardens (and Serpentine gallery?)
• Harvey Nichols and Harrods
• Sloane St/Belgravia (Motcomb street & Cadagon Place)
• Sloane Square
• King's Road/Duke of York Square (Lunch around here)
• South Kensington
• Tube to Embankment
• Walk along Victoria Embankment
• River Cruise
• London Eye (at approx 6pm or 7pm)
• Dinner out for our last night