Paris on a Segway...

.. is gorgeous, efficient and exhilarating!!! It would probably make some people's blood boil to know that I had signed up for the Paris City Segway Tour mostly for the Segway than the city. Yes, I'm that type of tourist so yea, my priorities are plebeian and purely experiential. but who cares its SO DAMN FUN. I'm telling you, the Segway has to be the funnest human transporter ever. Serious. Try one if you can. Also, when you're on a Segway, you automatically become a celebrity. People look at you and gawk. HA! OK, so maybe they gawk at the Segway and not you, but by association, they're also gawking at you! :)

Take a look at the pics and the videos

This was on the way to the Eiffel (the start point). Saw this old-ass Porsche. I think it's so cute. soooo cute horrrr. like a Mini.

Aha! The grand dame.

So this was my Segway - the Seginator. Ok, they had lamer and funnier names like :

Segosaurus.
Segs on the beach.
and the best...
...
..
Nicholas Segcozy!

Everyone trying out their personal Segways.



This was me trying to film my reflection. Hmmmmm.






So off we went! That lady is not wearing some fashionable outterwear, its just a rain coat. Quite funky actually, seeing it billowing in the wind.

At les invalides.From wiki: Les Invalides in Paris, France, is a complex of buildings in the city's 7th arrondissement containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building's original purpose.





Ok , i think this was the view as we approached les invalides. Not too sure, but yea. I'm trying very hard to keep the photos and the videos in chronological order.



This is in front of Les Invalides.

The procession as we left the invalids.



This was when we were travelling to the Pont Alexander III bridge. From Wiki: Pont Alexandre III is an arch bridge that spans the Seine, connecting the Champs-Élysées quarter and the Invalides and Eiffel Tower quarter, widely regarded as the most ornate, extravagant bridge in Paris^{[1] [2]}.

This is the tour guide! Billy from the States. He studied in Texas so he has like a rather thick Texan Drawl. He has such an enthusiastic and warm personality, really fun guy. Like the way he simplifies all his explanations too. hehe.

'Yallllll' according to him is efficient - 'You all' is just too long.

Also, in Billy's words: "the Pont Alexandre is just France's way of telling the whole world that if they bomb russia, they're bombing France." Yea... hokayyyyyyy. LOL.

Do you see the photoshoot in the distance? ahhhh it was really gorgeous. The model and the photographers and all.

So next, we headed to place de la concorde:


That place was the site of many executions during the French revolution. As the tour guide said in his texan drawl: "Like many people were slaughtered here ya know, and like for months after, the horses and cows refused to enter because of the smell of blood. Ya know, the animals, they geddit, they geddit. " Hmmmm. yeaaaa, they geddit. I geddit too. We all geddit. Anyways, so I have learnt MUCH about the French revolution while I was here, and well... it was a tragic past I guess.

So next, we went to the tuileries gardens. From wiki: The Tuileries Garden covers about 63 acres (25 hectares) and still closely follows a design laid out by landscape architect Andre Le Notre in 1664. His spacious formal garden plan drew out the perspective from the reflecting pools one to the other in an unbroken vista along a central axis from the west façade, which has been extended as the Axe historique.

Gorgeous garden, very relaxed, laid back, BUT ! we had to push our segways through it because that place does not allow bicycle riding or any riding thing. I realised after that the Segways are actually quite heavy.

Had a little Parisian break while we were there. This lady, upon seeing the huge ass sandwiches that were served, commented, " Everything in France is so fancy. But I'm still looking out for the small portions!". I haven't seen any either but that's only probably seen in fine french dining and given that I'm not exactly a fan of fine dining, well, I don't think I'll be seeing any small portions any time soon!

Just before leaving the tuileries. Still pushing, still pushing.

This fat pigeon was sunning itself in the middle of a busy path way. Pigeons really are stupid. They look stupid and act stupid. Stupid pigeons.





This was us leaving the tuileries. On the left is the Louvre. Went back there the next day and had my brains smushed from all the information. I will blog about that soon, but not now, cos this is a looongggg looonggggg post.

So after the Louvre, we sort of made a beeline back to the shop. Was great cos we got to go FAST on the segway. And i mean fast. Lovely. If you have played the vids, you'd notice that the segway makes a nice whirrrr whirrrr sound. Quite therepeutic.

On one of the bridges on the way back.








Views of the Seine on the way back.





I REALLY didn't want to return the Segway. Ho hum. We should ask Pa to get one for himself then we can play with it. I have a strategy: "This is really a great tool for transportation. I think it's really great on large expanses of land, like on a golf course. Wait, Pa, you golf right??! You should get one!" Good strategy, good strategy. Now I just need to ask my brother to implement it.

We ended right where we started - the Eiffel. Was a great day cos the sun was at its brightest, the weather was excellent and well, the company was fun.

ok, will be blogging about the Louvre, the Centre Pompidou & going up the Eiffel tomorrow!

By the way, I will be in London tomorrow, so see you all in London!

再见/ Au revoir!

Why is 再见 and Au revoir the same meaning, but 'Good bye' isn't? Hmmmm. Or maybe it is. Hmmm. What does 'Bye' mean anyways. hmmm ok side tracking. Ciao!