What we have learnt ...

... The metro is as easy as people told us it would be (helped by adventurous spirit of our younger team)
... The Champs-Élysées at night at Christmas is spectacular
... Paris weather is as variable as Melbourne's
... There is another entrance at the Louvre, which they also use when Greenpeace activists decide to adorn the pyramid with a protest banner
... The pictures in the school art books we studied don't do the originals justice
... We are grateful that the artefacts of history are stored and cared for in such magnificent environments
... While wandering the Louvre, you need to use total peripheral vision to take it all in, including the ceilings
... The Arc de Triomphe has a LOT of stairs but the view is worth the climb
... Sainte-Chapelle is a hidden treasure you would miss if you weren't looking for it (thanks Marg!)
... Not all French people are rude, but some bus drivers are
... French kids iceskating in winter gear are some of the cutest things you'll see
... Even in Paris you will find an Asian tourist armed with a camera and a lack of spatial awareness
... Les chocolats chauds at the Champs-Élysées night markets are everything they're cracked up to be
... It's easy to get lost in the Latin Quarter but you'll find some adorable streets
... There's no doubting the beauty of a 1969 Toyota Corona in mint condition (Dad's contribution)
... There's a reason there's an underpass to the Arc de Triomphe, eight lanes of traffic are a little intimidating
... There are benefits to being here in the off season - no queues for the Mona Lisa, Notre Dame or Sainte-Chapelle
... Ten hour days of walking tend to lead to tired feet

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