Europe 2014: Paris & Chantilly horse races before train to Amiens

Saturday 31 May 2014

Having decided to return to Bordeaux Friday to return the rental car to make for a super easy departure on the 11:18 train to Paris, we should have known to be on guard.

Groovy Paris building

AR wanted to get the diary all finished while we still had internet at our hotel, SR wanted to make sure she got a good coffee before boarding the train. After a reasonable sleep in until 9:15am (not so late considering being awake extra time in the night to do Saturday horses), showers, packing internet, uploading photos & blog it was agreed for SR to get coffee while AR finished the internet and they'd meet at the station platform, which is after all, only across the road. With clock ticking, AR was sure he could get the blog photos finished and uploaded and timed his departure with precision. Logged off, computer packed, already the elevator doors opening on the ground floor, no worries, he had a few minutes to spare.

But then the sliding exit doors to the street at our two star 24 hour manned by one employee reception desk hotel were locked closed with a note in French on the door. AR wasn't sure if it said 'back in five minutes or fifteen minutes' or possibly something else entirely... he started looking around for a fire exit but those locked front doors are the fire exit. Another guest turns up waiting to be allowed out and after a few minutes the receptionist returned, whether her return was earlier than the sign indicated or not, we do not know. Arrived at the platform one minute to spare, all is well and another travel lesson learned.

Roland Garros French Open Ball hanging from Eiffel Tower

Pleasant (and superfast) 3 1/4 hour train trip to Paris, the countryside is green and mostly acres of agriculture interspersed with small towns on relatively flat ground, but with some small undulating hills to keep it interesting. We have 2 days in Paris before coming back later.

Checked into our hotel which was great but amazing how little space to fit the bed in. Must only have been 20cm all along the end of the bed with the bathroom door in the middle.

Headed out to explore Paris and walked 3km to the Eiffel Tower. There were heaps of people sitting on the grass everywhere with picnics. The French Open is on so big screens with big crowds about watching that plus a tennis court set up for anyone to enjoy a game, right there at the Eiffel Tower.

French Open on the big screen

Met up with Sandy's sister Julie under the Eiffel Tower and walked close by for dinner at Firmin le Barbier which turned out to be an absolutely fantastic and reasonably priced restaurant. AR had done a 5 star Trip Adviser review before dessert. Wouldn't normally order dessert but after the mains we were keen to see what they could do with desserts and we weren't disappointed. We sat outside and Julie asked me to take a photo of the sisters together and I did but when I mentioned that it was hard to get them in and the tower Julie said 'what tower?'. She didn't realise, as she had her back to it, that at the end of the street in all its glory was the Eiffel Tower.

It was a super night and as it got dark the lights on the tower were amazing. Then on the hour they have 5 minutes where the tower completely 'twinkles'. Even when we left and walked a kilometre or so at 10:30pm there were people everywhere watching buskers or buying souvenirs or still queuing to go up the tower. Apparently it was built in 1890 as a one off for an expo with the intention of pulling it down but foreseen to become a worthwhile tourist attraction it stayed, much to the disgust of some Parisians. Hard to believe it was ever built as a temporary exhibit, it is really massive.

Sunday 1st June 2014

Caught the metro then a 45min train to Chantilly racetrack. Was a big day with the 2100m Group One Prix Du Jockey Club race as the main event worth 1.5m Euros ($A2.25m) and also three Group 2 races and one Group 3.

50 Euro bets on finding the ball - not for us but very interesting

From the train there was a courtesy bus to the track or a fifteen minute walk through cool native forest. After walking through the beautiful forest we then had to cross the course proper twice to get to the grandstand area. It was a bit strange not having bookmakers for such a big day of races. The tote odds were displayed on the big screen for a minute or so before the race jumped but no dividends displayed after the race which was super weird. Didn't even seem to be results on any tote monitors just the odds for the next race.

A glass of champagne was 14 Euros ($A 21) and SR managed to resist that. After each race in a special room open to the public the jockeys had a big audience as one by one they sat on the 'weigh-in' chair with their weight displayed on a large electronic sign behind them. The stewards, media and public were all there, with more than a handful of public patrons wanting photographs of the goings on.

Eiffel lights and then 5 minutes of strobe every hour

Great parade ring and most horses had two men in suits as strappers. Also later in the day when leaving again through the forest we walked over to watch the start of a race and after the horses had warmed up they were again being led by handlers right up until and sometimes right into the barriers.

The racetrack was surrounded by amazing and old buildings and the town is a big horse training area. The committee room was a separate three story building with outdoor cafe style seating. There was about 40 fantastic old cars on display throughout the grounds just for the day. We caught a faster train back to Paris which took 25 min but the same price and then waited to hear from Sandy's sister about dinner plans with our niece.

Table with a view please (look up)

Met Sandy's sister Julie, niece Rachel and Rachel's best friend and Contiki companion Jacquie at the Champs D'Elysees metro exit, walked for while and found an Italian restaurant that looked good. Meals ordered the girls gave us a detailed description of the 23 day Contiki tour they had just finished, what a blast they had, with some stories best not repeated here! Julie said a couple of the girls at work, when she had told them Rachel was on a Contiki tour said, 'oh, the screw and spew tour' which we don't think impressed Rachel's mum, but Rachel thought it was hilarious and said she was going to hashtag that to all her photos, it was very funny.

Monday 2nd June 2014

Well we'll be back to Paris for a week really soon, but for now up in good time to get the Metro to Gare du Nord for a fast train to Amiens. We have a tour of the Somme battlefields tomorrow and Sandy's sister Julie is coming up in the morning to join us for it before we then pick up a hire car and go sampling the real bubbles in France's Champagne region.