Lunch in Paris and back to reality.

PARIS__________________________________________________________________

After twenty four delightful hours passing through five countries, Madam alights at Gare de L'est. We had decided to have lunch on the last day in Paris. But 0830 was a bit early so (below) we headed for Montmarte, a coffee and a stroll

In the Monmartre market (below) J could be a filmstar.....G (right) could be talentspotting

_____________________________________.....outside G could be talent spotting?

For a last lunch we wanted a typically French vine covered country restaurant - with of course some music in the background. Not easy in the centre of Paris but, just off the market square we found just the thing - and if you look carefully hidden in the leaves on the right is Jean Pierre Lignian - a well known orchestral bass player - apparently!! He was good and serenaded us with his solo double bass with a little electronic backing. I was so moved - or possibly pissed!! I even bought his CD

On the way to Gare du Nord and home Jacky suggested a quick saunter in Les Jardins des Tuileries by the Seine... the Eiffel Tower just visible in the distance. But what's that we can hear? Surely not bagpipes?..........

Yes we could hear bagpipes. The Scots had

brought the Champs Elysees to a standstill a week earlier with bagpipe music played by world cup rugby supporters. But this distant view is not of Scotsmen but of their celtic cousins - the Bretons from Britanny. We had just caught the tail end of a Breton band festival. Carmen been planned but music from belly dancing to Vivaldi and Gershwin to operetta had followed us everywhere and the drama of a bagpipe finish hit exactly the right note!!
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FINALE

The Orient Express had taken us back in time to a golden age. We may have been celebrating our fortieth wedding anniversary - but these beautiful old coaches have been going since the 1920s.

In the afternoon we returned to today's reality and 180 miles an hour on the Eurostar from Paris to London. This shot shows the old and the new together at Gare de L'Est....... I know which we preferred - assuming of course that we had been born on the right side of the tracks!!