After our long day yesterday, neither of us were awake particularly early. We both forgot it was Ma’s birthday for a while after we got up. Presents, hotel breakfast, then out to the Louvre - Keith had bought us tickets. It rained first thing but by the time we joined the queue it was sunny and blue skies.

We spent a few hours wandering around, largely basing our route on avoiding the Mona Lisa. Stopped for a coffee and an amazing little raspberry tart with an equally amazing view.

Lunch was a fresh baguette (out of Ma’s new bag - see extras) in the Tuileries, then we set off on a walk along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower. We never planned to go up it, but it was nice to sit on a bench and look at it for a while (before having to brave one of the self-cleaning public toilets).

Caught a metro back to Madeleine, then spent the rest of the afternoon wandering slightly aimlessly down little side streets round and round the 1st and 2nd arrondissements. Happened to be passing back by the Louvre when this sunset happened, then we grabbed some chips and ate them in the park, and saw the Eiffel Tower do it’s shimmery light thing from afar. Back to the hotel for pudding (the giant macarons I bought to take home for Matt, we decided I should just buy some more tomorrow).

Happy birthday Ma.