Paris

[Erik]

I am (way) past the age of 37 but I have driven trough Paris in a sportscar with the (long) wind in my hair.

If you are looking for a very nice place to spend the night in the wider Paris area I could highly recommend you le chateau d'Auteuil. You 'll love it.

http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/chac-teau-d-auteuil.en-gb.html?


Greets,
Erik

[kampala]

Erik,

Good to see a Pagoda in Paris.   Since you were in front of Etoile (Arc de Triomphe) did you play the "bumper car" round-about at this most famous landmark with the Pagoda?   Or did you take the by-pass tunnel?  The tunnel was under repair recently.    If one doesn't know the rules of driving in France, it looks like chaos --- if one does know the rules, it looks like organized chaos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih_aqLc0GA8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENfzqiSpUoo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw3sVA6-Prs

[Erik]

Aslam,

I didn’t spot any oldtimer in the Paris City centre. Is there an environmental issue? In my previous visit however I did saw two Pagoda’s at Place Vendome (but I drove a bike).

I didn't get round the Arc once, but three times just to celebrate the fact of being there. Much to the agony of my wife, I must say.

The traffic at l’étoile seems to be messy but it is actually a form of well organized chaos. All French chauffeurs stick to the international Taxi codex: "the braver you are, the further and faster you go”. It's really simple once you have the hang of it.

The scooters are terrifying though, they drive so close, c'est fou.

I would like to return to Paris soon but it is difficult to find a affordable hotel with a closed parking within the périphérique.


Greetings,
Erik

[GGR]

   

"the braver you are, the further and faster you go”.

The French for this is "c'est au plus taré qui passe". In practice, one having the right of way while entering the Place de l'Etoile, the technique is to close your eyes while flooring it and reopen your eyes once you think you made it close to the inner circle. Then you're good until the next entry, as there you have to watch out for everybody else doing what you just did. Things get a bit more complicated when you need to get out of the circle. One option is to honk like mad and get out of there pretending you have an emergency. As you say, it's a bit of an organized chaos.

Ça – plane – pour - moi – moi – moi – moi – ça - plane – pour - moi…..

[Erik]

I am the king of the divan