Steve does Paris

Although it rained most days it was warm enough for a t shirt at times and nothing more than a sweatshirt. If you want to do Paris on the cheap without the crowds don’t hesitate to go at this time of year. Now Paris on the cheap is an oxymoron.  I changed $100 at the airport and got Euro 58 back, which is not enough money for a taxi down town.  That will buy you 6.6 pints of draft at a pedestrian pub.  I never got to go to the Moose Bar. One of my French guides was a Canadian who moved to Paris at age 11, talk about an independent child. Anyway, according to him the Moose is the only place to watch hockey in Paris. The tour group put on two teambuilding exercise, one had us do a Hells Kitchen like episode and cook dinner for 42 people. It took place on a boat floating on the Siene under the supervision of 3 chefs, it was fantastic and the meal was superb. The other was skating at a hockey rink, it was the only time in my life anyone in any way suggested I was a phenomenal skater. They don’t believe in Zamboni’s or flooding the rink in France.  It was like skating on bamboo stalks.  At least they did have hockey skates instead of figure skates like most skate rental places in Europe. I had to try on 3 pair to get a set with the blades aligned at 90 degrees to the boot. Sharpening is also another skill the French have failed to master. Basically I spent an hour picking people up off the ice.  The French believe hockey is a violent and dangerous game, well most of the people at this event injured themselves worse than being on the wrong end of a Pronger two hander. Air travel continues to decline from the sublime to the ridiculous, but what are you going to do it’s a big world out there.