A Mini Jaunt…Paris to Berlin.

Sitting outside Aux Ours in Gambetta Paris nursing some very cold & very lovely Weißbiers I have noticed a few things about Parisian life…these are not judgmental,far from it,just observations…

Baguettes are very much a thing,have seen  countless people carrying them to no doubt have with their evening meal.No strings of onions yet but that might just be a rural thing.Many many people of all ages still read books.It’s heartwarming to see.Bras seem to be considered  a wholly unnecessary item of clothing,again no judgement just observation,Older Parisian ladies,of say mid 70’s,all have the classic bob hairstyle,dress like they’re in a 50’s black & white film noir,wear far too much red lipstick and smoke in the exaggerated Bette Davies style,oh and they look fucking magnificent.Cheek kissing,yep still a thing.Parisian postal workers wear official jackets with the legend “La Postie” on the back and finally nobody wears PSG tops.I have seen three LA Raiders tops which is one more than the local team.I don’t think sports apparel is such a big thing in this town…

All good fun.Thought I’d take a stroll to my old haunt of two months ago and very happy to say they all remember me.That could be either good or bad but I’m sticking with the positive on this one…it’s just nice to be here with the sun shining,even after a few hours I feel revitalised.Hopefully Berlin has the same affect…

I forgot to mention zebra crossings earlier in my breakdown of all things cliched Parisian.I have talked about them before but most people repeat themselves after a couple of pints anyway…Do the French call them “zebra crossings?” Somehow I doubt it,they probably say they’re “The path of the striped horse “ or something.Also I have yet to see one that looks like it’s seen a lick of paint in twenty years but they are ubiquitous,from the bar I’m now sitting outside I can see seven without actually craning my neck.Madness…

There’s two youngish women sitting by me and one of them has a distinct Sid James laugh and I’m all for it…

So all in all yesterday was a good day in Paris.As it was only a one day stop over I felt no need to tourist so I did what I enjoy doing namely having a bevvy & talking bollocks.Ended the night with one of those conversations where neither person really knows what the other is banging on about but you sort of understand each other anyway…

Now I have just got on the train at Paris for the long haul to Berlin,first stop Brussels.I connect at Cologne a bit later and the big hope is that Deutschbahn have their shit together to get me to Berlin at some point today…as it’s Hexennacht today I’m not confident.

Laters…