Oi Oi Paris, How's it goin' Cobber?, and the Snake Charmers of Northern Africa

There is so much to report, and it seems I have become a little slack with the actual writing of posts. In 3 sleeps I am going to be curling up in my little bed with Cocoa-puss and the warm hum of home. As much as I have been having an amazing time as a wandering soul, the lure of Home is strong and the promise of a healthier life is just around the corner. It's impossible for me to do justice to the complete tapestry of these travels in one fell swoop, so I will just give you a brief outline.

Comments have been like a breath of fresh air from home. Thanks all, (particularly Mum and Dad and Dan...)

Paris
Our six nights here were well spent. Four nights were spent at the Hostel Andre Gill, where we were up a few flights of stairs in a cosy double room that got lots of the daylight. The area was the Montmartre - the area renowned for its early 20th Century reputation for artists and prostitutes. We were right around the corner from the famed Moulin Rouge and the 'colourful' district of nightclubs, tourists and red light 'entertainment'. It didn't feel much like the Nicole Kidman film actually... much much seedier, but the beauty of that area was in the gaps. I enjoyed the dirty rawness, and the way that in a bed of flat-earthed Paris, that Montmartre was like a rising beacon in the shadow of the amazing Sacre Coeur cathedral.

The four nights at the first hostel included one day of total nothingness. It was wonderful to just read and not be hurried or worried about what touristic delights we would experience. Another day involved waking up very early and going out of Paris proper and spending the day in Disneyland. Oh. My. Goodness. I was a little sceptical about how much I would enjoy such an Americana fiesta of Schmaltz and commericialism. I never, ever needed to be worried. I loved every second of it, from the disney music playing all across the park non-stop, to the Mary Poppins show, to the rides that scared us out of our wits, to the happy kids all around, to the fake castle and to all the glamour of the kiddie-ness that comes with actually going to Disneyland. Apart from the French signs and bilingual staff we could have actually been in America. It was very strange but also familiar... in some ways more familiar than Paris!

We had such a lot of fun. We rode on the Indiana Jones Roller Coaster which looped upside down, and checked out lots of the little shops. The Pirates of the Carribean ride was on water and was fun but not quite scary enough. Of note, and in no way detracting from the day, was that 2 rides actually broke down with us on them. The worst one was a scary, spinning, Finding Nemo rollercoaster, which rotates 360 degrees while going through the rollercoaster motions in the pitch black. And when we were going top speed it just stopped. The lights came on. An announcement was broadcast in French. And I was panicking! But sooner rather than later it was apparent that it had broken down and they got the Jaws of Life tool to come and release us ... it was uber scary. But the day was fun. We played at Disneyland for 12hours straight.


Other things of note in Paris will have to wait. Sadly my internet time is up and we have to traipse to Sarah's place after arriving from Morroco this afternoon. So, so much to tell you all and so little time it seems... :D

Love to all and sundry
xoxo

See you 12.30am on Sunday morning on an Emirates flight from Dubai!