Day 3 - Disaster Strikes

Welcome to the third day of my Paris vacation recap. I did have trouble sleeping as I figured but I did get a few hours in. Our first stop of the day is by the Bois de Boulogne where we were going to meet Andrew, a friend of a friend in Chicago.

I finally attached a video camera, one that I have owned since last December, onto the handlebar. I was excited to be filming riding in Paris. I started the camera right away and within minutes, we were on the Champs-Elysees. It was bumpy and I was tearing through the traffic. It was going to be an awesome video. All of sudden the camera pops off the bike and onto the street. I turned around as fast as I could but a couple of cars ran over it and the camera was nonfunctional. Destroyed in 5 minutes. I was very upset. I hope the recording was okay at least.

We arrived at noon at the agreed upon meeting site and proceeded to this little Thai takeout place. I ordered the chicken dish that came with a pudding/apple dessert. Andrew was quite pleasant and he brought a map to show us where the good riding in Paris is. He also agreed to inquire about the the track and local racing scene. I normally don't eat a meal while riding but today was not to be a fast day.

We parted ways and started riding to a series of locales that Dale wanted to see. The first was to an original Art Noveau entrance to a Metropolitain subway. Dale took his pics and we rode on.

The second and third stops were at some Art Deco apartments designed by Mallet-Stevens and Le Corbusier.

The fourth stop was at an Art Nouveau apartment building. Now this was pretty interesting. Dale informs me that this style in a building is quite rare.

This is what we do. We check out different items of interest and meander through the neighborhoods. It's quite enjoyable and we see all sorts of interesting things.

Next was the Palais de Chaillot in front of the Eiffel Tower. This is a nice palace built for the World's Fair of 1937. There is a fountain there are many people just hanging out. Paris is amazing for all the places to hang out. There are countless public places where one can sit down and do whatever.

We observed two teenage rollerbladers do tricks for the crowd. One was doing jumps and another was shooting down a long flight of stairs backwards. We met two women from New York that were there for vacation and a big walk for breast cancer. They were very nice.

We took pictures under the Eiffel Tower and hung out for a bit. This has to be one of the top tourist destinations on the world. It's always interesting to see the soldiers with their machine guns walking around. Pickpocketing is rampant so I zipped up my shoulder bag immediately. Gypsies come up to you with a note and ask if you speak english. The note states that she is from Bosnia and that her husband was killed and now she is alone with three children, one of which has leukemia, and that she needs money. Dale was approached by another gypsy and, lo and behold, she was in the exact same situation.

We then proceeded to the Jardin du Luxembourg where the first Staue of Liberty resides. It's a garden park where no bikes are are allowed. We went in anyway but we walked our bikes. We the took the required pictures and sat in the loose chairs (no park benches that we could see in that area) for a while. I observed a young atrractive couple sit down and embrace and kiss for a little bit. Paris, the city of love.

The last stop of the day was to a chocolate shop but it was closed by a few minutes. On the way, we passed though a large courtyard of the Louvre. Wow is all I can say.

After showering, we walked to the Salon de The Capucine Cafe. I had the duck which was very delicious. It was duck steak like no other. Dale had the veal which was very tender. My meal was so good that I sopped up all the sauce with my bread.

It was off to the hotel. I found that Oregon Scientific, the maker of my video camera, has an office here in Paris. Perhaps I can find a replacement here. The video did not record correctly by the way. Until tomorrow. Bonsoir.