Lucky I went for my walk because after I get back and relax on the bed watching Murray give Federer a solid lesson in the Olympics tennis as it starts to rain outside my window.
Travelling while the Olympics is on is no fun. Typically you are lucky if you can get one channel which focuses on the country you are in. Luckily I am able to log into my Foxtel box and watch any of the 8 channels in reasonable quality depending on the Internet speed. Pity the IOC arent prepared to hold a minute's silence for the Israeli Munich Athletes!
A phone call from the Krochmaliks results in an arrangement for an early dinner which suits my jetlagged cold ridden body just fine.
After meeting in the lobby we go for a lengthy walk in a very light rain towards the Marais and surrounds before settling on Cafe Hugo for a quite acceptable French dinner. Only pity was that I couldn't taste ANY of my foie gras and Salat Chevre Chaud (warm goats cheese salad - GRRR!!!!) and then back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.
The walk of +/- 10kms is very appreciated by my body as my blood sugars drops the next morning hearing of the amazing 100m run of Usain Bolt in the Olympics - awesome.
Meet in the lobby the next morning and Seggafreddo for breakfast and COFFEE!!! - brioche French toast nothing beats it! We walk down to Rue de Rivoli and follow a Lonely Planet tour of Parisian Arcades which I must say is very interesting finding lovely renovated and unrenovated arcades many single level versions similar to say the Strand Arcade.
During this tour we stumble across the Royal Palais Gardens which are a hidden gem being hidden by a "palace" style building surrounding a beautifully tranquil place.
We finish up at Galleries Lafayette doing my traditional tour of the the Level 1 food hall which I regard as one of the must see food experiences. I manage to find some white cherries so my day has been made. We go to the rooftop terrace which has an awesome view of the Parisian skyline and dine in......the sixth floor cafeteria which believe it or not is very very good - well not surprisingly as there must have been 300 people eating there and it was hard to find a table.
Back to the hotel for a short nap and I wake at 19:00 the agreed meeting time and race frantically to get ready meeting four friends in the lobby and taxi to Petite Pontoise St Germain, a restaurant recommended by Vivien Cornell and which I have been to three times before. There we meet a friend of Robert/Ruth who is an American woman in her 50's who has taken a year out of life to live the dream taking an apartment in Paris to learn French and admire the artwork of Europe - she is an art critic.
We walk back via Notre Dame and the Olympic fan site where I get some awesome photos and for some reason I have developed gout so I head back to the hotel where between one thing and the next it is 23:30. Off to sleep.
Travelling while the Olympics is on is no fun. Typically you are lucky if you can get one channel which focuses on the country you are in. Luckily I am able to log into my Foxtel box and watch any of the 8 channels in reasonable quality depending on the Internet speed. Pity the IOC arent prepared to hold a minute's silence for the Israeli Munich Athletes!
A phone call from the Krochmaliks results in an arrangement for an early dinner which suits my jetlagged cold ridden body just fine.
After meeting in the lobby we go for a lengthy walk in a very light rain towards the Marais and surrounds before settling on Cafe Hugo for a quite acceptable French dinner. Only pity was that I couldn't taste ANY of my foie gras and Salat Chevre Chaud (warm goats cheese salad - GRRR!!!!) and then back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.
The walk of +/- 10kms is very appreciated by my body as my blood sugars drops the next morning hearing of the amazing 100m run of Usain Bolt in the Olympics - awesome.
Meet in the lobby the next morning and Seggafreddo for breakfast and COFFEE!!! - brioche French toast nothing beats it! We walk down to Rue de Rivoli and follow a Lonely Planet tour of Parisian Arcades which I must say is very interesting finding lovely renovated and unrenovated arcades many single level versions similar to say the Strand Arcade.
During this tour we stumble across the Royal Palais Gardens which are a hidden gem being hidden by a "palace" style building surrounding a beautifully tranquil place.
We finish up at Galleries Lafayette doing my traditional tour of the the Level 1 food hall which I regard as one of the must see food experiences. I manage to find some white cherries so my day has been made. We go to the rooftop terrace which has an awesome view of the Parisian skyline and dine in......the sixth floor cafeteria which believe it or not is very very good - well not surprisingly as there must have been 300 people eating there and it was hard to find a table.
Back to the hotel for a short nap and I wake at 19:00 the agreed meeting time and race frantically to get ready meeting four friends in the lobby and taxi to Petite Pontoise St Germain, a restaurant recommended by Vivien Cornell and which I have been to three times before. There we meet a friend of Robert/Ruth who is an American woman in her 50's who has taken a year out of life to live the dream taking an apartment in Paris to learn French and admire the artwork of Europe - she is an art critic.
We walk back via Notre Dame and the Olympic fan site where I get some awesome photos and for some reason I have developed gout so I head back to the hotel where between one thing and the next it is 23:30. Off to sleep.
So Tuesday morning we decide to walk to St Germain and Bon Marche where Ruth wanted to check out a purse she was after. That was about 5kms again walking through a combination of areas and I knew and others didn't.
On the way there we stopped at an exhibition that had been recommended titled “They Were Children: The Deportation and the Rescue of Jewish Children in Paris”. It deals with the roundup of around 4,200 Jewish Children in 1942 and their deportation to the death camps. Of course everything was in French but they certainly did have a wide variety of exhibits. They handed us an English guide but when I asked for another one the lovely lady refused to give us any more with typical French passive resistance.
