I continued the jet setter lifestyle I've been used to these last few months with a long weekend away with my mum to the beautiful and classy Paris.

We arrived mid-afternoon on a Friday, made our way by train and underground to our hotel. We then turned the corner from coming out of the metro, once we got our bearings of course, and 'ta na' the Iron lady (as it's known to the Parisians) - The Eiffel Tower was right in front of us. Breathtaking! Our hotel was literally in it's shadow. What a perfect location for our fleeting visit.

We started sightseeing straight away. We strolled down to the banks of the Seine and ended up eating with a wee caraf of white wine and two croque monsuirs, a perfect French start.

We decided the best way to see the main sights with our limited time was to do the hop on hop off bus tour, so we made our way back to the Eiffel tower.

I like a bus tour, you get facts, you get sights, you get to familiarise yourself with the area. It's also nice to sit and take in the scenery. It's also funny watching my mother trying to take a decent photo on her iPhone. Either squinty or of the other bus passengers, it certainly made for interesting viewing.

Our first hop off was at the Louvre. The louvre and in fact most of Paris is infamous. This made all the sights in the flesh all the more spectacular. We wandered to the glass pyramid and the surrounding water features and took in the enormity of the museum itself. Surrounded by controversy thanks to Dan Brown and his novel The Da Vinci Code it's certainly something to talk about.

We took a stroll along the Seine to get to our next stop, Notre Dame, passing by several bridges adorned by love locks, the whole sides of the bridges are covered by these gestures of love and the sight is quite remarkable.

We were so lucky to have a glorious warm and sunny day that our walk was very pleasant, and after revelling in the history of Notre Dame and the legend Quasimodo we found ourselves in a wee café, enjoying a wee drink and people watching the passers-by.

Back on the bus, we then took in the amazing Place de la Concorde, Champs Élysées, the arc de Triomphe and marvel at the view from the Trocadéro. The sun was setting as we headed back to the number one spot. What a fantastic introduction to Paris. The view was stunning and one of my highlights. We concluded our day having dinner, and a tasty cheeseboard near the tower.

Saturday arrived and we were well rested, we stuffed ourselves at the delicious hotel breakfast, just what was needed as we headed to Rue de Rivoli where we could do a spot of shopping. Well, we couldn't not in this fashion orientated city. We were both successful and had bags of goodies to take home, unfortunately that meant five layers on the flight home as my bag was fit to burst but it is a small price to pay.

We followed our shopping morning by taking a walk down the Seine, through the louvre again to the Jardin de Tuileries. A lovely set of gardens and fountains and statues. Another sunny day and it really was so idyllic. We found two seats facing the sun. I think this is what I'll remember most. Shopping bags, sunshine, beautiful surrounds after a walk through the famous landmarks. There is just something about the place. The tree lined boulevards, the lampposts, all very French or Parisian should I say. I loved it. I loved just wandering and taking in the feel of the place. Even though the place is full of tourists it still holds some magical charm. I could listen to the French accent all day too. It's mesmerising.

That evening didn't disappoint as we headed to another tower, the Montparnesse tower which hosts a viewing platform on the 56th floor. Thanks to my friend Louise for this tip. This as you can imagine hosts amazing views of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower itself. We stayed to watch the sun go down, Paris lighting up beneath us and even better the Eiffel tower 'twinkling' as it performed it's light show which happens on the hour after 8pm. What a spectacular sight. Follow this by a lovely French restaurant and it was another jammed packed but wonderful day.

Sunday, the day we head home. However not before heading to the Sacre Coeur and exploring the surrounding area of Montmartre.

Sacre Coeur is a stand-alone impressive building, which just adds to my love of Paris. We wandered in to see the impressive art work and hear some of the mass. From here we wandered the rammed streets dodging street artists and past little cafés and restaurants to find another famous landmark the Moulin Rouge. We stop here to refuel and couldn't resist a crepe!

Back to the hotel with ease on the metro. I find it's the best way to get to know a city. You get so much more from experiencing public transport and the fellow passengers. Even if it's just a nod, scramble through the turnstiles or to give a euro to a busker. It all helps sink in the memory of a visit.

I had a fantastic couple of days and could easily spend longer. It makes you dream of possibilities. With thanks to my wonderful mum who without her French my trip wouldn't have been the same, (I was still in Italian mode...I did get better!) Oh and the never ending packet of pastilles that kept us going on the sight-seeing expositions. It was fantastic sharing this trip. I had a brilliant time. Thanks mum.

Paris number 28! Merci Beaucoup!