Saturday, August 12, 2006
Good News and Bad News
Been an interesting couple of days since i last updated my blog, check out of the hotel in Nice on the 10th just as my luggage was coming in (okay i was happy to see it but on the other hand needed it at that time like a hole in the head). Caught up with Coolrunner Under Cover Brother (David) as the picture shows (it's meant to be two Coolrunners in Nice but it's a hotel room and could be anywhere - so just trust me it's Nice !!) and then off to the airport by bus.
As i said the luggage would have been much better off still in Paris, as bus came to a sudden halt and me holding onto the luggage managed to get pulled over by somebody elses luggage straining that delicate thing known as my back. Uneventful flight to Paris (looking at CNN after i was very thankful it was Paris not England) and even got a ham baquette and 250 ml white wine on the trip. At least the baggage was waiting for me at the end this time, using public transport to my hotel was interesting to say the least and probably stuffed my back further.
Am at the far side of Paris in an area called Porte De Bagnolet straight above the metro.
First difference from Nice is the temperature was 17 at 6PM when i got there and i was rather cold, but on the positive side i can now see how expensive it was there, probably why the local supermarket brand name is 'Casino' you could lose your shirt at there prices, 0.30 € for 1.5 litre soft drink as opposed to 0.90 there, bananas 1.20 per kg (yeah could make a fortune smuggling them home) and 440 ML beer only 0.50 (even Fosters only 0.99 but no i'm not that desperate).
Knew sooner or later my looking the wrong way (to me) for traffic would get me into trouble and almost got bowled over by a motor scooter (he was in the wrong as i was crossing with green pedestrian probably for the first time this trip) no idea what he said but i'd get this blog censored if i repeated my comments which he probably didn't understand. A bit shaken and the back probably a bit more strained.
Anyway spent most of yesterday (Friday) doing the tourist sights, the Louvre (massive queue like HK airport) but incredible place, museum (funny thing is there is a zoo there and sure enough first animals i see are kangaroos), arc d'triomphe and various others plenty of pictures caught bus past Eiffel tower and will get there today.
After something like 8 hours on my feet fairly tired, but good training for run though i wish i'd put jumper on as cold seems to have made back even worse, i'd be honest and say that even 200ml duty free bottle of Bundy couldn't put me to sleep as back was that bad not a good sign.
So here we are right up to date, was up early (as back too sore to sleep) big breakfast and then i thought i'd go for a walk to ring race director to organise chiropractor (had rung last night on mobile and kept on getting message in French about being on wrong network - totally confused).
Of course 7:30 no shops open, 14 degrees (according to ever present chemists - i have never seen so many chemist shops in my life, that and the fact that every street corner has a condom vending machine makes me wonder about the local mindset ?????) and then rain, walk till 9:30 till shops open and here i am now have spoken to race director and will have chiropractor before race begins just hope i can sleep between now and then.
One last problem so far last day in Nice and finally go to atm to get money and it says i can't have any (not like my local Comm bank told me), ring during Aussie banking hours and they say they have to transfer debit card from cheque (which doesn't exist in France to savings) which they can do overnight, borrow some money from UCB just in case it doesn't work (picture myself busking the rest of the trip - only song i know with French in it is Bill Wymans late 70's hit 'Je Suis Un Rockstar - reckon people would pay me to shut up). Good news yesterday tht worked i now have access to money.
One word of warning to anyone who has smsed me from Aussie looks as though it costs a fortune, something like $5 (well that's how much from my end so i think my messages will be few and far between)
Au revoir,
Kelvin
As i said the luggage would have been much better off still in Paris, as bus came to a sudden halt and me holding onto the luggage managed to get pulled over by somebody elses luggage straining that delicate thing known as my back. Uneventful flight to Paris (looking at CNN after i was very thankful it was Paris not England) and even got a ham baquette and 250 ml white wine on the trip. At least the baggage was waiting for me at the end this time, using public transport to my hotel was interesting to say the least and probably stuffed my back further.
