Monday, September 18, 2006
Wednesday in Paris and then back home
As indicated in my previous blog Wednesday was my day to actually see (and enjoy rather than trying to stay out the rain), the spots that you immediately think of when that city is mentioned. Was rapt to wake up and see a fine morning, so got out my map and realised that first i should head towards the Louvre if i wanted to see Notre Dame and various other points along the Seine and then head back to see the Tower. Despite my reputation for getting lost i'd got to the point i was pretty much able to find my way reasonably competently (well with a map in hand at least), of course i was soon to realise there was one downside to a sunny day the actual fact that every time i wanted to take a picture the sun was in the wrong place (and ruining it). Still got most of the places i wanted but then realised that the battery level of the camera was low (one thing i did forget to do was charge the camera), and even worse just after Notre Dame (and just on my way back) and battery level would no longer permit pictures, so it was back to the Hotel room and a quick recharge (having spotted a second hand English book store was very handy as it now meant i had something to read as well - certainly handy for the flight back too), i guess after being on my feet for about 5 hours a break of an hour or 2 was probably a good idea too.
Two hours later and the camera charged and me revitalised, off to the last "must see" of my trip, however was distracted a bit by my map and thought i may as well go via Porte Maillot (essentially the city limits) where i'd been on the Metro before but had spent all my time dodging downpours, this would then take me via Longchamps (the famous racecourse) as well as Roland Garros (where the French Tennis Open is held). Probably nothing remakable on the tourist side but it was good just to get away from the crowds and into normal life, was impressed by the old Grand Stand at Longchamp and the course itself (don't know if it was making me homesick for Caulfield ??), and then hit the Seine, of course from then on absolutely everything points towards to Tower.
First disappointment was when i reached there, you could only walk up the tower till 6PM, was 7 odd by then and well i had really wanted to walk the thing, the lift wasn't something i'd even given a thought to (although the only way to the highest level), seemed strange as sunset was not till 8:30. Anyway i decided to at least get some pictures, doesn't matter how many times you've seen it on tv and pictures it did blow me away. More interesting was later when they lit it with flashing lights (certainly it sounds touristy and cliched but you have to be there to understand how good it looked), reckon i spent the next hour gobsmacked by it (don't ask how many camera angles i got as well as couple of pics with me in front of it as above - still wearing that Trans Gaule T shirt think it will need to be surgically removed !), finally dragged myself away and across the river to the Trocadero (and more photo opportunities), and then back via the Arc D'Triomphe, certainly a good way to finish my last day there, very thankful the local fruit shop was open till 11 (bag of apricots and a banana and apple would do as dinner think i'd eaten enough in Bordeaux !!).
Next day the beginning of the end, walk up the road to the local railway station (not a Metro one) Pont Cachonot for the trip to St Lazare (one of the main stations) and a couple of metro lines later the train to Charles De Gaulle Airport, 5 hours to kill but simply a case of making sure i got there. The rest is history, flight to Hong Kong (no typhoons this time), having only 5 hours to my next flight all i saw was the airport, and having only Euro's (no local currency) wasn't exactly going to do much !!, however smog appeared to blanket the whole city so i don't think i missed much. Much admit i enjoyed the "Resting Lounge" basically metal banana lounges set up for us tourists to lie down, was too tired to sleep but read and kept an eye on the free internet access. Funny thing is for a supposedly high tech city the airports free internet consisted of a dozen old Apple IMacs with an ancient version of internet explorer basically only 3 (or maybe 4) worked as the rest had gone to sites that needed refreshing and were simply stuck as the browser was not able to handle them.
Catch my plane, was looking forward to this flight as i'd noticed the Da Vinci Code was one of the movies available (i'd read the book during Trans Gaule - was the only English language book available in the little town i bought it !), so wanted to see it while it was still fresh in my mind. I'm no movie critic but it stayed pretty much true to the book and wasn't bad 3.5 Stars from me !. Have to admit i didn't mind the airline food, very nice curry with rice and crisp French white to wash it down. Still it was good when i spotted Melbourne at 5:30AM and half an hour later we were down, no lost luggage this time and an easy trip through customs, basically the end of my saga, once i have days 11 to 18 down that will be the end of this blog as well !!.
Two hours later and the camera charged and me revitalised, off to the last "must see" of my trip, however was distracted a bit by my map and thought i may as well go via Porte Maillot (essentially the city limits) where i'd been on the Metro before but had spent all my time dodging downpours, this would then take me via Longchamps (the famous racecourse) as well as Roland Garros (where the French Tennis Open is held). Probably nothing remakable on the tourist side but it was good just to get away from the crowds and into normal life, was impressed by the old Grand Stand at Longchamp and the course itself (don't know if it was making me homesick for Caulfield ??), and then hit the Seine, of course from then on absolutely everything points towards to Tower.
First disappointment was when i reached there, you could only walk up the tower till 6PM, was 7 odd by then and well i had really wanted to walk the thing, the lift wasn't something i'd even given a thought to (although the only way to the highest level), seemed strange as sunset was not till 8:30. Anyway i decided to at least get some pictures, doesn't matter how many times you've seen it on tv and pictures it did blow me away. More interesting was later when they lit it with flashing lights (certainly it sounds touristy and cliched but you have to be there to understand how good it looked), reckon i spent the next hour gobsmacked by it (don't ask how many camera angles i got as well as couple of pics with me in front of it as above - still wearing that Trans Gaule T shirt think it will need to be surgically removed !), finally dragged myself away and across the river to the Trocadero (and more photo opportunities), and then back via the Arc D'Triomphe, certainly a good way to finish my last day there, very thankful the local fruit shop was open till 11 (bag of apricots and a banana and apple would do as dinner think i'd eaten enough in Bordeaux !!).
Next day the beginning of the end, walk up the road to the local railway station (not a Metro one) Pont Cachonot for the trip to St Lazare (one of the main stations) and a couple of metro lines later the train to Charles De Gaulle Airport, 5 hours to kill but simply a case of making sure i got there. The rest is history, flight to Hong Kong (no typhoons this time), having only 5 hours to my next flight all i saw was the airport, and having only Euro's (no local currency) wasn't exactly going to do much !!, however smog appeared to blanket the whole city so i don't think i missed much. Much admit i enjoyed the "Resting Lounge" basically metal banana lounges set up for us tourists to lie down, was too tired to sleep but read and kept an eye on the free internet access. Funny thing is for a supposedly high tech city the airports free internet consisted of a dozen old Apple IMacs with an ancient version of internet explorer basically only 3 (or maybe 4) worked as the rest had gone to sites that needed refreshing and were simply stuck as the browser was not able to handle them.
Catch my plane, was looking forward to this flight as i'd noticed the Da Vinci Code was one of the movies available (i'd read the book during Trans Gaule - was the only English language book available in the little town i bought it !), so wanted to see it while it was still fresh in my mind. I'm no movie critic but it stayed pretty much true to the book and wasn't bad 3.5 Stars from me !. Have to admit i didn't mind the airline food, very nice curry with rice and crisp French white to wash it down. Still it was good when i spotted Melbourne at 5:30AM and half an hour later we were down, no lost luggage this time and an easy trip through customs, basically the end of my saga, once i have days 11 to 18 down that will be the end of this blog as well !!.
# posted by Aussie Ultra Runner @ 2:19 AM 
