Palais-Royal

While Magali was not technically a friend when we met for dinner on my first night on Paris, she certainly was one after the evening was over. What a delightful person she is and such a lovely host. Magali had met and looked after Natalie when she was in Paris last Christmas (she is an old friend of Matt's mother). I contacted her and she made time in her busy life, running her graphic art business, to meet me one evening and have dinner. We met and discovered we were kindred spirits sharing a love of travel and seafood among other things!

Magali took me on a walk through the sunset evening telling me the history of the area as we went. We visited a small local market and I watched as she joked with the seller of foie gras and we tasted his produce. Next we went to a restaurant that specialised in seafood and Magali and I proceeded to polish off the largest platter I have seen (actually a tower of seafood) with crab, oysters, prawns, clams, cockles and many other shellfish I had never tried before. It was all devine and two bottles of wine and much conversation later we emerged as new friends. I look forward to catching up with her again when she next visits New Zealand.Les mer