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Number 8 approach required ....
Our coach driver is getting more and more impressed with our group. We keep meeting him on time these last few days and this morning was no exception as we were away sharply by 9.05am. Our local tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and also had a good pair of lungs, which of course is nice talk for she talked and talked. But she was kind enough to point out all the non-touristy spots that were worth visiting, so if the boys return,… sorry when the boys return they will have more and more places to visit and learn about this It has bugged some of us why Paris is a better looking city than London. Ann-Marie our guide pointed out the obvious that Paris suffered no bombing in the war so all of its 17th, 18th and 19th century building have survived. It is indeed a gorgeous city. Wide, wide boulevards with 21st century traffic not demanding too much space which in turns gives you the opportunity to see more . We stopped for an hour at the Notre Dame Cathedral exploring the vast interior. Nearby a souvenir shop did a roaring trade but our boys have really developed a taste for the crepes. As previously mentioned Nutella fillings are the favourite but today’s diversification of flavours included lemon, jam and salami with cheese. If any local Dunedin businessmen are reading this blog there is easy cash to be made by setting up a crepe stall in the Octagon. Carrying on with the tour our boys experienced the multitude of sensations at Mont Marte district including the inspiring Sacre Crouer basilica. Around the church, however, street scammers will try every trick in the book to con inordinate amounts of money for bugger all, including unsuspecting kiwi tourists. 10 euros for a piece of fancy-tied-string is an expensive lesson for two or three of our boys. Other boys paid for the caricature painting to be done live, although quite how the paintings for Chris Dickie and Henry Alexander came out to look the same is beyond anyone’s imagination .. apart from that of the artist! After Mont Marte our boys were taken to the Arc de Triomphe but just as we were about to get off the coach the roads were closed. We circled and circled and wished like all the world it would reopen but to no avail. We plundered on getting slightly frustrated until it was time to meet a the Eiffel Tower for our pre booked ascent. What a great time we had up on the 2nd level. The sights of the whole city and the detail of the rooftops something that no triple decker bus could ever allow. We mostly ascended by lift and descended on foot which was probably quicker both ways. The parents had the bright idea of re-trying the Arc de Triomphe after tea with the setting sun. What a brilliant plan! It worked a treat despite Mr Hooper’s awful navigation u-turn after u-turn on the subways leading to the arch! At the top our boys spent 30 minutes of taking photos and being mesmerised by the rapidly changing light due to the setting sun. A very memorable experience up there and ahead of the Eiffel Tower in many boys’ views. And then back to the hotel after the 19th day with 14+ hours packed in. |