Day two began with us walking around the huge Pere Lachaise cemetery. On Jim Morrison’s grave, we left a letter to an idol of our teenage years. By Chopin’s grave we listened to the Minute Waltz on my iPod. We sat and reflected in front of Oscar Wilde and his strange stylised angel and we visited Moliere and Sarah Bernhardt. The cemetery is so beautiful and so peaceful but, eerily and appropriately, there were crows everywhere.  A word of advice: if you plan to visit the cemetery, which you should, make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes. You will be doing a heck of a lot of walking.

After a quite sombre morning, we wandered off in search of Montmartre. We had a coffee outside the Moulin Rouge and we visited the sex museum, which is the raunchiest I’ve ever been to. Then we rode the funiculaire up the hill and sat on the steps of Sacre Coeur, serenaded by a street musician, before roaming the streets of Montmartre, which looks like something out of a postcard and where you pay an appalling €8 for an Americano.

In the evening, we went for dinner at Le Procope, which is the oldest bar in Paris and which has a surprisingly reasonably priced menu despite that title. Elaine tried her very first escargots – and loved them. I had the hearty French Onion Soup, washed down with a glass of ruby red Bordeaux.

The next day, we had a picnic of decidedly un-French food (sweet and sour pork and fried rice) in the gorgeous Jardin de Luxembourg, where we watched a Capoeira demonstration and sang along with them. That evening, we headed to the Trocadero for the most expensive beer ever (a pint of Heineken for €10, for goodness’ sake) and ate crepes while we watched the twinkling lights on the Eiffel Tower (which are super tacky but also very pretty).

Tres jolie!

I love Paris! I had been a few times before as a child, but I wanted to experience Paris as an adult and do a lot of sightseeing, and we really did milk this trip for all it was worth.

Day 1!

We caught the train from Disneyland to Opera, then the Metro to Malesherbes, where we were staying at the Pavillon Monceau, a three-star hotel. The hotel was decently priced, with a small but sufficient room and a continental buffet breakfast. I can’t say I liked the staff very much as one particular member of staff was a bit rude to us in front of other patrons, but the hotel itself was fine and quite central.

We got checked in and then headed to the Arc de Triomphe for some photos, after which we began walking along the Champs Elysees, stopping at a restaurant called La Terrazza for a very good, if slightly overpriced, pizza. We continued walking until we reached Place de la Concorde, where we caught the Batobus to Notre Dame. I’d never been inside the cathedral before and I was really awed by the beauty of the place. I wasn’t overwhelmed by the group of irreverent tourists screaming and laughing inside, though. I may not be religious, but the cathedral is nevertheless a place of worship and that should be respected by visitors.

After that, we got back onto the Batobus and stopped underneath the Eiffel Tower, where we ate ice cream and sat on the grass for an hour or two, soaking up the sun. I was surprised that Paris was actually hot – hotter than Malta. I had packed for cooler weather so I ended up having to buy a few t-shirts to get by, but that’s alright. Better that than plans thwarted by rain.

In the evening, we ended up in the Latin Quarters, drinking and singing in a piano bar.

That’s what I loved most about Paris – unexpected, magical things happen. You meet all sorts of interesting people who are doing all sorts of interesting things and all the while there is music and food and great coffee…

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been to Disneyland Paris. Each time I visit I say it’ll be the last, but somewhere down the line the little girl inside me who always dreamed of being a rollercoaster-riding, dragon-slaying princess kicks up a storm and I’m drawn back there for a couple of days. And each time I feel like a kid again.

But Disneyland is not just for kids – I’ve been there a couple of times as an adult and still managed to have the time of my life. Here’s how you do it.

Pick a friend or two (or five) to join you

Go to Disneyland with somebody you know shares your passion for fun and who is just as in touch with their inner kid as you are. You’ll want somebody who’ll scream as loud as you do on all the rides and who cries as much as you do during happy endings in films. Take someone who’ll share your candy floss, who’ll wear Tigger ears and who’ll want a fifth go on that rollercoaster. Travelling with one or two close friends is ideal.

Don’t forget your camera!

I don’t believe you can fully enjoy any place completely unless you have a camera to capture the moment, and Disneyland is full of photo opportunities. Take snapshots of the parades, of the decor, of the food, of the attractions… and don’t be shy to ask strangers to take photos of you with your friends so nobody is left out. Most people are happy to oblige.

Plan your visit well

This time around, since we went during the week, there weren’t too many people at the parks, which meant queues were relatively short. We got to do absolutely everything and saw most of the shows, but that was because we planned our days quite meticulously. Grab a map and a programme from the park and mark the attractions you’re most interested in, then do whatever is left over afterwards. Here are the rides and shows you don’t want to miss: Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Autopia, Peter Pan’s Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Phantom Manor, It’s a Small World, Star Tours (all of these are in Disneyland Park); Aerosmith’s Rock n’Rollercoaster, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Crush’s Coaster, Moteurs… Action! Stunt Show Spectacular, Cinemagique (these are in the Walt Disney Studios).

Prepare to eat a lot of junk food

Really, there is practically no healthy food in Disneyland. You can get sandwiches and salads in Disney Village (but they cost a bomb); in the parks, get ready to gorge on burgers, hot dogs, pretzels, candy floss, popcorn and ice-cream. The best thing to do is find a hotel with a buffet breakfast and have a really good meal in the morning. We had fruit, eggs, bread and jam, keeping us full until late into the afternoon. Also, buy drinks from the train station close by, and not from the park, as they are a fraction of the price.

Repeat!

If you have time, and if the queues aren’t too long, repeat your favourite rides. We rode Space Mountain, the Tower of Terror and the Aerosmith Coaster at least four times each.

Pack light

All you need for a couple of days is a pair of jeans, a good pair of shoes (you will be doing A LOT of walking) and two or three t-shirts. Don’t be tempted to over-pack; there really isn’t any need for that. If you’re only going to Disneyland you probably won’t even need a suitcase – a large backpack should be more than enough. Remember to take a smaller handbag which you can take with you on the rides.