A Mini Jaunt…Paris.

Line 3 on the Paris metro has pretty old trains that have pull handles to open and the trains are still moving,albeit slowly,as you step off and even at my advanced age it’s a pretty cool thing to do.Granted it’s not disembarking a Routemaster bus at 20mph face down into a hedge cool but even so and today I opened it right by the exit and was gone before the train stopped.Sorted,or indeed,sortie…

We had an exciting hail storm earlier.Been many a year since I was in one.As I got off the metro at Republique the dark clouds were gathering.I was going to take a pic with something about it being black over Jaques’s mothers but couldn’t be arsed,no sooner had I sat down outside a bar opposite the square the heaven’s opened,and boy did they open.Even all the bar & kitchen staff came out to have a look and film it…at one point I thought the canopy would collapse but luckily it held firm.It was a great spectacle…

I have noticed that many bars have a “Happy Hour” sign outside.I presume there’s a French version but they prefer the English.Much as we use French to denote class & sophistication they use the English “Happy Hour” to get punters in to get pissed as quickly & cheaply as possible…many old Wulfrunians will recall Club Lafayette in Wolverhampton.It was many things but sophisticated wasn’t one of them.There was one episode of Flea Bag where one sister had a hideously disastrous haircut and was besides herself with grief until the other sister exclaimed “It’s French!” to placate her…anyway I have devoured my third Cafe Americain of the morning and I’m ready to French it up with the best of them…

Leaving the hotel yesterday morning the receptionist stopped me saying he had to realign my door pass,not something I had heard before but there you go,who am I to argue? Got back in later in the evening and did the five flight very rickety ascent of the stairs,got to the top without too many breaks and,you’re probably well ahead of me here,my card didn’t work so back down to see the ( different) receptionist.He tappy tapped,didn’t bother offering up an explanation and said “ go check,if it doesn’t work come back down” my thoughts were “ if it doesn’t work then fuck it, I’m kipping on the floor outside my room” as you gathered all was fine but I had felt like I’d climbed The Eiger twice…anyway tonight is my last trial by winding staircase…

Currently in The Bombardier next to The Pantheon having a nice lager.I was in here in February and it’s a decent place.They have the Old Firm game on & luckily it’s bereft of crazed O/F fans so far…left the Bombardier nine hours later having chatted with Some Leeds,Southampton and Mags fans at various stages of the day,got a free pint from the barmaid( ditto last time I was here) and got embroiled in a quiz night with a couple of locals where my contribution to “who started the rebellion?” Was “Robespierre “ only to be told it was a question about Star Wars.I did give them the name Franglais though without name checking Private Eye…

Goodnight all…