Crazy Round-About and the Can-Can

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LOUVRE MUSEUM V’S LAUNDRY

Tim doesn’t feel much like going to the Louvre Museum and has a sleep in. So for me, I head across the road for breakfast and then hunt about for a Laundromat. After asking lots of people and being directed to three different Dry Cleaners I finally find someone who understands exactly what I want and I find a Laundromat. Then I have to ask a random stranger walking along the street to come in and translate all the signs for me! So for the next three hours I listen to music and do laundry. Even doing laundry is more exciting in a different country!

After my exciting morning of domesticity, Tim and I buy quiche and a baguette and have lunch on lawn in front of Eiffel Tower. We get hassled by a gypsy. She asks if I can read English and I say yes… Even though I had already been warned about them, I was so relaxed and having such a good time, I forgot all about them until I had her note thrust in my hand asking for money. Damn! People are so upfront here asking for money. Homelessness is also very obvious with people sleeping out in the open, unlike at home where the homeless are I guess discreet about where they sleep.

ARC DU TRIOMPHE

After being nicely fed and well and truly relaxed after lazing around on the lawn, we now have to walk to ticket place to pick up our tickets for Arc Du Triomphe. We have been given directions to where it really is so this time we go to the right place! It doesn’t take too long though.

So with tickets in hand of we go. The Arc Du Triomphe is in the middle of a horrendous roundabout. The roundabout is perhaps five lanes wide and with no lanes marked it’s a good spectator sport watching the traffic - it is mayhem! Apparently if there is an accident it is considered no-one’s fault so you are responsible for fixing your own car.

Luckily for us, there is an underpass for pedestrians to get to the middle, otherwise no-one would make it across.

The monument itself is huge and there are of course, more stairs to walk up to the top. But once you get there the view is magic. There is also a camera in the roof pointing down where the flame is lit, so if you go there, look up and wave. The screen is on the first level when you walk upstairs. You can watch everyone walking around underneath you.

We catch the train back to the hotel and then get ready for our night out at the Moulin Rouge. There is a dinner and show option but we pass and just go for the show. The menu is very French and not much to our taste, so instead we buy dinner and eat in front of the Eiffel Tower. Near where we had lunch but on seats instead of the lawn since we are dressed all fancy for the show!

MOULIN ROUGE

Moulin Rouge means Red Windmill in French, so it is easy to spot as we get close in the taxi as there is a big red windmill on the roof. Our Segway Tour guide said that when the French name things they always go the obvious, and this is no exception, possibly they knew that everything sounds good in French!

They are very strict on the no camera policy and we have to check ours in. We are shown to our seats; they are on the second level with a couple who had dinner first. So they had the seats closer to the stage as they were there first. Normally I guess it wouldn’t be too much of a problem, except they were both quite tall men. So there was a bit of maneuvering to be able to see the stage.

The guys at the table next to us decided to ignore the no photo rule and began snapping away on their I-Phones - right in front of the staff!! Next thing the manager comes over, takes the phones and starts deleting the photo’s. Instead of just sucking it up, one of the guys argued the point, and continued after the show. Even his buddy was trying to get him to leave it be. Too much wine ruins the night for them.

The show is amazing, the women are talented and beautiful and I have never seen a man kick as high as these guys!

Worse part was having been to Simon’s Cabaret in Phuket, Thailand it’s hard to believe that these are really women! Hahaha!

So taxi back to hotel and another great day over.

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