It seems as though Autumn has finally hit us. We started the day with dull skies and it was quite cool. At one stage it looked very threatening for rain.
We were up early again this morning. The plan being to do a couple of things together this morning and then as we both had very different things we wanted to see, we decided to go our separate ways for just the afternoon so we could do those without boring the other.
So this morning we went to the tunnel where Princess Diana was killed. Apparently when you drive through the tunnel you can still see the marks on the pillars. A sobering thought really. At the entrance to the tunnel there is a monument which we had assumed was dedicated to her. We were expecting something quite wonderful and were sadly disappointed! Sure, there is a monument there, but I don't think this was erected for her at all. If it was, then it wasn't obvious to us. What we saw was a disgrace and I feel sure Diana would be horrified. There are tacky cutout pictures of her sellotaped to this monument with some messages, some old flowers and a broken egg. The wall behind is covered in graffiti messages to her expressing grief but it was all just woeful.
This photo doesn't show the bottom part which was grotty.
Today has really brought home to us both how lucky we are to live in NZ with its clean green image. Parisians seem to have no pride in their city and we have been astounded at the litter in the streets, no rules for picking up doggy doo so you have to watch where you walk all the time, (people take their dogs everywhere, even into shops) and the graffiti everywhere. It is very sad this beautiful city is spoiled so.
The beggars really are prevalent and you get sick of them always with a cup in their hand holding it out, sitting on the pavement with their dog or puppies and on the Metro trains they come on and play an instrument or sing and then expect a hand out. It's a bit off putting. Anyway back to today's events.
We did a Hop on Hop off bus tour today which goes around some of the main sights with a commentary and you can get off and spend some time at each sight and then get back on the bus when one comes by.
We used this to get us from the Eiffel Tower to Musee D'Orsay. This is a museum showcasing some spectacular sculptures and art. Such artists as van Gogh, Gaugin, Monet and Renoir to name a few. Not being the art buffs most of the visitors there would have been, we really wanted to see the building as it was an old railway station and this didn't disappoint. It really is pretty amazing.
We had lunch outside listening to a chap on his clarinet which was lovely, the cup at his feet of course, eating a crepe each. Jambon, frommage et oeuf for Colin and Jambon et frommage for me. In other words, ham, cheese and egg for Colin and you will be able to work out what I had! Very tasty.
This is where we went our separate ways. Colin to the Metro (he can tell you his story) and me back to the Hop on Hop Off bus. I only went as far as the Opera building and then took a short walk down the street to a small theatre showing The Paris Story. This was just a one hour film giving you an insight into how Paris developed through time to what it is now. It was quite interesting but not what I would call a must see.
The next thing on my agenda was a Perfume Museum. A 19th century townhouse displaying perfumery collections retracing 3000 years of history. It was quite remarkable. No photo's were allowed which was just as well as Colin had the camera! Downstairs they had samples of perfume and they were encouraging you to distinguish the different ingredients in each one. They were able to give you ideas on what perfumes you might like based on what you could pick out. Very interesting.
As luck would have it, Galleries Lafayette, a huge department store happened to be close by so of course I made my way there. This store offers an incomparable selection of the most famous names in fashion and is huge with several buildings, one for men, one for home decor and one for women. The women's store had 6 floors so it gives you an idea of the magnitude of the place. I saw Rolex, Cartier, Gucci, Swarovsky etc. It was very busy and if you wanted one on one attention I think you would be waiting a long time. The crowds alone in the store were tiring so I didn't stay long.
I managed to get myself back to our apartment on the Metro with no hiccoughs. Colin is still out so he can write up his afternoon. This will be of more interest to the men, who have no doubt gone to sleep reading about my day.
In lieu of going with Janine I decided to refill the veins with a bit of petrol by going to the Paris Motor Show but before that the Musee de l'air et de l'Espace or in English the museum of Aircraft and Spacecraft.
It was always going to be a bit full on to do both, but I was keen to experience them as the air/space museum has a Concorde on display and the car show is a true international spectacle that I have seen written about in many car mags ever since I was a kid. It's the one where the manufacturers bring out all their concept cars for display, so off I went.
The round trip would mean 8 trains, so I took a bit of time to map it all out. That went out the window though when the first train didn't stop at any of the stations; it was some kind of express to the airport. So I got a free trip out there and wasted 50 valuable minutes trying to back track.
Never mind, when I got there it was well worth it. They had rockets and a shuttle like space craft on display which were good to see and a 747. I thought this could be a bit ordinary as its not like I haven't been in a 747 before, but it was absolutely amazing. Inside they had cut away the interior showing you what is under the floor where passengers sit, what is above you, all the wiring, operating cables, even plumbing for air and basins toilets etc. You can also wander around up close outside, look up into the area where the undercarriage retracts to, the engines and just generally get a feel for the scale of these beasts.
After a few pics and walk throughs of some WW2 aircraft and a few fighter jets it was on to the Concorde. Turns out they have two of them here! They were superb. You could walk through both, under and around them. What a marvelous machine these are especially when you consider they date back to the 60's as far as design is concerned. The other incredible stat, they have a top speed of 2336 km/h. Really glad I visited.
The moment you walk in you are blown away by the scale and professionalism, or should I say the amount of money invested in this show. Some of the display stands would have to have been built on site and would have taken weeks to do so. No kitset stands here that you bring along in the boot of the car and unfold, this was full on.
The cars were everything you'd expect from the mundane to luxurious, like Rolls Royce and Bentley, to the exotic like Ferrari and Lamborghini, through to the many concept cars where it was quite evident manufacturers had taken two paths, either Eco friendly hybrid or electric, or full on balls out, I've got more horsepower than you, supercars. All great to see and yes I have plenty of new ideas for the Coupe. Lots of use of phased LED lighting for indicators and amazing interior ideas.
One thing I noticed on a few was the fact they have done away with mirrors and are using cameras instead. Nice!
Last on the list was a simulator ride in a WRC rally car. Was a fun way to end the day.
Now that has to beat shopping and perfume any day!
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