|
|
|
The trip to the airport, the 3 hour airplane flat tire, the stranding in France, and some pictures of dowtown France. Ok, and maybe a rant or two about the French. Maybe three or more.
|
| |
| |
These shots were taken from a moving cab on the way to the airport, so don't hold them to any real photographic standard. That said, they also underscore just how much Rome has to see that we didn't make it to.
|
| |
| |
Since we were just shooting things from out the window, we really have no idea what they were. This looks important.
|
| |
| |
Another critially important fountian. There's gold buried underneath it. And aliens.
|
| |
| |
| |
This Porsche dealership was built into the side of what looked like a castle.
|
| |
| |
Cool building with lots and lots of arches.
|
| |
| |
The height of Roman design, the "Golden Arches".
|
| |
| |
| |
Alesandro at the airport assured us that even though our flight was three hours late, they would hold our connection (a Boeing 777 headed to IAD) in France for us until we got there. We were skeptical, but the language barrier prevented us from accusing him of pulling our leg.
|
| |
| |
The cause for the three hour delay: a flat tire. Actually, the cause for the three hour delay was a strike of the French working class, protesting the lifting of the 35 hour a week work restrictions. We had to have a KLM flight team change the tire.
|
| |
| |
Good bye Rome. We'll miss you.
|
| |
| |
| |
Hello France. We aren't so happy to see you. This is a shot of us standing outside the airport, wondering if the French strike extended to hotel bus drivers. Eventually one showed up to take us to the hotel.
|
| |
| |
The Hotel Ibis, 3 km from the Airport. There are actually about 10 Hotel Ibis in a 5km radius around the airport. This is an important fact that was sort of not mentioned as Air France booked our room. Let it suffice to say getting to the RIGHT hotel Ibis plays a role in this story later on. How's that for foreshadowing?
|
| |
| |
After we had a deceptively easy trip to the hotel, checked in, and had a horrible dinner in the lobby, we decided to make the best of the situation and head into downtown Paris. This is the airport train station.
|
| |
| |
| |
Turns out that to get on the train, you have to press the big green button on the outside of the doors to get them to open. Silly French.
|
| |
| |
We got off the train in Champs Elysées, and walked about 1/2 way to the Arc de Triomphe. It was cold, wet, and windy, so we decided to get a quick photo and abandoned the idea of walking all the way there. Commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon, shortly after his victory at Austerlitz, the Arc de Triomphe was not finished until 1836. There are four huge relief sculptures at the bases of the four pillars. Engraved around the top of the Arch are the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods.
|
| |
| |
After the Arc, we started walking to the Eiffel Tower. While we were sort of on a mission (it was COLD) we did have to stop to get a photo at the Aston Martin dealer.
|
| |
| |
| |
And if you can't have an Aston Martin, try the clown car... Silly French.
|
| |
| |
... Almost there! We kept catching glimpses of the tower between buildings or across the river. In spite of the fact that it is a Paris icon, it was still quite impressive looking.
|
| |
| |
The Eiffel Tower was built for the International Exhibition of Paris of 1889 commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII of England, opened the tower. Don't ask me why. Probably because when it was originally built, no French people wanted it - a petition was circulated to prevent it's construction when it was orginally announced.
|
| |
| |
|
This shot was taken almost directly underneath the tower. I couldn't get exactly underneath it because there were renovations going on. Paris.org tells us:
At 300 metres (320.75m including antenna), and 7000 tons, it was the world's tallest building until 1930. Other statistics include:
- 2.5 million rivets.
- 300 steel workers, and 2 years (1887-1889) to construct it.
- Sway of at most 12 cm in high winds.
- Height varies up to 15 cm depending on temperature.
- 15,000 iron pieces (excluding rivets).
- 40 tons of paint.
- 1652 steps to the top.
|
| |
| |
I have no idea what this is, but the shot was from the 2nd level of the tower. The top was closed for renovations so this is as high as we could get.
|
| |
| |
As best as I can tell, this is the Church of the Dome - Hôtel des Invalides, the final resting place of Napoléon. Off to the right, I believe you can see Le Panthéon as well.
|
| |
| |
| |
Here's Kristina and I in front of the tower. A nice Parisian took this photo. I know it's hard to believe but apparently they really do exist.
|
| |
| |
And one final shot of the tower, this one without us in it. Hard to believe that it was almost torn down in 1909, but was saved only because of its antenna - used for telegraphy at that time. Silly French.
|
| |
| |
We paid 5 bucks for a tooth brush out of a vending machine at the hotel. We paid 2.50 for a bottled water. We paid 13 bucks to check our email at a dysfunctional kiosk with a stupid French keyboard. But you can shine your shoes for free at the shoe shine machines at the elevators on every floor.
|
| |
| |
| |
The phone in the hotel room. Do I even have to say it? We had hoped that after sending an email to my parents with the hotel name and our room number we'd get a phone call from them later in the evening. Turns out that after about the 5th Airport Hotel Ibis they called they gave up. We know how it feels. We tried to take the airport shuttle to the hotel after our trip to Paris, and got yelled at by the driver for getting on the wrong bus when he pulled up to the wrong Hotel Ibis and we asked what the deal was. He begrudgingly took us back to the train station where we had to start over again with a different bus.
|
| |
| |
Speaking of insanely expensive French stuff, here's our tickets to get downtown and back again. It was almost 40 bucks to ride the metro there and back.
|
| |
| |
Good by Paris. Good by mean French people. Good by Eiffel Tower. (You can see it through the clouds here.)
|
| |
| |
| |
Back on the ground in VA!
|
| |
| |
And all our luggage made it too! Go Air France.
|
| | | |
Back to Galleries Page
|
|
|