Am at the far side of Paris in an area called Porte De Bagnolet straight above the metro.
First difference from Nice is the temperature was 17 at 6PM when i got there and i was rather cold, but on the positive side i can now see how expensive it was there, probably why the local supermarket brand name is 'Casino' you could lose your shirt at there prices, 0.30 € for 1.5 litre soft drink as opposed to 0.90 there, bananas 1.20 per kg (yeah could make a fortune smuggling them home) and 440 ML beer only 0.50 (even Fosters only 0.99 but no i'm not that desperate).
Knew sooner or later my looking the wrong way (to me) for traffic would get me into trouble and almost got bowled over by a motor scooter (he was in the wrong as i was crossing with green pedestrian probably for the first time this trip) no idea what he said but i'd get this blog censored if i repeated my comments which he probably didn't understand. A bit shaken and the back probably a bit more strained.
Anyway spent most of yesterday (Friday) doing the tourist sights, the Louvre (massive queue like HK airport) but incredible place, museum (funny thing is there is a zoo there and sure enough first animals i see are kangaroos), arc d'triomphe and various others plenty of pictures caught bus past Eiffel tower and will get there today.
After something like 8 hours on my feet fairly tired, but good training for run though i wish i'd put jumper on as cold seems to have made back even worse, i'd be honest and say that even 200ml duty free bottle of Bundy couldn't put me to sleep as back was that bad not a good sign.
So here we are right up to date, was up early (as back too sore to sleep) big breakfast and then i thought i'd go for a walk to ring race director to organise chiropractor (had rung last night on mobile and kept on getting message in French about being on wrong network - totally confused).
Of course 7:30 no shops open, 14 degrees (according to ever present chemists - i have never seen so many chemist shops in my life, that and the fact that every street corner has a condom vending machine makes me wonder about the local mindset ?????) and then rain, walk till 9:30 till shops open and here i am now have spoken to race director and will have chiropractor before race begins just hope i can sleep between now and then.
One last problem so far last day in Nice and finally go to atm to get money and it says i can't have any (not like my local Comm bank told me), ring during Aussie banking hours and they say they have to transfer debit card from cheque (which doesn't exist in France to savings) which they can do overnight, borrow some money from UCB just in case it doesn't work (picture myself busking the rest of the trip - only song i know with French in it is Bill Wymans late 70's hit 'Je Suis Un Rockstar - reckon people would pay me to shut up). Good news yesterday tht worked i now have access to money.
One word of warning to anyone who has smsed me from Aussie looks as though it costs a fortune, something like $5 (well that's how much from my end so i think my messages will be few and far between)
Au revoir,
Kelvin
# posted by Aussie Ultra Runner @ 5:46 PM 
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Kevin -
I read your blog with interest and the best part is yet to come.
At least the French have become more accustomed to foreigners in the last two decades - they used to be horrible, now they are more accepting, especially the Parisians.
As to your SMS problem, it might be worth you getting a local pre-paid mobile phone account. Works out much cheaper than using your Oz Sim Card. My son has just come back from Switzerland where he spent five weeks and it was way cheaper him getting a card there - we txted with him constantly.
All the best,
Henry
I read your blog with interest and the best part is yet to come.
At least the French have become more accustomed to foreigners in the last two decades - they used to be horrible, now they are more accepting, especially the Parisians.
As to your SMS problem, it might be worth you getting a local pre-paid mobile phone account. Works out much cheaper than using your Oz Sim Card. My son has just come back from Switzerland where he spent five weeks and it was way cheaper him getting a card there - we txted with him constantly.
All the best,
Henry
Kelvin, if you are interested I've since uploaded a video piece to my blog. You feature in the second one, at the end of the Sri Chinmoy, Princess Park 30 km event, on 23/7/06.
The link to the actual video page is here.
http://www.superjacent.net/blog/index.php?m=20060723
Hope you like.
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The link to the actual video page is here.
http://www.superjacent.net/blog/index.php?m=20060723
Hope you like.
# posted by 
: 4:26 PM
: 4:26 PM << Home
