“I once thought the Channel Tunnel was too far a link to our old enemy”: The Mail’s MARK PALMER U-turns on his opinion of Eurostar after traveling to “stately” Paris to see “blockbuster” art to see

There is nothing wrong with changing your mind. It’s about giving in, which can be difficult, as any politician will tell you.

In the 1980s, when the project was under serious discussion, I was strongly opposed to the Channel Tunnel, and when it was officially opened in 1994, I remained cautious. Forgive me, but I saw it as a loss of our island status, too strong a connection with our old enemy, the French. And it was also a bit expensive.

Now? Well, I’m sitting comfortably on the Eurostar, whizzing through Kent, followed by a quick dip in the water before emerging into the rolling French countryside.

Mark says the French capital is “still full of intrigue as its stately buildings watch over the Seine with a knowing sense of justice.”

All in all, a two-hour journey that brings us to Paris in time for a Plat du Jour – with a simple cake on the side. My wife Joanna and I are here to see two exhibitions: Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise – The last months; and the largest collection of Mark Rothko paintings ever assembled at the Fondation Louis Vuitton.

Our hotel – JK Place – is located 200 meters from Van Gogh’s residence at the Musee d’Orsay until February.

I’ve always wanted to stay at a JK Place hotel (there are currently three) ever since I popped into Capri for a drink. The Parisian mall is housed in a neoclassical building whose interior has been completely and triumphantly transformed.

There are only 29 rooms. Our room is a mix of high quality French and Italian design: modern but very chic, with mother-of-pearl wardrobes and elegant black bathrooms. On the ground floor there is a lovely Italian restaurant and a spa with a heated pool.

Fascinating: Mark visits the Musee d’Orsay, where Van Gogh lives until February

The atmosphere is in stark contrast to the torment that Van Gogh endured in the last two months of his life in Auvers-sur-Oise when he created no less than 74 paintings and around twenty drawings.

It is important to book in advance to avoid long waits – this is a blockbuster show. Van Gogh’s undulating lines, peppered with rich colors, give the village and the landscape an exciting effect. The Rothko exhibit is equally fascinating, but attracts a more avant-garde audience. “I’m not interested in color. It’s the light I’m looking for,” said the artist, one of many quotes on the walls. I find it challenging because most of the paintings are large rectangles of color.

It’s all an acquired taste. For me, it’s more a matter of the joy of seeing it than longing for a copy above the fireplace in my living room. And learning about his complicated life is a revelation. Disturbingly, both Van Gogh and Rothko committed suicide.

Mark checks into the JK Place Hotel, which has only 29 rooms. He describes his room as “modern but very chic”

“The Paris store is housed in a neoclassical building whose interiors have been completely and triumphantly transformed,” writes Mark. On the top floor is one of the hotel’s bathrooms

JK Place Hotel has a “gorgeous” Italian restaurant and a spa with a heated pool (pictured)

Paris is preparing for next year’s Olympic Games. The streets look cleaner, the taxi drivers grumpier. “The mayor is angry; Macron is even crazier. “France is falling apart,” someone said. Perhaps, but the capital is still full of intrigue, its stately buildings watching over the Seine with a knowing sense of justice.

A friend suggested eating at Vagenende on Boulevard Saint-Germain for a typical French brasserie experience. It is decorated in the Belle Epoque style and belongs to a mother and her daughter who live upstairs. We eat and drink deliciously and enjoy the theatre.

When one of the waiters heard that we were from London, he said: “It’s a wonderful city, but there is no good food anywhere.” Why fight prejudice? The French are masters at believing they are right when they are clearly wrong. It is a strange endearing national trait.