"J'aime Paris au Printemps!" a Paris Travel Page by Mariajoy

Working in London as a teenager, I called a friend and said "Hey I've seen this great offer... want to go to Paris??" My friend agreed and so
armed with my first months' pay packet and a special offer from London's Time Out Magazine I walked into the travel agent's in Villiers Street, during my lunch hour ... and plonked down 80 quid in cash for a long weekend in Paris. I don't think I have ever been as excited about a forthcoming trip as I was for that weekend...

The 80 quid included train fare, Hoverspeed from Folkestone to Boulogne and three nights in a 2 star hotel ( including a continental breakfast - or *coffee and a croissant*) ... wish I could remember the name of it now but it was a short walk from the Gare Du Nord.
We thought it was luxury.... but as I recall now... the loo didn't flush properly...(why does this ALWAYS happen to me?? :)) and back then (I am not sure if it is the same now) but back then lots of establishments had those loos which were just holes in the ground with *foot places* to squat. It was a culture shock to two naive travelers!!

With my best school girl French, a few francs and my trusty Kodak Instamatic, we set off from Charing Cross Station early on a Friday morning and I took my first grainy travel pics of Paris...I waited a week for them to be developed and I was of course delighted with them at the time :))

On the return journey we inadvertently sat next to a chap who was *on the run*... the train was halted abruptly... The Gendarmes stormed on, there was a lot of arm waving and shouting and baton prodding. My friend and I were hurriedly removed from the train until it was made obvious to the police that we were nothing to do with this guy! We just *happened* to sit next to him!!

Scary at the time but It all added to the adventure!!!