Centre du Danse du Marais

New year. New pursuits. And finally I start doing something that I've wanted to do for years - learn to dance flamenco.

My neighbourhood dance centre is fab in a beautiful 17th century building with many well equipped studios, a full timetable of classes and a super teacher.

For a beginner I picked it up pretty quickly and we were dancing a whole routine by the end of the first lesson.

More please. Ole!

Musee Carnavalet, Paris

Also known as the Museum of the History of Paris is in the 4th, on rue de Sevigne, right in the heart of the Marais. Plenty of room recreations, paintings, revolutionary memorabilia, stones from the Bastille, Proust's bedroom and a lovely parterre. My favourite on this visit was the Fouquet Bijouterie designed by Mucha - Art Nouveau at its highest. most sinuous and most gorgeous. Free entry means I will be back time and again as it's literally five minutes from my apartment. Lovely.

http://carnavalet.paris.fr/