11 July: Moulin Rouge
I bought tickets for this extravaganza for Peter for Valentines Day, but he had to wait until last night for the treat.
We taxied to the red light district at 9 pm to soak up the atmosphere before we went to the theatre at 10.30. More Parisian buzz than we'd seen to date but not at all crowded. Fair enough. The 9 pm show would be far more popular. So wandered around, had a sorbet to cool us down, then Peter had a coffee to warm him up. Discovered shops and shops of touristy souvenirs. At 10.30, wandered out into the main street to go into the theatre to find the whole square absolutely thronging with revelers.  Not a chance of entering the theatre. Join the queue - all the way to the end of the block we had just traveled,  round the corner and way down that street. The queue didn't even start to move until 10.50 and we got into the theatre at 11.15. Miraculously we got good seats on a raised tier block of tables with two other Australian couples. Our bucket of champagne was duly delivered and the show started right on the dot of 11.30pm.
I can't even start to describe the magnificence of the staging,  lighting, costuming, music, skill level and awe-inspiring brilliance of the 1 1/2 hour international spectacle. Just make a diary entry that you MUST go next time you come to Paris. It will eclipse all else you have seen. When the show ended at 1.30 am, we simply caught one of the waiting taxis and were driven home by 2.00.