In our last post, we were on the night bus to Paris. We hit our first ‘unavoidable delay’ in Dover – apparently the ferry and/or dock workers were on strike!
So we had to wait an additional 2 hours, between 11pm and 1am, at the Dover docks. ‘Luckily’ for us we were allowed to disembark and explore the surroundings- a half open Costa coffee, an eerie, closed down shopping ‘mall’ with 3 shops, and a few operational slot machines. Happy to report that I generated a 300% ROI on one of those machines, turning 50p into 2£.
Thanks to the strike, these guys were all just sitting trucks
Bet big, win big
In Paris, we started with a walking tour – we like the free Sandeman’s tours that operate in most European and other cities. If you haven’t already, check out their website at:
http://www.neweuropetours.eu/
The tour helped us rack up all those touristy sites in the smallest amount of time, so we walked past the Notre dame, the Louvre, some gardens, and the square where heads rolled during the revolution.
Next, was drinks with N’s friend from LSE. I know, I know, France is all about wine, but it was a particularly hot day and we headed over to a microbrewery for some good, umm, French ale.
Banana
After that was the Eiffel, and a bit more walking around, ice cream, and so on. Around 8pm (still very bright) we started walking back to our place.
That’s when it happened – the most Parisian of all Parisian experiences, the highlight of this particular jaunt to Paris (well for me, not for N). So here it is – it was around 830, and we were pretty close to home. We were in a particularly nice part of town, just a stones throw away from the Arc d troimphe, and walking past these fashionably dressed men and women sitting at outdoor cafes sipping wine. We were navigating the narrow streets, and turned a corner. I saw him before N did. Right at the corner of the street was a tall, wiry, and extremely tan man; completely, utterly naked. I mean stark – this guy didn’t even have shoes on. Given how we were turning a corner, we didn’t see him until it was too late – by which I mean he was within a 15 ft perimeter – my usual minimum distance from crazies.
It’s not like we got flashed – that usually involves a trenchcoat or some other attire. And the element of surprise. Nope. This guy was just standing there, talking in French to people who walked by. And he didn’t look homeless, or drugged out, or drunk. If he had clothes on, he would actually be pretty good looking, and/or ‘respectable.’
It was also amusing watching the faces of folks sitting at the outdoor cafes. The point of these cafes seems to be to allow patrons to leisurely watch people go by. I guess these patrons got a lot than they bargained for. But in true French fashion and after just a flash of discomfort, the wine sippers went back to their usual, non-plussed selves, and the good-looking, naked man continued skulking around his corner, becoming blog fodder for bemused tourists.
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Travel facts:
Total cumulative expenses since start of trip:
GBP: 142 plus EUR: 88
Transport London-Paris:
Megabus, London 8pm arriving Paris 8am – 70GBP
Accomodation – Paris, 1 night
AirBnB – 43GBP
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