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Checking in to Eurostar at Waterloo is rather like the procedure at a small airport. They have the addition of special machines that swallow your ticket for a moment, rather like the ones on the Underground. After passport control and putting all your belongings through the obligatory X-ray machine, there are a number of shops and a couple of cafes to help one pass the time until the train is ready to board. I managed this very easily and met my four fellow travellers on board. After a very smooth train journey on the Eurostar, five eager Highlander and Adrian Paul fans found themselves at the Gare Du Nord in Paris. One taxi ride later and we were at the hotel Campanile, about 5 minutes walk from the Place du Bastille. Campanile hotels are all over the continent and I can recommend them - simple, but comfortable and reasonably priced. We settled in, met our respective room-mates and then reconvened in the small lobby downstairs. By this time there were about 15 of us, including a couple of local Parisian fans. Fran had organised the evening meal to be at the Kohiba restaurant, about 15 minutes' walk away. It is owned by the actor who dubbed the voice of Nick into French, but he had work, so he sent his apologies. The food was largely Cuban/French and very reasonably priced. I spotted that they offered Tiamisu for dessert, and it was surprising how many ladies decided a taste of Italy was the way to go to round off the meal........
In the morning, we walked to Place de Vosges and tried to find the pillar that Duncan used - we were pretty certain in the end! - it appears to be the one near the entrance to the Librarie gardens, which featured in another episode. After a stop at Le St Regis for a coffee and so some of us could rest our legs, we descended at last to a very special spot - Quai de la Tournelle, where the barge was moored. Okay, there wasn't a barge right there, but there were others nearby. We took lots of pictures. Sue and I had discovered we were fellow travellers in the Tae Kwo Do world the previous night, so right there on the quai, we did a couple of patterns for general consumption. I did Won Hyo and Sue did one of the fancy second Dan ones. Performing these in shoes/boots, on cobbles and wrapped up in umpteen layes against the cold and wet was not easy! This was filmed, apparently and I'd like to apologise right now for what was probably a rusty performance on my part! I found a blue barge which was being used as part of an art exhibition with an open and inviting gangplank, so couldn't resist boarding just for a few seconds.
Lovely formal gardens near Place des Vosges |
Quai de la Tournelle |
Hi, honey, I'm home...... |
This is the one I boarded - for a moment! |
Not the tree's leaves, but ivy |
Darius; Werner....we miss you |
After the quai, we climbed back up and found the gardens by the side of St Julien Le Pauvre. In it is the 400 year-old tree where Duncan stood. It is much propped up and reinforced with concrete down the trunk, but is still alive and covered in ivy. After some more photos, a couple of us ventured into St Julien, but as morning Mass was on (in French, of course), we quietly retreated and decided to return later. I managed to pick up that they had probably got to the Peace and knew it wouldn't be so long until their service was concluded. I realised Darius would have stood there for goodness how many years, saying the same or similar words. It was a surprise to find that St Julien isn't mainstream RC; the congregation is part of the RC Mennonite Orthodox sect (from memory). I did wonder why they were using the icon screen in a similar manner to the Orthodox when I went into the church. So, maybe Darius was 'born' in Greece..........?
Just a few minutes' walk away is Shakespeare & Company, so of course, we went inside and had a browse. After purchasing a modest souvenir or three, we returned to St Julien and had a proper look at that beautiful icon screen. I found the candle stall and lit one for Werner. I also went to the pillar where Duncan found Darius' body. Very moving. It was a surprise to find Darius' study (and the current priest's study) is at the back of the church and has glass doors. We did look for a loose brick but couldn't see one. Maybe that part was done in a look-alike set.
