La Fête Fatale!

Samedi 5 Février, 2011

Woken at a relatively reasonable time by Holly's unreasonable and highly athletic cat Leon, I was initially disoriented and then confused.  How could it be 8.45am -  it was dark outside? I verified the time on my phone, the lap top, the microwave and eventually with Holly. It was 8.45am on a winter's morning, and it was pretty much still dark. Something I'd have to get used to again, with the sun rising in Queensland at either 4am or 6am depending on the season (Queensland has only two seasons Hot and Bloody Hot).

I didn't mind being up, as it was going to be a good day, and one I'd been looking forward to for a while, so best it start as soon as possible!  Sarah had arrived from LA the previous day and Katy was arriving on the Eurostar just in time for lunch, then, ce soir it was party time. 

Lunch in one of those sexy restaurants Paris does with such casual ease - all dark velvet button back chairs, fresh flowers, discreet chandeliers and carafes of wine - was followed by a saunter around the Louvre, taking in the 16th and 17th Century collections. We felt very soignée, although Katy and I were miffed at having to pay for entry to the Louvre. Culture should be free!

After prizing Sarah out of the best cheese shop in Paris, which just happens to be on Holly's street, we repaired to Holly's apartment, struggled up the stairs with Sarah's preposterous cheese haul and began preparations for our Big Night Out.  For Sarah, this involved eating gargantuan portions of cheese. For the rest of us it meant hair, heels, shoes, scent, champagne, cocktail dresses and conversation.  Sarah had a bit more cheese. Then we were ready to hit the town!

It was a perfectly formed night, crafted with care by Holly.  First, a private 'by appointment' venue accessed via massive wrought iron gates, along a crunchy gravel drive lit only by flickering art nouveau street lamps, our breath pluming in the night air.  A knock on the door for permission to enter. Inside candles, a library, a piano bar, attentive male models to wait on our orders and endless champagne to quaff.  Nathalie joined us to assist with the quaffing. 

Then to a supper and dancing club  (Cha Cha) so dimly lit that we looked - oh, teenage!- and people thought we were with Nicole Kidman (Sarah's doppelganger). An a la carte dining experience was followed by exhibitionist dancing in the Salon where they played eighties hits, French chanteuse, electro bop and atmospheric jazz. We all wore little black dresses and heels. We even shamefully snuck into the smoking snug to puff on a cigarette or two, just to feel decadently French.

Watching Sarah and Katy being quietly herded into an inescapable corner of the dance floor by a couple of youthful admirers we named Ben Affleck and the Border Collie was a highlight, and brought about, surely, by their dynamite get-ups involving extremely short hem lengths, extremely lacey hosiery and extremely high heels.  Their complete ignorance of the herding tactic was as hilarious as their gutsy interpretation of Blondie's 'Atomic'. Priceless.

Champagned out, we made it home by 4am and Sarah's room in the Terrass Hotel was so well appointed i.e. dark and comfortable, we slept until one the next day! Memories are made of this.