by Sebastian Ramshackle III

Created on: April 05, 2007   Last Updated: April 07, 2012

Paris in the Springtime. We've all heard the song, so where else for a Spring getaway weekend but the city of romance? From continental Europe of the United Kingdom, arrive by Eurostar, the fast, regular and reliable rail service. From the Americas, Asia or Australia, fly into Charles de Gaulle Airport and catch the train direct from the airport to the center of the city. Book into one of the hundreds of comfortable (and, compared to a city such as London, very cheap!) two or three star star hotels and you're all set.

What to do? Try lunch on the grass in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Fresh french bread, some brie or camembert and a glass or two of wine on a blanket on the ground is hard to beat. Then on to a little light shopping interrupted only by the occasional sit-down outside a cafe with an espresso and, perhaps, another glass of wine while you watch Paris go by. If you sit in the same spot for long enough, you will eventually see all of Paris!

Then, back to the hotel for a short rest before a night out. First, try one of those great family-run restaurants for a leisurely meal with an aperitif to start, a digestif to finish, and a little more wine to help the meal go down. The Left Bank is the place for this. Then, on to a relaxing evening in a cafe where Edith Piaf or could have held sway and where the walls have probably not been painted since she did! Afterwards, talk a stroll through the, by now, quiet Parisienne streets as the sun begins to come up and watch the city start to come alive again and prepare itself for you.

The next day, take a leisurely late Sunday breakfast with coffee before a stroll along the magnificent boulevards, lunch again - this time perhaps in another small restaurant, a little more more people-watching and, before you know it, you have another evening in front of you to while away. This time, why not take a stroll along the banks of the Seine watching the lovers or having your portrait drawn by budding artists. After a long evening of romance, back to your hotel and, then, up in the morning in time to get back home by lunch.

Can you think of a better way of spending a couple of days in Spring?

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