The solution was simple.Go back upstairs to the cafe bar above the entrance,order a coffee and get their WiFi to get my ticket and guess what? It worked…coffee was nice too…these things happen when you rely on external forces like WiFi to always be available.
My one gripe with the Paris ticket on the phone is that it expires dead on midnight no matter when you purchase it.All the others I have had around various parts of Europe last 24 hours from the moment you buy or validate it which is obviously much more customer friendly.I’m guessing this catches out a few people especially if they’re out after midnight and get the metro back to the hotel…
Ah well back in my local writing this and a nice young lad who works here was having a chat with me.His name is Stell and I bit my lip from making a Stella wife beater joke.It’s taken me over a week to become accepted and worthy of conversation without me messing things up within a second of being introduced( which happens more than you’d think with me) Strangely he first off asked if I was French ? My limited use of s’il vous plait,merci & au revoir must have convinced him I was a local but disarmingly quiet.Oh the poor sweet summer child…anyway it’s nice to get a foot in the door even if I only have one day left.Gives me a good reason to come back sometime…
Talking of which I can highly recommend this area of Paris.It’s part of the 20th district ( or Arrondisament) and as I have said before it’s a lot like Hackney both in feel & size.Very multi cultural,a bit rough around the edges but a bit trendy & cool.It’s the sort of area that these days gets labelled “ woke “ but as the wonderful Kathy Burke said “ I’d rather be woke than a cunt” and if you’re not convinced by that the transport links to the rest of the city are great…
The bar I now consider my local would definitely fit into all the boxes of “ wokeness” although they can keep the ambient jazz music 🎵 to a minimum.Not really my bag…
Tomorrow is my last full day and I think if the weather is ok( not raining 🌧️) I will take a good look around Père Lachaise.After all it’s nearly Valentine’s Day so what’s more romantic than strolling through a massive cemetery? I can pretend I’m Lord Byron of something…Paris is clearly geared up for a big VD weekend judging by all the adverts in the metro stations.I can imagine they get a mountain of tourists in for that and as it falls on a Friday many will be making a weekend of it so Kerching! Paris…and why not?
One of the quirks of the hour difference in Europe to the UK is that I get a train on Thursday at 11-15 and I’m back in London by 12-30.As I live close to the Eurostar terminal I should be back in my house by 12-45.Beat that Dr Who you jumped up amateur…I know I’m due back in Blighty as my doctor just rang to set up a date for a blood test.The reality of life kicks in quickly…
Ah well I think that’s enough for today,the after work crowd are starting to file in with tales of Jaques in accounting…
Au revoir my cherubs…
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