Arrived in Paris after 2 long flights with Cathay Pacific, Sydney via Hong Kong and land in Paris at 7.45am.

We clear a long customs queue and grab our bags then jump in a very comfy and large Mercedes Taxi to take us to the hotel which, flat rate €70 and an hour journey. It’s cold here in Paris about 5 degrees.

We arrived at our hotel just after 9am and check in. The reception advises our room isn’t ready as expected but the good news if the previous people have already checked out so they tell us they’ll put a rush on the room being made up. We get changed into some warmer clothes, store our bags and head out to explore.

Our hotel is in a very nice location just next door to Place Du La Concorde and the Jardin Des Tullieries which have the Christmas markets on and I’ve been told I e skating. We walk across the road we are very close and the Christmas markets are just starting to open. The kids get a Nutella Crepe as they didn’t eat the breakfast on the plane and we wander up and down the markets, there are lots of stalls and different fun rides like RollerCoasters etc. there are some really cool wintery looking food stalls with lots of different foods cooking over open fires like ribs, sausages, potatoes mixed with cheese, it’s all smells great.

We walk are debating whether we should have a short sleep this afternoon to help get over the jet lag so we can come to the markets at night.

We wander through the Louvre and then walk all the way to Cafe du Ville to find an Ice Rink but it’s not open yet. We catch the Metro back to Tuileries and head for lunch at the Christmas Markets and get 2 big racks of pork ribs and a hot dog, it’s really cool with these little fire pits for people to sit around while they eat and chat.

Back to hotel at 3pm and room is still not ready, annoying So they talk to a manager blah blah we are sorry come back around 3.30pm. We walk to a litte bar nearby and have a drink, kids have Chocolat Chaud. Head back to hotel at 3.30, still no room - Sonia is now done and promptly passes out on the couch in the lobby !!

Finally at 4.30pm we get our keys. We get into our room which is huge we have a double connecting room with nice balconies overlooking the street, only problem is we have been given a King Bed and Queen not a twin as promised and booked. I complain and they say they will fix it but nobody comes to fix it and by 5pm everyone except me is asleep. I have a shower and a have get changed and head done to walk around. I pop into a very fancy hotel with a beautiful room all lit up with lights and mirrors - it’s busy but she gets me a seat the bar and I have dirty Martini and see on the news there has been riots in Dublin - send Ray a text.

Walk back to the hotel at 6.30pm to wake up everyone but they are passed out. Sonia wakes up and meets me for a drink in the hotel bar run by Italian lads. Finally mange to get them up at 7.30 Mila is crying and very upset.

Head out to the markets and it’s now really really packed and we do the roller coaster and the dodgems.

Home to hotel and bed at 9.30 very tired.

Wake up at 6am after a pretty good nights sleeps but I’m sure the Negronis helped that ! Kids woke up at 3am and read for an hour.

Get my running gear on and leave the hotel at 7.20am it’s still pitch black and 3 degrees. I run to the Eiffel Tower which is 4km away and get there just as the sun is coming up - it looks awesome. I walk / run my way back along the Seine and it’s a beautiful morning with blue skies and people out and about. The scenery and Paris architecture is so lovely.

Get back and kids are still asleep, meanwhile Sonia has gone out for a walk now so I go and have a Sauna and swim downstairs and decide I’ll wake up kids at 9.30am. Come back to \240the room and the kids just woke up. Sonia gets back after her walk to the Eiffel Tower too and we head down for our breakfast which is included. We have a very nice buffet breakfast.

We have already been given a 2pm checkout but as I explain to Sonia that means we need to be back at the hotel by 1.30 and it’s now 11am. Sonia goes down to see if they can push the checkout to 4pm especially given all the fucks up the day before. No chance so we pack the bags and check out, leave the bags in storage.

We walk to Galleries Du Lafayette as Sonia wants to see the Christmas windows which are pretty amazing. We go in and walk around on the rooftop. Then we look for some boots for Thomas and do some shopping.

We go next door to Printemps and have some lunch in the fancy 7tj floor with all the restaurants. Sonia is complaining she has no t-shirts packed and when we come inside form the cold it’s too hot and making her feel sick so I tell her to go buy some and I’ll take the kids for a crepe. After he crepe the kids do some fun thing where they have to grab paper in a wind tunnel thing.

Meet up with Sonia around 4pm and it’s now mayhem, it is so so busy so we walk to get away from the crowds. The plan is to go to the Eiffel Tower as we’ve heard you can ice skate on level 1. We can’t seem to get a taxi as it’s so busy and we anyone is now over walking we’ve done so many steps. We finally give up and head back to the hotel.

Book an Uber from Hotel to Hilton at the Airport which we booked as our flight to Helsinki is at 6.50am tomorrow. €100 is a bit rich !!

Have a quick dinner at the hotel and then bed so we can get up at 4am.

Alarm goes off at 4am and everyone is already up and surprisingly chirpy. We pack up the bags and head on the train to Charles du Gaulle, check in is a 10 minute walk from the shuttle and there is nobody there so it’s a breeze.

Have a coffee and a pain au Chocolat and then off we go at 6.50am to Helsinki.

We arrive in Helsinki and it’s -10 and absolutely chucking down snow !! Our flight to Rovaniemi is in 1.5 hrs so I watch the bags and sample my first Finnish beer while Sonia leaves and the bags with me and takes the kids out of the airport so they can see the snow !!