Mac, did you bring back my bike? |
Yes, it IS a bookshop! |
Some of our group outside the hotel |
Anyone caught doing Quasimodo impressions will be beheaded! |
After lunch at Le Petit Pont, we did a little more wandering around. I have a photo of another church where Duncan was seen and opposite it is the 'shop' where he bought absinthe. I privately hoped it might have been the Italian affairs headquarters! We found the Galway pub (near a magnificent fountain to St Michael) and settled in for the afternoon. As it was an Irish-themed place, quite a number of the customers were watching the rugby match (sorry, Italy). They sold HUGE steiners of beer, but the price was very reasonable, considering the quantity one received! One small vat of Guinness lasted me all afternoon. Fran had managed to get James to loan us the tape of Adrian's Q&A from 'Wolf 359' and that was watched, plus making friends with more French locals and trading pictures. Our longest distance attendee was there - gold stars all round to Carmel who flew in from Australia for the weekend!
We made forays later into the back streets near the Bastille, looking for a modestly priced restaurant. We settled on a Greek place which had all the usual dishes one might expect. I dug up Cretan memories to explain what I could of the menu, some got translated by the waiter when that failed! After getting back to our hotel, we played Immortal Pursuits until gone midnight. We have Sue to thank for this one - she based it on Trivial pursuits, then went to the trouble of writing questions, making picture cards, taping small extracts of the programme and typing out scripts (which some of us acted). Duncan with a Yorkshire and then a Welsh accent......hmmmm.
On Sunday, we walked down to Notre Dame. A quick visit there, followed by coffee and meeting our two American attendees (at last!) in the square outside. We took a good (but somewhat unnecessary) trip on something like a Bateau Mouche, then at the end, it became clear why we had parted with 45 Francs! A barge, moored near the exit point.....called HIGHLANDER! Well, of course, a diversion was obligatory, and much use was made of cameras. After a somewhat torturous metro journey we finally made it to the Eiffel tower. More piccies and two people whose identity I will protect recreated the tango......but on terra firma! Yes, I went up - to the second stage. I was concerned that my vertigo would kick in and I'd become a gibbering wreck, but actually I was fine. The tower is a lot more solid up there than it looks from the ground. We took photos at the tango point and found out that it actually wasn't nearly as dangerous as it appears on the episode. I won't say more - you'll just have to go yourselves and find out! When we reached the ground again, we had to wait for one of our party who'd been refused entry to the filling car. But, if we hadn't waited, we wouldn't have seen the thousands of light bulbs flashing on and off all over the tower for several minutes and looking for all the world like a Quickening. Commiserations to Scotland for losing their rugby match, by the way. Being in Paris and encountering tartan-clad gents at the same time was all part of fate's kind hand. It was almost spooky!
(Best Loyd Grossman voice:- ) |
Damn, I knewI should have changed the name... |
Okay, who let Amanda stay on the barge ALONE?!? |
Eiffel tower |
What am I bid for this giant pile of Meccano? |
Actually, look up..... |
Steeling our nerves for the ascent |
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We assumed that's THE Black Tower in the distance |
Okay, now YOU try doing the tango above that drop! |
It was a lot more spectacular than this.....I promise! |
A good place to decide how and who to be.... |
After a collapse in our rooms in the late afternoon, we went out and dined at a restaurant called Falstaff, which is part of a chain (rather like the old Berni inns in Britain). Their speciality is pizza. I'd discovered the delights of a Wel Scotch (French beer with whisky) the previous day and several of our party decided to sample it with me while I paid the beer a welcome return visit. More Immortal pursuits on returning to the hotel (our team won!!) and then bed.
This artifact, being a promotional item for the film 'ARMAGEDDON' and bearing that name (you may just be able to make out the letters down the length of it) has been to all sorts of Highlander events and gatherings since it was first found and adopted at a convention in America. Members of the Seacouver Social Club have signed it at several conventions and since I had the stick in my possession at the time, I decided it would enjoy going to Paris. It turned out I was the only club member there, but the stick and I had a great weekend!
Lounging around in the garden.... |
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And with one wave of my magic wand......no barge! |
Are you sure I won't drop it in the Seine? |
In the morning, there were fewer of us and we all split up and did our own thing. I went with Barbara up to Sacre Coeur de Montmatre, where Fitz shows the alternative Tessa to Duncan in the last episode. I had personal reasons for returning as well. A quick hop back on the Metro and it was time to get the train home to Britain, knowing that we'd just skimmed the surface and done the highlights - more of Paris awaits us for another time.
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