10 July 2019
Even earlier morning stroll
Paris at dawn, including the Academy of music
I woke up, immediately got into my inappropriate for Paris shorts and tshirt, realised I had time to take the train into the city and go for a 6:30am walk before returning to my hotel, checking out, and catching the bus to the monastery. Actually I am waiting for that bus now and think I probably have time to upload some extra boring photos. Hopefully this is where I am supposed to meet the bus, who knows, I dont speak French and have no instructions.
This morning I stayed on the train for 2 stops, got off at the main intercity French train station, which is actually open at 6:30am! Hooray! This meant I could have coffee 1 of 2 before setting off on a small triangular walk for 1.5 hours around the city before having another coffee and making the return 10 minute train journey against the peak hour flow of people.
That was all highly procedural, interesting things that happened included, I got sprayed with a hose twice, everyone washes the streets every morning, a muzzled dog tried to bite me, dogs generally do not like me, someone got knocked off of one of those silly rental scooters then various people hung out the window of their cars and shouted abuse at the injured scooter rider, a group of medieval knights arrived at the station carrying swords and armor and their gaming computers along with their nintendo bags. Some of them were wearing capes.
This mornings photos are all quite crap, mostly taken in the extended dawn twilight, while I was walking and not really lining up shots - my main goal on my morning walk around the city is to get as many steps as possible, as I am not sure there will be a chance to walk around at all this evening.
This mornings garish building with gold paint inexplicably added is the music academy. This is where they train people to make fountain music suitable for blasting out over the gardens of Versailles. There is a small canon mounted in the foreground that can be used to shoot at the gold targets on the roof.
The scourge of the mobile rental scooter. I have nearly been killed a few times, and today saw a scooter rider nearly get killed. Remember when people walked? Unfortunately no one has found a way to make an app that charges for walking yet, so its not on trend to walk.
This guy has quite the setup. A little tent, some fake grass, his own rubbish bin and garden. I dont even get a garden in my very expensive tiny shoe boxed sized apartment where I live.
More gold. It wont be the last gold shot.
Cultural misappropriation. This Australian themed alcohol consumption building has painted some 44 gallon drums with fake aboriginal art. Thats a pointing the bone offence in Australia.
This is some sort of famous theatre.
A bit more random gold for no reason.
And here is the busy station area, as seen through the double glazed heavily tinted window of the cafe where I got a seat for a second coffee. Color cast corrected!