Day 30 - 26 April 2019 Friday - travel from Ypres to Paris
My original intention today was to drive to CDG drop off the car and grab a cab to my hotel (the Hotel De Seine) in Paris. However due to my change of car in Amiens I am now dropping off the car in Amiens and catching the train to Paris. This train trip is a bit over an hour and delivers me to Gare De Nord. I will catch a cab from there to the hotel.
I am a little concerned about what the yellow shirts are up to. Yesterday I was talking to some Australians who had been in Paris last weekend. They said that the disruptions, particularly to the metro were fairly significant, and that the riot police were everywhere. Anyway I will play it by ear and keep out of harms way.
The Australians also told me that the Gypsies are back in town in a big way. I daresay they are taking advantage of the police being distracted by other matters.
I am sorry to be leaving Ypres as it is a lovely town with good restaurants and bars, delicious chocolates and beer and friendly, if reserved, folk. It is also a town with a lot of history and a particular resonance for Australians. I may have mentioned this before but it is the only place on the Western front where we know all 60 battalions of the AIF served during TGW.
I arrived at Gare De Nord at about 5.00pm after a pleasant train trip from Amiens chatting to an Australian couple from Kyabram in Victoria. I thought I would be having a beer in the 2012 Battlefields and Burgundy trip field HQ by 6.00pm but the wait for a cab and the Paris peak hour traffic put paid to that. The traffic wasn't just horrendous it was mayhem. Added to the usual mix of cars, buses, motorbikes, motor scooters and bicycles are these new electric scooters, they are everywhere and I had a cab driver who had no idea where he was going.
Anyway I eventually checked into the Hotel De Seine and was having a beer on the Boulevard Saint Germain by 7.00pm.
Dinner tonight was at a restaurant I attended two years ago. Like then I also had the entrecote but having learnt my lesson I had it cooked medium which still came out rare (last time I was here I had my steak rare and it came out blue), you only catch me out once. It was a nice piece of steak served with some salad, chips and mushroom sauce. I thought the waiter was going to hit me when I asked for some mustard, lucky I didn't ask for tomato sauce. Anyway all was forgiven and I received a complimentary drink at the end of my meal.
A quick wander around the local streets around my hotel before bed. Being Friday night the place was buzzing with lots of locals and tourists out and about.
I arrived at Gare De Nord at about 5.00pm after a pleasant train trip from Amiens chatting to an Australian couple from Kyabram in Victoria. I thought I would be having a beer in the 2012 Battlefields and Burgundy trip field HQ by 6.00pm but the wait for a cab and the Paris peak hour traffic put paid to that. The traffic wasn't just horrendous it was mayhem. Added to the usual mix of cars, buses, motorbikes, motor scooters and bicycles are these new electric scooters, they are everywhere and I had a cab driver who had no idea where he was going.
Anyway I eventually checked into the Hotel De Seine and was having a beer on the Boulevard Saint Germain by 7.00pm.
Dinner tonight was at a restaurant I attended two years ago. Like then I also had the entrecote but having learnt my lesson I had it cooked medium which still came out rare (last time I was here I had my steak rare and it came out blue), you only catch me out once. It was a nice piece of steak served with some salad, chips and mushroom sauce. I thought the waiter was going to hit me when I asked for some mustard, lucky I didn't ask for tomato sauce. Anyway all was forgiven and I received a complimentary drink at the end of my meal.
A quick wander around the local streets around my hotel before bed. Being Friday night the place was buzzing with lots of locals and tourists out and about.
Fun fact: The Belgians love their push bikes, not lycra clad lads on racing bikes, but good solid citizens on good solid bicycles. I have even seen some bikes here with the old dynamo providing power to the lights.
Step count: 4,294
Observation: Sounds of Europe: Over revving motor scooters on the Boulevard Saint Germain
Finally in Paris - lucky you. Good to hear you’re not going hungry - lucky you’re counting your steps. Be careful in Paris and stay out of trouble. Enjoy your last few days and see you on your return next week.
ReplyDeleteLots of good food here, would love to get stuck into the delicious pastries but there is a limit to how much even I can eat.
DeleteNo nicking up the street for a curry. Be firm Major.
ReplyDeleteI have been eating and drinking French from petit dejeuner to dinner, any more so and I will come home with an atrocious French accent like the copper in Ello Ello.
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