We'll always have Paris ....

Well, what can I say?

K's first visit to one of the world's most romantic cities. Did it work it's spell on him, seducing him with the grandeur of the Eiffel Tower; the magnificence of Notre Dame's Rose windows; the bustle of Monmartre; the sorbets of Ile St Louis; the stroll along the Seine; the bohemian bonhomie of St Germain where the local buskers are opera-trained sopranos whose exquisite 'Flower Duet' brought a tear to many an onlooker's eye .....

Yes he says, he'll ALWAYS remember this unique experience - and yes, we will ALWAYS have Paris - and yes, we will return ...... but next time, could I make sure that I don't come down with a throat/chest/ear infection that introduced him particularly to all the delights of so many Parisian pharmacies!

Arrived (after lovely Eurostar First Class brekkie) feeling a little dry/itchy in the throat and thought - might see if there's a pharmacy nearby in the morning, just to get some lozenges. Let's go strolling! Next morning - couldn't swallow/breathe for painful throat ... find pharmacy - analgesic throat spray. No I'm fine, let's get going - got a lot of 'sights' to do. By lunch time - can't stop coughing ... find pharmacy - cough linctus (God, that PholCodeine is good, but you do need it about every 20 minutes!!!!!) This progresses to:- if I cough, I can't stop and start choking, but at the same time it's acutally ripping the flesh off my already gory throat! Gosh what a fun time we are having! All this AND I'm trying to be the ultimate tour guide having carefully selected 'snippets' of Paris to whet his appetite for a return trip - despite the fact that by now I can hardly even talk ... which (between coughing fits) actually kept him smiling, although I can't think why!

Need I say more? .... We did really have quite a good and interesting trip but rather more than a bit tarnished. However, it was a lovely hotel and K was a VERY happy bunny to find a wall mounted, flat screen TV in the room - so I think I could just have left him there with his best friend, the remote control, for the whole weekend and brought in takeaway moules frites!

C'est la vie mes amis.