PARIS - New Year's Eve!

Off to Paris via Brussels – we arrive at Gare du Nord and go by taxi to the Hotel Regencia – a small boutique hotel a couple of blocks from the Champs Elysees.  We are on the 5^th floor (Rm 55).  The room is quite large by Paris standards decorated in dark timber with bright fuschia coloured pillows and furniture.  There are macaroons from Paul’s, bottled water and the bathroom is well equipped with L’Occitane products, robes and slippers. 

 View from our room.

 We spend the afternoon walking the Champs Elysees in and out of many arcades – check out 66 C/Elysees. Louis Vuitton, Mercedes, Toyota – showing off their new concept car……. There are so many people! This is what stands out about Paris.  The Champs Elysees pavements would accommodate five car lanes and there are swarms of people everywhere.  

 We have booked a table at Fermette La Marbeuf  for 7.30pm, clearly we are on Brisbane times as we appear to be the first there!  The service is impeccable and Sebastien, our maitre’d introduces us to the young waiter who is to look after us for the evening……. And does he ever!  Our champagne glasses never drift below half full and he hovers in the background waiting for the slightest questioning gesture on our behalf.  Our first course is a carefully arranged stack of caviar, cauliflower cream and tomato.  This is followed by a trilogy of foie gras – traditional, peppery and one served as an ice cream!  Most unusual and while I find it at odds to sample a savoury ice cream, Gordy thinks it is delicious!  Fish, beef and fromage follow, however by this time, we have all consumed so much champagne the food is losing its focus.  We have befriended Trish, an attorney, and Bill, a doctor, from Philadelphia and are all getting along like the proverbial ‘house on fire’. 

Trish suggests going outside for the New Year countdown, so we head off to the Champs Elysees (remembering later that we missed out on dessert!) and join the masses for the final moments of 2007…..it is amazing!! People everywhere exchange kisses and greetings as the place goes wild.   Naturally we all wander back to our hotel where more champagne is consumed and an English couple join us to drink into the early hours of the morning.  What a night!