A lot more walking and back to the hotel for a nap. We regroup and take a taxi to a recommended restaurant Cafe Constant which is one of five restaurants established by the "now" chef Christian Constant. The meal was lovely mine being Tartare of oyster/salmon/sea bass and Lobster Ravioli with froth of lobster bisque. With dessert it comes to $A40 - a bargain in my view.
A bit more walking and we get to the Eiffel Tower where hundred and hundreds of people are picnicking in the sunset. I taxi back to the hotel while Robert/Ruth go to the Latin Quarter to walk off the meal.
Wednesday morning and last day in Paris. We walk to the Champs Elysee's which IMHO has lost some of its former glory to the fast food outlets which dot the landscape but it is still quite beautiful.
We then Metro to the Montmartre/Sacre Coeur area and while stunningly beautiful it is just too touristy. Too many people, tourist vendors and shops and not as nice as most of the rest of Paris which I love. We Pizza for lunch which was yummy I must say and walk back to the hotel via.....
Bit of family history there....Anyway back to the hotel for a nap and we head to a restaurant chain called Relais de L'entrecote only to find it closed for renovation. We go to another restaurant called Entrecote only to find that that it was unrelated and the meal was poor - evidence I left more than half the fish soup and the Tuna Tartare was from a can. But the desert on the other hand.....Next morning I had a mooch around the Grand Magazin by myself didn't buy anything then back to the hotel and the taxi to Gare de Nord where our TGV took us in the 200 kms to Lille in less than an hour.
Mum asked me in a phone call why I liked Paris so much and I reflected on this and concluded that it relates to the city being so lived in. When you stay as a tourist in Paris you really melt into the daily life which I like so much.
A 200 metre walk to the hotel and it was the case of the third room - first room furthest from the lift and a long way, second room smoking and third room perfect. I was a bit nervous about the hotel but it is modern, well fitted out but small but with a nice desk work area. In fact it is identical in design to the one I had in St Petersburg recently. It will be fine. The breakfast proves to be ok with baguettes, jams, jambon, ham, crepes and enough of the things I like to keep me going so thats a bonus. Apparently the breakfast and Michael and Vivien's hotel is unbelievable so maybe one day.....
I have a quick walk around to shop and buy a hotplate and pot to make soup and boiling water in the room. I am confident that I will more than save the 19 Euro cost over the ensuing two weeks.
I wander over to the venue and have a quick look around before back to the hotel and donning my suit to head back for the opening ceremony which was fine.
Not much to report on Friday and Saturday, the first two days of the tournament. Worked three of the six sessions including some with a new commentator Chris Dixon - English and with whom I have to provide any humour to be found.
My session on Saturday afternoon would count as the most boring 16 boards I have ever seen, played or commentated. One person in the VG theatre was asleep snoring and I couldn't think of any reason to wake him up.
After two days the Australian Women and Seniors are doing well while the open team is performing to expectation and struggling but not totally outclassed - yet.
Saturday night and a wonderful gala black tie dinner put on the World Bridge Federations for their "friends" of which I am one as are the committees and some but not all of the workers. It was held in a hotel which started life as a 15th Century Monastery and then an 19th Century Hospice. The gardens and dining room were quite stunning.
The only thing I didn't like about the dinner was that it started at 20:00 sit down 21:00 Entree 22:00 Mains 23:00 and - well I left as soon as desert was served.
I work 2 sessions one day and 1 session the next day of the three sessions played daily so 50% of the time. There are four commentators with two rostered per session.
At this stage I have booked Eurostar to go to London on Wednesday and will have lunch with Helen and Espen there and be back in the evening for another dinner this time the International Bridge Press Association of which I am an executive member - sounds good but only 300 members worldwide.
I have also booked a car for two days before the end of the tournament and plan to go to Gent and Brugge if I can manage it.
There are 13 days between the end of the tournament and I plan to spend the last two in Paris just to unwind and my plans for rest of the time in the Loire Valley and perhaps Normandy. I'm just hoping it doesn't get too cold.
Can't see myself blogging for the next few days as it will be much the same. But before I forget life is good - I have found the Laundromat!!!
Anyway there you have my comings and goings. Hope all is well with my readers and catch you soon.
XD
I work 2 sessions one day and 1 session the next day of the three sessions played daily so 50% of the time. There are four commentators with two rostered per session.
At this stage I have booked Eurostar to go to London on Wednesday and will have lunch with Helen and Espen there and be back in the evening for another dinner this time the International Bridge Press Association of which I am an executive member - sounds good but only 300 members worldwide.
I have also booked a car for two days before the end of the tournament and plan to go to Gent and Brugge if I can manage it.
There are 13 days between the end of the tournament and I plan to spend the last two in Paris just to unwind and my plans for rest of the time in the Loire Valley and perhaps Normandy. I'm just hoping it doesn't get too cold.
Can't see myself blogging for the next few days as it will be much the same. But before I forget life is good - I have found the Laundromat!!!
Anyway there you have my comings and goings. Hope all is well with my readers and catch you soon.
XD
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