Nuit Blanche

Am completely exhausted after treading the streets of Paris for 2 days and have decided to have an early night tonight. Last night was Nuit Blanche - an overnight art festival that takes place in various locations throughout the city - and although I managed to stay out fairly late there was no way I would have been able to stay out all night. There were lots of people on the streets and most of the venues I went to (including the Louvre) were packed. It's a fantastic idea and one that has inspired a number of other cities around the world to hold similar events.

I'd love to know how much distance I've covered in the past few days. Although I've made good use of the Metro, Paris is a city that has to be seen on foot. I started out at Notre Dame this morning, had lunch in Montmatre, then finished off the day strolling along the Seine from la Tour Eiffel - that quintisential Parisien monument. I had planned to go up la Tour Eiffel this afternoon, but there were way too many people and in the end I decided that I couldn't be bothered waiting.

I really liked Montmatre. The church and the steps leading up to the church were swarming with tourists, but the quartier itself is full of beautiful old buildings and shops selling a wonderful selection of food. After 4 months in the UK, where the supermarkets have such a strange-hold over the retail industry, it's refreshing to be somewhere where good food is widely available - and more importanly, appreciated. Paris is definitely not cheap, but the quality of the food is always good and it's nowhere near as expensive as the UK. I ended up having couscous with vegetables in a small cafe just below the church - the patron managed to convince me that I needed something a little sweet as well! Am a bit of a push-over when it comes to Middle-Eastern desserts.