Once we’d had our fill of the tower, we hopped back on the Metro and made our way to St-Michel Notre Dame. When we were planning our trip, the place I wanted to visit more than anywhere else was the famous Shakespeare & Company book store. It didn’t disappoint and I could have spent hours browsing. I was in literary heaven.

The shop was very busy and we were both swept along by the crowd ahead of us, but I was still able to peruse the shelves. Photography isn’t permitted inside, so you’ll have to imagine the way every single surface is covered in books. All the titles on the ground floor are available to buy, but the upstairs houses an incredible antique collection. If, like me, you have a bit of a thing for the smell of old books, ascending the narrow staircase and inhaling deeply will give you no end of pleasure.

There’s also a small reading room on the first floor. When we visited it was filled with very studious looking people, including a young man who had positioned his laptop by the open window, presumably so he could gaze up at Notre Dame Cathedral as he waited for patiently inspiration to strike. Carl joked that it was a terribly pretentious scene, but I’d have given anything to spend a day writing in there!

Having purchased two French books {in English} for the children, we made our way back to the Metro and travelled to Blanche, the station nearest to the famous Moulin Rouge. We snapped a few photos of the iconic landmark before wandering up nearby Rue Lepic towards Cafe des 2 Moulins, a location famous for its appearance in the film Amelie.

There was something very magical about stepping inside the set of one of our favourite films. We quickly grabbed a table, ordering drinks and a plate of crepes as soon as the waiter approached. The cafe was bustling, it’s definitely something of a tourist attraction, but the service was friendly. I really enjoyed my sweet treat and it was nice to be off my feet for a while. If you ever visit, make sure you pop to the bathroom. There’s a glass cabinet filled with props and trinkets from the movie which had both of us grinning from ear to ear as we made our way back outside.

Another journey on the Metro deposited us back on the Champs Elysees for an early evening jaunt up the Arc du Triomphe.

A few people had suggested this over climbing the Eiffel Tower and I’d have to join them in their endorsement. The queue was much, much shorter and I’m sure the view was equally stunning, with the added bonus of being able to see Tower itself. Unfortunately, a portion of the landmark was closed for restoration which meant we missed out slightly on the full panoramic view. Sunset was also a bit of letdown as it was so overcast, but the experience was pretty incredible nonetheless. I was also grateful for the elevator that whizzed me to the top as soon as I told a member of staff about my broken toe!

Having returned to the base of the landmark, we did a quick lap of the perimeter for photographic purposes before making our way back to the hotel. We made tea in our room, freshened up and ventured straight back out again for dinner. I was feeling pretty broken by this time so we decided to return to the same bistro as the previous night as it was so close by.

An evening of delicious food {French onion soup followed by moules marnieres for me} and far too much wine ensued. I hobbled back to the hotel, clinging to Carl’s arm all the way, and collapsed into bed just before midnight.

Love Audrey xxx