Leaving Les Toulerons for Paris 23rd October

Tuesday 23rd October
Well the day had arrived for us to say goodbye to Les Toulerons.
We were very busy last night closing all the shutters and ensuring all the plants were placed alongside the house to protect them from the frost until V & G arrive home on the Nov 3rd.
We had packed our bags, vacuumed the house, cleaned the windows, washed the sheets, cleaned out the fireplace and made sure everything was as we had found it. Parked the car in the front and put the last items of garbage in the bin for collection.
Elizabeth’s arrived at 1045 and drove us to Nogent-sur-vernisson so we had time to buy our tickets to catch the 1140 to Gare Du Lyon.
Saying goodbye to Elizabeth was hard, as we had found we enjoyed each other’s company. She said she wished we lived here, which was a very nice compliment. We had extended to her an invitation to visit us in Australia and she in turn is very keen for us to return in a couple of years time as she has many friends and family in Europe and would like to introduce us to them and where they live and to experience their way of life. It all sounds good and is not beyond considering for the future. As it is, now we have to get home, as we have been away long enough.
Arrived in Paris and decided to have a look at the Le Train Bleu, a very ornate and majestic restaurant at the station. It was impossible for us to get our bags up the steps so Beatrice went up and had a look, leaving me to guard the bags.
Eventually we found our way outside to hail a taxi to take us to our hotel, near the Gare du Nord, so we only had a two-minute walk to the station on Thursday to catch the Eurostar to London.
Checked into our shoebox-sized room, feeling very pleased with ourselves, as they were booked out. It’s amazing how busy everywhere still is, despite it now being out of the main tourist season.
We walked for miles down Le Boulevard La Fayette, the other way this time from when we were last in Paris with Marisa.
We could see all the work being done putting up the Christmas decorations and lights in the trees, what a shame we will not be here when they switch them all on. Gallerie La Fayette was covered in scaffolding as the displays were being put into place outside in addition to the lights in the department store.
We decided to treat ourselves to a night out as a once in a life experience when we lashed out and booked two tickets for the revue at the Moulin Rouge. What an enjoyable evening we had and how lucky we were to have been able to get tickets, as you usually have to book at least a week ahead. We were picked up at the hotel 1015 pm and driven to the theatre and joined the queue outside waiting to get in. The 8 pm show was running late and we eventually took our seats at the tables for the 11pm start. The price of the tickets included a bottle of champagne which we enjoyed as we chatted to a young couple from Brazil sitting at our table.
There must have been every nationality in the audience, as we found out when during a break in the revue a ventriloquist pulled up three people, coming from Tasmania, China, and Portugal.
What can we say; it was an incredible show of colour, lighting effects, sound, dancing, costumes and glitter. Needless to say we thoroughly enjoyed the evening and admired the fitness and vitality of the cast. The girls were pretty good as well!
Waiting to be picked up outside for the ride home we realised how cold it was at 130 am in the morning. We found out it was zero and that’s chilly when you are standing on a street corner.
It was good to be able to get into bed and get warm and some sleep, as we were quite exhausted.