Taking a punt on Paris

 

Small steam boat (middle) showing us how to take on the big boys...

It’s a recovery day for weary travellers and boaters alike.  Mericourt’s Port de Plaisance may be in the middle of nowhere but it’s a pleasant spot to take five. 
Bramble treats us to close ups of Red Squirrels by the dozen (not so close we have to be reported to CITES for hunting endangered species, thank goodness, but close enough to smell the hazelnuts on their breath) and we spend the afternoon foraging in the hedgerows for herbs and blackberries before cooking up a storm, chilli jam and a blackberry crumble in the gallery. 
It’s nice to slow down even more!

We are on route to Paris and after a minor hiccup involving a combination of seacocks and gearbox oil (sorry for abandoning you at the wheel Sonya but nice driving!) we slip out into the river and drift (?) upstream.

Sorry Elton - nice pic though!

 

To start off with the river is still pretty and the houses spectacular.   Some of our stops are less attractive.  However, the grannies soon come down and sort the drunks out!
We see coypu for the first time as well.  Bramble interested but even more interested in the rats that frolic along the banks at night.  Nice to think we won’t get any on our boat with the amount of diligence shown but it does lead to weariness for Bramble due to being on constant high alert and dashing on and off the boat at regular intervals.

 As we approach Paris it starts to get more built up and we encounter more people at the stop overs but no one causes any issues.  On the whole the French are very polite and leave you to your own devices especially when they see the “giant” that lives on board! 
It’s getting colder now and even though we are still wearing t-shirts and shorts, the nights can be a bit chilly. 
Finally we are on the outskirts of Paris and it is amazing to see how much the river is used for maintaining the city.  Sand barges off load to cement works, cement then pours into barges which trundle up river and discharge into holes in the ground.  Everywhere commercial vessels are moored up or manoeuvring in the river and that is not even taking into account the tourist Bateaux Mouches and water taxis that hoon past at every turn. 
To add to the excitement we get pulled over by the river police and have our papers checked as well as our knowledge of what to expect going through Paris (traffic lights, one-way systems etc).  They are very pleasant (pleasant to look at too – you know me when it comes to uniforms and pistols!) and extremely helpful.  We pass with flying colours and now the only problem is keeping our eyes on the “road” as the sights come thick and fast.  What amazes us the most (and yes it was pretty cool to pass the Tour Eiffel  and under the Pont Neuf etc) was the amount of people living under the bridges and along the side the river.  Talk about an “underclass” – there about 30,000 homeless people in Paris and I think most of them must line the banks of the Seine.  A slum with a view…

 

After negotiating the run up to central Paris we finally arrive at the Paris Arsenal and the Port de Plaisance.  It’s an interesting place to have a marina, right in the heart of Bastille country and really popular with the locals as a place to have a soiree.  We learn to enjoy the nightly parade of drinkers and hopheads as they never cause a problem, always tidy up after themselves and leave promptly at 11pm when the gates close.  I can’t think of anywhere else in the world where people would be given that much freedom and be that considerate and ordered.

 

We are taking a couple of days off in Paris.  Certain members of our crew may mutiny if they don’t get new clothes and there are loads of tourist sights to be ticked off.

 

 

Day one in Paris sees Sonya and I on an extended trip to the main shopping centres including the Galleria Lafayette.  What an amazing building never mind the shops in it - worth it just to see the ceiling!  Many happy hours, and euros, later we slog back to the boat weighed down with bags, including new handbags, and crash out for the night.  Needless to say Murray opted out to play boat-bitch for the day and do the washing etc. rather than suffer the slingbacks and sale arrows downtown.

Day two and we all head off for some serious sightseeing.  Murray is in charge today and although its roasting hot and no shopping is allowed we have a whale of a time and complete the Big Five in time for early evening drinks and a trip to the funky left bank for dinner.  I don’t think we missed much that Paris has to offer.

Our Parisian conclusions: 

Paris is best viewed early evening and night – some things just don’t need to be seen in the harsh light of day!

St Germain was our favourite area for atmosphere with its unique shops and quaint narrow streets.

The bloke who knocked down the old bits to make way for the wide open spaces and grand boulevards kind of had the right idea, but it has made the place a bit less quirky.

The Paris Arsenal is a bargain place to stay in the heart of the city at 32 euros a night!

Paris vets are great value but jack russells still don’t like them looking in their ears.

Unfortunately Paris is still very dirty and smells of wee!   (Come on people; I pointed that out last time.  Surely you had enough time to sort it out before I came back!)

 

FYI – if you are thinking of taking a trip to Paris in the near future rest assured ladies.  You can now legally wear your trousers.  The law that stated you could only wear trousers if you were riding a horse or a bike has just been rescinded.  How modern… but just don’t be thinking about accessorising your outfit with an excessive headscarf!