Where do I begin? Well, many months ago now I came up with a brilliant idea of going to see the 70 years of Christian Dior exhibition in Paris with my best friend Michelle.
Our husbands are a hugely busy men and therefore finding a time for the 4 of us to get away was going to be a large stumbling block.
Well, the time was found and the date was set in stone for the 15th December. I have been so excited about the trip for a lonnnnnnnnng time.
It was really very special to me. Chris and Mike have been friends for over 30 years now, having met at uni. Michelle and I have been friends for 21 years. But in all that time we have never been away as a foursome. (Michelle and I have but not all of us together). We've done business entertaining together many times over the years of course, but this trip was very special as it was a private trip, nothing to do with business at all.
Just two couples going away, which is why it was so desperately frustrating and just a tad devastating that Chris and I got sick.
The trip itself was amazing, and in all honesty it was still amazing even being as poorly as we were.
We went premier class on the train to France, my first ever experience of travelling like that. I could get very used to that thank you very much, poor Chris, what a Pandora's box has he unleashed. :)
And then we arrived in Paris to stay at one of the best hotels in the world, The George Cinq, I'm not kidding this place blew our minds, it's other worldly.
Mike and Michelle go there regularly, and have always said what an amazing place it is but until you experience it it's hard to describe.
From the moment you arrive you know you are somewhere very special, and Christmas is the perfect time to visit.
Our beautiful room was huge, with quite possibly the biggest bed I've ever slept in.
All this beauty and luxury was incredible, and just so tragically timed that I had the worst sore throat bug I've ever had and Chris was coughing up his lungs. I appreciate that it's a first world problem to be poorly at the same time as being in one of the best hotels in the world.
But as we were there we were determined to make the best of it. Firstly it would have been whole heartedly unfair to our friends to bring them down with how ill we felt.
So we dug deep and sucked it up. And do you know we had a fantastic time, it was in the night times we could allow ourselves to succumb, believe me, there were tears through the night and little sleep...and I don't mean in the good way. ;)
After settling in it was time for afternoon tea, one of my favourite things, sandwiches and cake? What's not to love!
Dosed up on painkillers and loving life.
I love this outfit. The jumper is from Micheal Kors, the skirt is from Marks and Spencer (ages ago) Leather look but super stretchy. Shoes from Louboutin.
I can't tell you how many times my Strepsils fell out of my mouth whilst posing for photos for my blog all weekend.
The first night we went for dinner at a gorgeous restaurant round the corner to the hotel. The food was hearty and absolutely delicious.
In the early hours of Saturday morning I asked Chris if he could ring down and get a kettle sent up, the room had a coffee maker but I wanted a cuppa. Anyway the room service guy arrives, he takes one look at us and heard us coughing and spluttering and without being asked he said "I will go and get something to make you feel better"
He came back with a flask of hot lemon, honey and ginger. To be honest I felt so low at this point, I was so grateful, I don't think I've ever felt so loved and cared for ....hahahahahahah. Like I said, the place is other worldly... it was delicious too, and I'm a honey hater, but I think I may well have been converted.
Anyway Saturday morning we meet the others for breakfast. Michelle ordered her breakfast scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, grilled tomatoes you get the gist, Chris and Mike followed suit and ordered the same, I'm not a red meat eater so I went with the scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and avacado.
We laughed so much, and then laughed some more. The waiting staff started to bring the food out and it didn't stop coming, a bit like the sorcerers apprentice. What they had ordered each would have fed the three of them! :)
Our table was near buckling under the weight of the food. It was amazing! I imagine the super skinny women that were on near by tables couldn't have hated us more in that moment...surviving on coffee and ciagettes is not for me! Hahahahahah.
Breakfast took over two and half hours, but we managed it all. ;)
(It wasn't till we sat down for dinner at 9 o/c that night that we realised we hadn't eaten again for the rest of the day)
We booked tickets to the exhibition ages ago, and thank god we did the queues were huge. We only had a short wait till we got in.
It was the most incredible exhibition of clothes we have ever been to, We do like a frock exhibition.
If you can get there before it finishes in January I would highly recommend it. It was out of this world! The first two rooms were a bit claustrophobic but it opened out into an utter masterpiece of a display.
None of these photos can do it justice. But it was magical.
Ok, so I'm never going to own a Christian Dior couture gown but a gal can dream can't she!
After the show the boys took us shopping which was very very kind, they are very nice chaps. :)
Then back to the hotel to chill out till dinner. Which for Chris and I meant tucked up in bed with more ginger, lemon and honey, shivering and shaking.
Dosed up again we pushed on through for our night out. I bought this dress a few weeks ago, I absolutely LOVE it! You know when you find something that just makes you feel good, well this dress does it for me. Again the photos don't do it justice.
I feel a million dollars in this dress.
Dress from Belstaff, Shoes from Louboutin, Bag from Christian Dior...my Christmas present from my CD. x
Dinner was at one of it two Michelin starred restaurants at the hotel. Heaven, absolute heaven, we were shown to our table, I was just about to put my bag on the floor when the waitress/hostess girl says "wait madam". I kid you not, she came back with a foot stool FOR my bag! Hahahahahahaha
Still making me laugh now. :)
It was a fabulous trip all in all. I loved being with some of my favourite people in the world in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
This photo was taken outside Abercrombie and Fitch on the Champs Elyees, I'm not a huge fan as they are so dark inside but the entrance to it is incredible and well worth a visit.
Christmas time in Paris is wonderful, Chris has promised to rerun the trip next spring. I think he feels a tad guilty for spreading his germs hahahahahah. We've got everything crossed that Mike and Michelle don't go down with it. We antibact the arse out of ourselves all weekend, so fingers crossed they stay germ free.
We arrived home from Paris about 7 and went straight to bed.
I knew this bug was bad, I've never had such a sore throat in my life, and with swollen tonsils the size of golf balls, every gland I own from head to groin inflamed, and then bringing up blood Monday morning and Chris himself could barely move I decided to book us private doctors appointments (no point even trying at our actual doctors) We're laid up in bed, still, me with Acute Laryngitis (seriously there's nothing cute about this) and Chris god love him has severe Pleurisy.
The upside is we should be over it in time for Christmas which is a huge bonus, nothing worse than a poorly Christmas. And as an extra added bonus I've lost 4lbs since Friday morning - it's Wednesday now. (that's never happened after a weekend away I can tell you but sadly I look like a bullfrog where my glands are so swollen) but I won't moan, I needed a head start to prepare for the festivities!) ;)
On that note I'd like to wish all my readers from across the globe a very happy and more importantly HEALTHY Christmas!
(There's a new function on my website metrics that shows me where in the world my blog is being read. It really is fascinating and incredible to see and I can't thank you enough for your readership and kind emails, I really do appreciate them, I feel very blessed).
On a side note, do you remember quite a few weeks back that I mentioned a dog that was driven to the end of our road and dumped?
Well after weeks in the wild, through some pretty harsh weather he turned up at a property a few days ago and surrendered himself to the the land owner, who took him into his home and his heart as it turns out as he's decided to keep him and give him a forever home!! It's played out in real life exactly how it did in my hopes and dreams. (Chris reckons I'm a witch but if I were I'd have had him turn up a lot sooner than the weeks he endured of utter torture all alone).
Just a quick note to the savage bastards that keep dumping dogs, please feel free to drop any unwanted dogs to my garden, no questions asked I will sort the poor pup out.
At least Mowgli got his Christmas micacle, warms the heart doesn't it. :)
Merry Christmas!!
With love Suzanne x