Body and Soul held together.....

I defy anyone to have a bad time in Paris. Truly, if you're not swept up in it's manifest charms then there's something seriously wrong.

For me Paris is about ambling through the streets, watching the stylish men and women who are graced with living there go about their daily lives. Yes there's the museums and galleries (or as we say in Oz "kulcha"), but my pleasure is gained from wandering, voyeuring, eating and drinking.

There is so much that is "right" about the French way and attitude to life. Like 3 hour lunch breaks with wine; like sitting in the park all afternoon chatting to friends and enjoying the spring sunshine; like being able to take your pooch anywhere you feel like it; like children falling asleep at your dinner table, exhausted and a little bit inebriated at 10pm; like women who are confident in their own appeal no matter their age.

Ma mere booked an apartment adjacent to the Sorbonne which was just divine, and looking out over the rooftops of the other apartments listening to other peoples lives I just breathed it all in.

And aside from the spiritual rejuvenation of a few days in one of the most attractive and easy cities in the world there are of course more temporal attractions, such as the food. I confess to going a little crazy (hey; you try 5 months of SL cuisine and you'd go crazy too!). Day 1 I had 2 butter filled croissants for breakfast followed by a 2 course lunch. I've never eaten 2 croissants before in my life, never mind 2 genuine French croissants in 1 sitting!!!! and I have to confess it went downhill from there ....

Now sitting looking out over the paddock behind my folks place - a 16thc farmhouse in Normandie which they've gradually been renovating - fabulous - and feeling today as if my luck is looking up - it doesn't get much better than this, surely?