,
Having now giddily galloped along the Parisian rues and avenues
cavorting with the resplendent gendarmes on their regal stallions, I was all
tuckered out, in dire need of a nap and some much needed shut-eye – but first,
my pink sneaker clad feet had to hoof, or should I say, ever so laboriously, trudge back home to my new digs on the banks
of le Rive Gauche. I would love to
scribble that yet another adventure eagerly waited in the wings, as if
mischievously bidding its time for an opportune moment to haphazardly strike, veering
me once again off rail and catapulting me into a larger than life drama of unbelievable story-telling proportions.
But alas, this was clearly not meant to be, as the day’s
events had been monumental enough, offering me a chance to revel with young and
old in one of the most significant of French celebrations, as well as teaching
quite the valuable lesson of not to foolhardily wander about garrisoned
boulevards and blocked laneways on national holidays - that is - unless you
enjoy ambling along in clue-less confusion for miles on end.
 |
| Where is everyone? Did I miss something? |
My raw and bleeding tootsies were in quite the lethargic
state indeed, having spent the morning sprinting from the summit of the white
washed spires of Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre down to Les Champs-Elysées, onwards to
the banks of the Seine and were now in full-on hobble mode, dragging one pink
sneaker dejectedly behind the other in a gruelling traipse to my new home away
from home.
 |
| At least I'm not the only one trudging along the rues and avenues |
Why so dog-tired and bedraggled? After all, I was the hands-down champion of meandering,
strolling, marching and promenading, oftentimes with burdensome luggage in tow,
so a couple of extra kilometers tacked on to the route home should have been a
piece of cake and a walk in the park or so you’d think.
My near comatose cobweb eyed state was clearly due to the
fact that I had barely slept a wink the previous night, sequestered like a mad
woman in a corner of my claustrophobic apartment, frantically scouring the web
for suitable accommodation. With the
Kid’s European holiday approaching an end, I would now be forced to face my
fears alone in this light-less shoebox, visions of being trapped in the
confining hallways with no way out, too over-whelming to bear. So what if I was skipping out barely four
days into a week long lease, as the fee had been handed over to the rental
agent long ago - I was nonetheless more than willing to sacrifice a couple of
Euro rather than spend one more second in le
dreaded space.
So, as Miss Niece dozed, visions of jetting home across the
pond dancing in her head, her slightly cuckoo Auntie hunkered up for the night,
vino in one hand, laptop in the other, on a determined mission like no
other. What were the chances of securing
that gem of a find on such short notice?
My yards long check list included the must-have necessities of a floor
to ceiling length picture window, a light and airy non-confining space, and
most importantly, be bargain basement affordable. Long past the witching hour and somewhere
around the wee hours of the morn, with the pinkish rays of dawn welcoming a
bright new day, my bleary eyed persistence struck virtual gold, confirming my
reservation at Hotel Vendome St. Germain on the banks of le Rive Gauche.
 |
| Traipsing along the Seine en route to le fabulous hotel |
Time to wake the Kid, pack up our bags and head out, first
to my new digs to drop off my luggage and then off to the airport. Rubbing my weary and drooping eyes, my sleep
deprived mind rationalized that I’ll be back in no time, curled up snug as a
bug in a rug, contentedly snoozing the morning away.
Little did I know then what adventures lay ahead.
Come rent apartments in claustrophobic
spaces, and jump ship half way through the duration of the lease and fork out
even more hard-earned Euros on new accommodation in a part of town you’ve not
previously stayed in…come gallop along the boulevards with the best of the
rest….
0 Response to "Galloping, traipsing and trudging along the Parisian rues and avenues - Part 2 "
Post a Comment