Ahh Paris!!

I suppose it is my time to contribute to the blog world once again. Today I will be writing to you, the inquiring minds of the third kind, from the cozy, yet over rated, confines of car number two on TGV north bound to Paris! On this monumental day I will be making my twelfth appearance to the city of love. And being a near local I can share a few vital(like the water but cheaper; much, much cheaper) observations I have now acquired:

#1. There is a 5.80 euro minimum charge on all taxi rides, 2.80 extra baggage fee and the same for extra passengers over four.

#2. Your driver will either A: be bitter and drive you through all possible routes to your destination at the uncanny pass of a snail. Or B: throw all caution to the wind taking you on a Robbie Kenevil (almost as daring as his father, Evil. But no one human can top his insanity for overzealous theatrics) esk. thrill ride you shall not soon forget.

#3. When exiting your train on the third floor, you will be left responsible for transiting your over packed bags down three flights of stairs, across an over crowded, over priced and inadequately stocked shopping mall, back to the stairs, which you will climb to floor two, only to realize your train leaves from Rau De Gar East, not West. Oh Joy.

#4. The Train to the airport has no air conditioning. But on the bright side you get standing room with 100 or so of your closest friends to sweat out last nights fish, which may or may not have been consumed in Albania.

#5. The Eiffel tower is big. As is Notre Dame.

So there. The low down from a man who knows. After all I’ve been there 12 times already and in the 4 to 5 hours I have accumulated in the wonderful, all inspiring, art infested metropolis, I feel I am qualified to share these all important facts.

As for now, I will sit in eager anticipation of another wondrous trip; La Roque to Paris to Frankfurt to Sarajevo. With any luck we will catch the Joan Baez encore, I personally am hoping for a protest song!

Until we type again. Avourie!

C