27th April 2000 Transit Sydney to Paris
Trip Start
Apr 27, 2000
1
81
Trip End
Aug 09, 2000
Paris,
France
Sunday, February 16, 2003
We arrived after 26 hours, in Paris. Tried Peter Mac's advise and asked the taxi driver for a quote to drive us to our hotel-he quoted 250ff and took us on the scenic drive through peak hour traffic, and charged us 290ff. By this stage, who cared? We had to wait an hour for our room to be made up-it was only 9.45am when we arrived. A shower and change and we hit the streets by 11.00am. We walked to the Eiffel Tower and the other main sights around the Invalides. It was quite bleak, cold and drizzling with rain. Filmed a demonstration with police in riot gear and blocking off all side streets-not sure what it was about, but I have the feeling that demonstrating is a kind of sport in Paris. By this stage the showers had well and truly set in, so we went to the Rodin museum....amazing. He was supported by the state throughout his entire career, including free accommodation in this mansion, so he donated his entire collection to the state. The museum was packed with tourists, school children and art students. Set in a two-story house, surrounded by stunning gardens, just across the road from the Invalides, and the Dome Cathedral where Napoleon is buried. Quite amazing that a man who was responsible for so much misery and destruction, and in fact, the death of 6 million people (right up there with Hitler), was within 25 years of his own death, recreated as a Hero, and returned for burial in a monument.
Speaking of roads/streets, we still haven't worked out how the parking works in Paris. They have ticket meters BUT, whole streets of cars are parked bumper to bumper-I mean bumper to bumper. In some cases their bumpers are touching. I have no idea how anyone gets their cars out, although, I did see some police with a car crane. Designed to pick a car up and swing it out onto the street. They park over the pedestrian crossings, right on the curve of any corner; basically, any curb space is fair game. The motorbike and vespa drivers are even better. They just aim at a square inch of curb or footpath space, and leave it where it stops. They are also great on pedestrian crossings. They just weave through the pedestrians and ignore red lights. Cars in general are treated with no respect. All the usual French makes, plus BMW's and Mercs, all dirty and dented. I don't think there is anyone earning a living as a panel beater in Paris-the last one went broke years ago. We filmed the traffic at the base of the Arc de Triumph, where it is a free for all, and the traffic cop only ventures out into the traffic if it becomes impossibly snarled. With the Metro, you wouldn't really need a car. We are experts already and buying books of ten tickets, we have mastered the connecting lines and haven't had any trouble getting around at all.
We returned to our hotel for a 2-hour doze, before heading off for our river cruise and city lights bus tour. Both were fantastic, and the best way to orient yourself within the city. It made the rest of the week so much easier, knowing what was where. We were fighting to stay awake toward the end, and finally returned home at mid-night, something like two days with only about 6 hours dozing.
