The saga continues...
15 October, 2009
The ride from Calais to Paris went well until I entered the city to look for my hotel. I arrived in Paris around 10 PM on Wednesday the 14th, October. I skirted a couple of more curbs while trying to find my hotel that is located in the middle of 1,000 one way streets all going the wrong way. I was relying on a map (no GPS in the car) and trying to read street signs that are on the sides of buildings at 1 AM in the morning. I went down a one lane, one way street the wrong way. I realized that as I noticed the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. I hopped over an abutment that landed me into a bike lane. I heard much rumbling from the bottom of the car while smashing into and over the concrete slab. I was able to drive back over the abutment into the road after the oncoming car passed. Much noise and motor stalling occurred attempting to get back facing the right way. I had visions of an oil pan cracked with oil pouring out or the exhaust system ripped off or even worse, the transmission being torn up.
Fortunately, my guardian angel guided me out of that mess with no apparent damage to the car. I finally found the hotel at 2 AM on Thursday morning, the 15th October.
I parked the car in the street about two blocks away and dragged the suitcase on wheels, my laptop, camera case and clothes bag to the front door of the hotel and found it locked with the lights out in the lobby. I had a sinking feeling at that point. I rang the bell and was greeted by the sleeping desk receptionist/concierge/bellboy. I signed in and he said he had to show me to my room.
He started up the stairs and I said: "Wait... don't you have an elevator?" "Yes," he said and came back down the stairs to point it out to me. The lift was smaller than a clothes closet. My shoulders touched both sides of the elevator. He told me to press floor one. I said: "But my room is on the 4th floor." He said that it doesn't go up to my room and closed the door.
I went up to the first floor and the lift door didn't open. I started banging on the door and the concierge said: "I've got to get the emergency key."
Once finally free from the elevator, my host said: "follow me." We went down a long hall and made a left through a portal that reminded me of the entrance to Dr. Frankenstein's Lab. We came up to a spiral stair case. He pointed up and told me that my room is three flights up.
So here I am with the desk receptionist/concierge/bell boy/elevator mechanic, climbing up this spiral staircase carrying the suitcase from hell, my lap top, camera case and clothes bag up all those fucking stairs.
At least the room is bigger than the room I had during my last visit to Paris and with an actual shower stall. The bed was soft and warm. I crashed for the night.
16 October, 2009
I spent the day with an old friend, Oldoc, a Doctor of Psychiatry whom I met on a Web cam site that I frequent and visited once before on my last trip to Paris back in 2007. He is a lover of Erotica and maintains a blog which is a favorite of mine at: http://crazydoc.canalblog.com/.
Oldoc in his office
We had lunch and checked out some of the sights...
Statue of Liberty (we got the big one and Paris kept the smaller one)
Eiffel Tower
Parisian Architecture
Overlooking the City toward Sacre Coeur
Ooh la, la!!!
17 Oct 2009
I got two parking tickets on the car for 11 Euros apiece. 22 Euros for two nights parking in Paris ain't bad. I have put the car into a parking garage and am going to leave it there until Monday morning when I take off for Nice. The garage parking is going to cost about 75 Euros. I considered leaving it on the street and just paying the parking tickets which would have been cheaper. But with my luck, they would tow it away and I would have to shell out 250 Euros to get it back.
On a positive note, each time climbing up the spiral staircase is getting easier. Its a great aerobic exercise which I need anyway.
This afternoon, we went to the Flea Market in Paris and found an Eroticism Museum exhibiting many pieces of erotic art...
Tomorrow, more sight seeing and hopefully more pics to share.
Au revoir
18 Oct 2009
Today, we went to the Centre Pompidou, a cultural center in Paris that has many Art Galleries, a theater, a library with intenet access throughout the building and a courtyard with entertainment for visitors to enjoy. The view from the top level is extraordinary...
The view from the courtyard ain't so bad, either!
The above shots are of this Photographer
So long to my friend, Oldoc... until next trip. Thanks for being such a gracious host!
It's time to pack up for the third leg of this whirlwind tour. I don't look forward to bringing all my belongings tomorrow morning, three flights down a spiral staircase and then one more flight to the lobby to check out. I am staying away from the coffin sized lift. I want to leave early in the morning and don't want to chance getting stuck in that elevator again.
From the hotel, the car's parking garage is three blocks away. The post office is on the way where I'll stop to mail in the two, 11 Euro parking tickets that I got the first two days in Paris.
When I think of Paris, I think of the Eiffel Tower. It's my favorite. The following are two more shots that I took the other day.
