Measurelab turned 4 in September and to celebrate we all shut our laptops (except Mark, who got very excited about the organisations announcement from Google) and took the Eurostar to Paris for some well deserved and much needed rest, relaxation and culture.
First taste of Parisian adventure
The trip was unofficially sponsored by Heineken (no craft ales or even Harvey’s best for sale on Eurostar unfortunately) and we toasted the start of our trip in style with peanuts and lager.
Climbing hills and finding dinner
We got to Paris and taxied straight to our Airbnb. We dropped our bags and headed straight back out for dinner. None of us were even slightly hungry so Mark had the great idea of walking up a vertical hill for 35 minutes to work up an appetite.
We had an amazing meal at La boite aux lettres, where the chef explained the menu in detail to us in English and then went out of his way to make something special for the two troublesome #MeasureVegans (don’t worry, I’m ashamed of myself for hash-tagging that).
Wine, whisky, and unusual rituals
We savoured some French wine and Japanese whisky (as you do in Paris) and Magda showed her appreciation to the chef by drinking water backwards from a glass (I think it’s some kind of Polish ritual).
Bathtub rum and Eiffel Tower views
We stopped by a local bar to sample some strange bathtub-brewed rum, which helped us appreciate the stunning view of the Eiffel Tower at night from Sacré-Cœur Basilica. So beautiful was this view in fact, not one of us took a photo of it.
Planning the future over camomile tea
All in all, an acceptable amount of fun was had whilst discussing the future of the company, the economy, the likely outcome of the Brexit negotiations and generally setting the world to rights. Then we all had some camomile tea and got an early night.
Making the most of our only full day
As the lead-by-example kind of guy I am, I woke the team early the next day to make the most of our only full day in Paris.
Exploring Paris landmarks
We met up with Adam after lunch, who arrived in Paris a day later than us, and we took a wander down to the Arc de Triomphe and also checked out the Luxor Obelisk.
Cycling along the Seine
From there we took pity on our tired legs and rented bicycles, happily paying a surcharge for flat tyres to add some authenticity. We spent the afternoon and early evening cycling slowly along the Seine, stopping occasionally to whet our whistles or to grab a quick snack.
Evening stories and culinary adventures
That evening we visited Notre-Dame cathedral, had some dinner and headed back to our Airbnb where Juan gave us a detailed history of his family’s paprika business and Mark tried his best to offload his bulk supply of Picon on us.
Farewell Paris, until next time
On our last morning we had a nice chilled breakfast and watched the world go by for a bit before making our way to the Musée d'Orsay to soak up some last minute culture. After that we just about had time for some lunch and then it was back to the Gare du Nord to catch our train back to London. We all made it back in one piece, still talking to each other and all with jobs to go to on Monday morning so I say it was a roaring success overall.
Looking ahead to the next adventure
Talk has quickly turned to our next adventure, with Romania an early front-runner for a future Measurelab invasion.
