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   UK1999  #3  Chunnel to Eiffel  

Date: 6/5/99

        Up early (unusual experience for me) to get packed and check out of the Athenaeum Hotel by 7 AM. The hotel was free as package with Concorde flight but my telephone bill came to 175 lbs ($286). Could AOL be that costly?
Taxi to Waterloo Station and is it beautifully done - nicer than most airports. Have to go through extensive security check before getting on the Eurostar, the Chunnel train. What a machine, gave me the feeling of the Concorde. We roll out in to the southern English countryside and finally dive under the ground for the 20 minutes it takes to crawl under the English Channel. Very eerie experience. At the halfway point you can't get rid of the image of all the water that is above you. As we went down my ears popped with the change in pressure and you begin to feel this "musty" sensation or smell (like in a cave). Once out of the tunnel, they announce that the train is now traveling at 186 mph which is a little faster than I have gone in my Corvette. It doesn't seem that fast. We arrive in Paris Nord Station and after a taxi queue that went pretty quickly we find the one taxi that can hold all our bags. Past Place du Trocadero to the Le Parc Hotel. Nice to be in Paree again.
Decided a run around the Eiffel Tower was in order and now the large lit up numbers on the tower say only 210 "avant 'la ann 2000". Last time I was here it said 971 days to millennium. Where did those 761 days GO? It had sprinkled earlier and 3/4 through it really started to come down. I looked like a drowned rat as I plaintively sought a table at a small cafe for a capucchinno.
We went to the Les Halles area for dinner at Au Pied du Cachon ("Pigs Feet") as we did 2 yrs ago and it was very good - I fell asleep at the table after eating the best French onion soup I have ever had. I skipped dessert.
I have heard of the Moulin Rouge since I was a kid but thought it was as historical as Tolous Latrec. Well, it is still alive and well and we saw the show with a couple who immigrated from St. Petersberg, Russia to Boston. The show was great and now I know where Las Vegas shows got their inspiration. Most of the dancers were topless and I fell asleep during the show 3 times (jetlag or 56 yo?). Marcia thought it was great.
Mass at Notre Dame tomorrow.

KJH                                                                                     Go To -> NEXT DIARIO #4 

Kenneth J. Hoffer, MD

KHofferMD@AOL.com           

Paris, France

Sent 6-5-99

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