Dec 2006 a

Mon 4 Dec 2006
We have decided to buy a car after Christmas, considering that the sorts of used car we're looking to buy will be under £1,000 and we've been paying £100 per weekend car hire!

Wed 6 Dec 2006
Fighter Practice night. Here's a picture of the Christmas lights in Stratford....


Sat 9 Dec 2006
Fabric shopping and Dan and Elizabeth's belated house-warming party. A fabulous party - meeting a few new faces and chatting with other, now familiar, friends. Jen bought some wool and chemise fabric. Disappointed at the lack of colour variety in wool, and only 1 brocade available. Fabulous silks though!

Sun 10 Dec 2006
Deb and Clancy turn up to our place. We enjoy a day out in London.

Above: We visited the Tate to see the extensive Holbein exhibition. We also travelled to the London Museum and showed them around.

Wed 13 Dec 2006
Jen comes home to find the antique singer sewing machine she ordered on ebay has turned up! Getting to really like ebay - especially not having to pay to get to the shops, not having to deal with crowds, not having to queue to pay, and not having to lug something like a heavy sewing machine back home on public transport. Oh, and then there's the fact it was only £25.




Above: Jen's work lunch 'do'.
Thu 14 Dec 2006 - From midday, Jen's work held a departmental Christmas lunch. At around 6pm she headed into town to buy some gifts to send to family in Oz. Here's the decorations from Oxford Circus.


Above: The Christmas lights at Trafalgar Square.
Once Jen got home that evening, we packed for an overnight trip to Paris (for Saturday), wrapped up the pressies, and wrote about 50 chrissy cards.


Fri 15 Dec 2006
Jen got in to work to find the elevator all discoed up! There was a boom-box too!

During lunch, she posted the pressies and cards all together - only to discover the postage cost a small fortune and would not arrive until about New Year's anyway! Grrrr. We both attended Jen's staff Christmas party in the evening with loads of dancing and free drinks. Fortunately for us the venue is only a leisurely ten minute stroll home. Here's Jen and some of her workmates.


Sat 16 Dec 2006
This morning we got up early, hopped on the Tube, got on the Eurostar, and had yummy 3 course lunch in Paris with Steve's workmates! After lunch we checked in to our hotel room which was only a five minute stroll from the Louvre. Here's Steve standing outside the main entrance - yes, it is dark and hard to see.

We decided to walk off lunch (we ended up not needing dinner) and walked to the Eiffel Tower. Here's a better pic of Steve in front of a famous Parisian landmark.

As we weren't keen on waiting to go up the Tower during our visit in 2001, we decided this time we would. So we waited about half an hour in the queue. While we waited, here's the entertainment (a very short video).


If the video doesn't work, I'm hoping this link will. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NNPGkwFpPk

Sun 17 Dec 2006
Today we hit the Louvre! Jen's feet have never been so sore (so much walking)!

Below: We were delighted to discover the whereabouts of one famous great French castle (which was painted in Tres Riche Heures by the Limbourg Brothers). It is the Louvre - or at least the Louvre is built over its foundations (note the positioning of the triangular pyramidy things below).



Above: The moat/foundations, then a photo of a model showing what the castle once looked like. Below: Steve stops to consult the Louvre map in the Mesopotamian rooms.


Above: The Napoleon Apartments (in the Richelieu wing) were very splendid indeed!

Finally, we caught the Metro to our awaiting Eurostar train and onward home. After getting home, unpacking, downloading the photos, and putting up this blog - its time for bed. Goodnight!