Paris in pictures

One of the greatest benefits of living in Aberdeen is the proximity to the rest of Europe. We promised ourselves when we moved here that we would take advantage. We did again this last weekend, with a quick jaunt to Paris to meet our good friends Christian and Tara, along with their cute little brood, who had come from Singapore for a conference.

Fiona went over on the Tuesday. EuroDisney was on the menu. The kids enjoyed it, but I'm not sure it went over quite as well with Fiona. She did enjoy reconnecting with Connor, Sydney and Zoe, who, I think, liked having their "two Moms" back.

On Thursday I took an evening flight and we got a new hotel in the St. Germain area of Paris. Christian was still at the conference so on Friday Tara, Fiona and I took the kids on a walkabout. We walked through the Tuilleries, enjoying a "le hot dog" and a plate of crepes. We walked through the Christmas Market on the Champs-Elysees and toward our destination - the Palais de la Decouvert - a great children's science museum. As an added bonus, while waiting outside the museum we got a tap on the shoulder from some Teamsters standing around a pair of trucks. They were organizing the delivery of a new dinosaur exhibit (they had a great big box labeled "Guts and Poo interactive display") and offered to give the kids a sneak peak. Connor was duly impressed.

Saturday was another great walkabout, or sailabout, as the case may be. We took the Batobus to the Eiffel Tower. Connor offered me the fantastic sum of 20 eurocents to climb to the top. I declined.

Fiona and I went out alone for dinner on Saturday night, taking the concierge's recommendation and going to "le Coupe Chou". Utterly fantastic. A bottle of Rothschild Bordeaux, ouefs en cocotte, shrimps and foie gras, boeuf borurginon and steak au poivre. We'd go again in a second.

On Sunday we had a mid-afternoon flight, but still managed to squeeze in a visit to the Pantheon. Very cool. Voltaire and Dumas, Rousseau and the Curies, Braille and a whole platoon of Napoleon's buddies. If there is one thing we like, it's large building with friezes and statues and lots of dead people.