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Published: September 9th 2010
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Dear Bloggees
I am calling this 8 September but it is actually being written after breakfast on 9 September. For a considerable change I actually got out of the Hotel at 11 AM this morning after getting up at 10:30 AM for a shower. I realised that I just had to kick start my day somewhat better than I have not been so far! Although I took breakfast, for seven euros, at the Hotel on the first morning, I am somewhat averse to having to set my alarm to get up in time for breakfast by 10 AM! Fortunately there is a very good bakery which sell us lots of baked goods as well as very tasty baguette sandwiches for less than four euros on the corner about 70 m from the hotel. This also works out considerably cheaper anyway hence my breakfast this morning, of a doughnut (beignet) with strawberry jam inside, and a pain a raisin, with a café au lait was only €3.40.
Anyway that is about today -- what about yesterday? One would have to say that it was a complete washout as a tourist. This was to some extent because of the dodgy weather
as it was raining in the morning. The main problem however was not going to bed until 3:30 AM after being foolish enough to consume un cafe at 10:30 PM the previous night. I also had a terrible sleep and waking up about three times before noon, mostly paranoid about whether the room cleaner was simply going to enter the room with the key without so much as a knock, which is what she did the previous day. The rest of the day was completely shattered as a result (well that is my excuse). I did not get out until 4 PM and then simply got the Metro to Forum Les Halles which is hereby declared a hell hole into which I will not venture again unless I absolutely have to or change metro there. For those of you who do not know the story Les Halles was originally the produce market of Paris which was bulldozed in the 1970s and they put in a huge underground shopping Centre in there. I gather it has been generally condemned as they planning disaster and I would have too agree. It is like one of those maze-like Westfield's in which it is
bldg nr Pont Neuf
taken across the Seine impossible to find the way out once you get in. I found the FNAC bookshop/CD shop and had a good browse there for an hour or so. As the Louvre is open late on Wednesdays I was considering buying a ticket that there to avoid the queues. However there was also a considerable queue for tickets there generally so I gave it all a miss.
There is also a huge 20 screen cinema multiplex there and I saw that there was a film on Benda Bilili. This is a band of disabled people of various sorts who used to play at the zoo in Kinshasa in Congo I think. Some of them were affected by polio as children, that sort of thing. As a result they tend to ride around on tricycle type things which are adapted so that they can pedal with their hands. Being poor their instruments are either really poor or hand made. Anyway the sound that they make is somewhat unique as you can imagine and the singing and songs are quite impassioned. The film covered their early start and then ended with a tour of Europe as worldmusic "superstars" after their "discovery". Their only
Seine bridge view
usual suspects - the Tower and Invalides incl. problem I think is called Trop Fort (too strong). I've decided that this was definitely something to see as it has just started here. The fact that it was to some extent in French language -- but also in French subtitles as well -- but of course mostly about the music appealed to me. Something you would be very unlikely to see in Australia, other than in the film Festival say, which is why I decided to see it.
As that was on at 8:30 PM and it was 8 PM I had to resort to a fast food place for something to eat -- this was the Italian equivalent of "noodles in a box" -- in this case penne arrabiatta in the aforementioned red carton. Hardly gourmet at all but at least it kept the optional tourist expenses well down, as this was only six euros!
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Huddo
non-member comment
French fare.
Hi Mike, Hope the weather has picked up, and your sleeping patterns! I remember something about Les Halles, sounds like a place to miss. Had not heard of the film Benda Bilili, sounded very unique. No doubt you may venture onto the Louvre later, it must be still pretty busy? or is most of the tourista season over? Keep well, Love Huddo and girls.