Five nights in Paris:

• Patchy COVID certificate checks on the TGV.

  Everyone with masks.

  No luggage space.

• Back in the big city: budget more time to get anywhere, random late-night spicy noodles.

• Excellent exhibitions.

  Extremely crowded.

• One fantastic cocktail bar.

  Not a single French speaker in the line.

• 10,000 steps each day.

• Wonderful “I’m feeling lucky” museum choice.

  All about recorded sound: people will basically do anything to listen to their music.

• Fewer pedestrianised areas than expected.

  Drivers appropriately afraid of those on foot.

• Mostly rain.

  Stick to the cameraphone.

• No hope of booking a hot restaurant for dinner.

  Excellent lunches.

  Revisit one fondly-remembered spot from our first trip together.

  Groan at “influencers”.

• Walk for hours along the Seine on reclaimed highway.

• See friends again, meet new arrivals.

Europe on the crest of a clear fourth wave as we arrived; Omicron breaks; stay at home for the next while.

Guess I still enjoy travelling, though.

#paris #parisonfoot #holiday #fourthwave #tgv #phonomuseum #15minutecity #firstproperholidayintwoyears #groundedagain