29/04/2013
Bonjour mes amis!
I promised you a Funny Story today,
but I actually have Three Short Stories to share...
All Car related...
I hope you don't mind if I sprinkle in some good stuff from The Louvre!
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| The Pyramid at The Louvre, Paris |
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| The Louvre, Paris |
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| Napoleon's Apartments |
Good Idea! So, I put on the brights, and it made the drive in a strange place so much easier...
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| This little guy just made me smile! |
We came upon a Small Village, and I forgot that I had my bright lights on. And, lo and behold, a Police car is coming straight at me, flashing it's lights! Uh oh! I can't figure out how to turn off the bright lights! I fumbled and fumbled, and finally stopped the car to try to figure things out...
In the mean time, the Police Officers backed up their car and evened up with me. Oh my! How embarrassing! I rolled down my window, and apologized.
They weren't too warm about it, but in the end, just warned me to be careful about this. Thank goodness I got the lights turned down, AND that the Police didn't get out of the car to deal with me. If they spoke much more French to me, I'm not sure where things would have gone...
I guess they noticed our Red License Plate, which basically means that we are Foreigners driving in France...even though the guy at the Rental Agency jokingly told us that it identifies us as Diplomats!
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| An Urn with Style! |
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| Yes, please! I'd like this paneling in my house! |
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| More Urn beauty! |
I Love looking at these beautiful things, don't you?
All the Carved Stone is so exciting, too!
The day after my episode with the Police, we spent the afternoon at The Louvre. Then, we headed back to Gare Du Nord to find the car in the Parking Garage. On the way, we spotted this really cool Clock in the Train Station. See how it even shows Military Time?
Exiting the Parking Garage proved to be a challenge. When I got to the Lever to pay the ticket for parking, my credit card wouldn't work, AND I was jammed up next to the box to pay, so I couldn't exit the car. I couldn't pull forward, or back either. Elaine had to take my credit card out her door, to a man in a booth, and I had to yell out in French through the passenger's window that my card wouldn't work. Fortunately, this embarrassing moment ended quickly. Elaine was able to swipe my card with the man in the booth and get the ticket paid. Ahhh! We're out of the garage now...
But wait!
There's another problem! We are almost out of Gas, and we are in the middle of busy Paris. Ok. Let's be reasonable...just plug into the GPS that you need to find the closest Gas Station and everything will be okay...
OR NOT...
The first Gas Station proved to be a Phantom, so we had to try the second. But there were people everywhere, and we had to make numerous turns, and sit at numerous lights...
AND WE WERE RUNNING ON FUMES!!!
The closest Gas Station didn't even prove to be a Station, just three Pumps along the side of the very busy road. Elaine spotted it first. I pulled up, shut off the car, and breathed a sigh of relief! A girl came to our aid, and I told her to fill it up. (At this point, I didn't really care what the price was...but we did ask!) I hurried out of the car to speak with the girl pumping my gas...(I didn't know there was anywhere in the world that still offered full-service anymore)...and then followed her into a store front, where a man rattled off in French to me. Once my brain started working again, and I could comprehend what he said to me, I responded, and he told me that I spoke French very well! Wow! What a nice compliment after a harrowing 30+ minutes of Stress!
You are probably laughing about my Predicaments, and I can laugh now, too, but it really wasn't funny at the time...
I'd like to leave you today with one more Picture from the Louvre...
And, I wish you a "Jewel" of a Day!
Jan
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