cheap flight to Paris was just the ticket I needed. The downside — it meant getting up at 3am. Worth it‘.’ Absolutely. Worth 13 hours in transit and eight hours in the city? Yes. Yes. yes and yes. Especially when I read the forecast in Paris was for glorious sunshine. With the promise of lunch in a sun-soaked Parisian pavement cafe’ in mind. I battled against the driving wind and howling rain to Buchanan Street Bus Station to catch the 4.45am bus to Prestwick (£6).
The day gets off to a promising start when a group of French ladies sitting opposite me give the iPod generation a lesson in civility by immediately lowering their voices to a whisper when the driver starts his engine. Marvelling at such sophistication to attempt coherent. intelligent dialogue at that ungodly hour. I fall asleep. When I wake up. the boys behind me are ready to boil the mesdames' heids: "They‘ve no stopped yappin‘ a‘ journey!‘ 2
Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. There are three pre-7am flights. so the departure lounge is busy. We board on time and the b.4()am flight to Paris Beauvais (£36.75 including taxes) goes smoothly. without any of the turbulence predicted by our captain. As we land a fanfare suddenly bursts out over the sound system. accompanied by canned applause: 'another early or on—time arrival for Ryanair‘. If no one else blows your trumpet . . .
The bus from Beauvais is packed and. despite the early hour. everyone is in rowdy form so I kiss goodbye to any thoughts of more sleep.
Just 1() minutes on the metro (ticket 13]) and I‘m in St-Germain-des-Pres. in the heart of the Left Bank. It‘s an area that’s been used in many films. and today there is a crew filming opposite the station. 1 pass the wonderful church of St-Sulpice. ‘Cathedral of the Rive Gauche'. before entering the Luxembourg Gardens. a perfect — free! — chill-out spot and so laid-back that a small group of gendarmes are dummy-fighting. It is noon and the area is getting busy with students. schoolkids and workers gathering for lunch. I pop into St- Etienne-Du-Mont (free entrance). next to the Pantheon and learn that it held the tomb of Genevieve. Paris' patron saint.
l2.3()pm and on to Rue Moufettard. a charming narrow street that was fairly unknown until the film Three Colours Blue put it on the map. I eat the (by now crumpled) sandwich I brought with me in the bright sun and work it off with a walk towards the Bastille. I wanted to go to Muse’e Carnavalet. but it's closed so I wander on down the Rue des Francs-Bourgeois. What a catwalk for hipsters! lntersecting as it does the 'Liber-cool areas of Beauboug. Marais and Basille. I suppose it‘s not surprising. All the women are wearing tailored jackets. black or blue skinny jeans and scruffy plimsolls or Converse. For hip garcons. it's the same but with pointed-toe shoes. Dishevelled is apparently key.
1 gave longineg through the window of Jean Bart Bar and Brasserie on the Rue St-Antoine. It offers traditional food at good prices but is still too expensive for my budget! I just have time left to walk down the Rue de Rivoli and past the Hotel de Ville to see the majestic Notre Dame in the fading blue sky before heading for the metro (£1).
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. ‘17 '0'4 $555232? '
THE GRERT ESCRPE PRRIS TRIP
BUS - BUCHRNRN ST—PRESTNICK 6.00 FLIGHT - PRRIS eEnuunIs 36.75 THOHETRO TICKETS 2.00 TOTAL 44.75 2
THE RUE DES FRANCS-BOURGEOIS IS A CATWALK
FOR HIPSTERS
The 10.50pm flight to Glasgow is quiet but windswept. and I find out later that we were only just able to land at Prestwick. It was 29
knots (that‘s not a reference to the ones in our
stomachs as we landed!) and the cut-off safety level is 30. Gulp. It’s been a lightening fast. cheap-as-frites tour of the French capital but I‘ve proved it can be done. Just.
I See our 32-page travel guide to destinations within easy reach of Scotland free inside this issue. Have you been on a fun trip for less than £50? If so, write to editor@list.co.uk for a chance to win a bottle of rum.
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TRAVEL SPECIAL
BEN it
wfis
Itineraries for every budget, from cycling safaris to the ultimate in old-fashioned luxury
£1
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£3 A half-day trip to see the Moray Firth
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£1 3 0 Fly to Barcelona and enjoy its world
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£ 0 Pay your way to the top of the Eiffel 48 Tower (£17.50). enjoy a lemon crepe in the Tuileries Gardens (£2.50) and sip a cold beer on the Champs Elysees (£10 each) then retire to the Four Seasons George V Hotel in Paris (rooms from £460 a night). www.fourseasons.com
Sit back and enjoy Scotland's ultimate luxury train journey aboard The Royal Scotsman. The 7-night Grand North
Western Tour starts at £4980 per person. Call 0131 555 1021 or visit www.royalscotsman.com
iii—2‘.) Mar 200/ THE LIST 23