Tick tick and more ticks

Notre Dame tick.  Sacre Coeur tick. River siene tick. arc de triomphe tick.  Place de concorde tick.  Fashion houses tick.  we've ticked a lot of things but I have to say (and I am going to bore you Tina now so look away) - the highlight was running along the seine past the lourve in the early morning.  Shopping has been amazing not so much what's in the stores but how they are presented.  There is a food store where all the food is in black and red packaging - it made me want to buy the gerkins in the glass jar for 8 euros when I knew I could get them in coles for $2.  We went to one of the major shopping areas - which has a 7 level department store (nothing new) -but within the store are concept stores everywhere that include chanel, prada, hermes etc - you get the picture no David Jones or Myer here!  The cue to get into chanel was taking my devotion to shopping just that bit too far.  the most amazing shop so far (although i couldn't get in there - apparently you have to make an appointment) was to a bootmaker - who will make a shoe to fit your foot.  The ones in the window were 9000 euros a piece, it made me wonder how much money you would have to have to justify that price for a pair of boots and definatley no "sale" signs here.

Our motto for the trip has been don't waste a meal - so every eating experience has to be just that an experience - we have introduced ourselves to michelin star restaurant dining - and its everything its cracked up to be.  My loose jeans are now my tight jeans - we went to a 3 star michelin star restaurant yesterday, arrived in our dressy jeans  only to see every person in the restaurant was wearing a jacket and most of the ladies came in with shopping bags and they weren't the bags from country road if you know what I mean.  We felt a bit uncomfortable and were ushered upstairs out of sight we thought from everyone else. It was a great vantage spot - to see what everyone was up too and what menu surprises were coming our way.  7 or 8 courses later - I lost count I ate mashed potato and thyme ice-cream - it was out of this world.  the chef came to our table when we finished (nearly the last to leave) - a young guy who trained with Tony Bilson in australia - he said that last years masterchefs contestants were to do a segment in his kitchen but it got cut from the show because of the volcano ash and they had to head back to australia - hilarious.  au revior for now

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