So as I have mentioned there has been a heatwave in Paris. Was not pleasant at 34 and humid. Anyway being all innocent about the ways of Paris I set off for my trip to the catacombs at 2.30 pm on Friday all excited about going on the Metro - have been making myself walk everywhere to try and get over jetlag which worked exceptionally well (that is code for not at all).
So being all wide eyed and innocent I didn't realise that heading to the Metro on a heat wave day was maybe not a good idea. In fact it was so far from a good idea that it was a really, really bad bad bad idea.
I don't think those of us in Sydney who complain about public transport have as much to complain about as we think. Ok so it completely sucks, but at least they have acknowledged the possibility that in Summer, it might be hot. And introduced airconditioning, not on all the trains and buses, but a big proportion. So in Paris from what I could tell (from boiling alive on the Metro) it hasn't occurred to anyone that it might be hot down there!!!
You know when people use the term 'hotter than hell' they are just being all metaphorical and descriptive...but I am pretty sure that is what I experienced on Friday. I caught the metro from Opera to Denfert-Rochereau which ended up being 15 stops of feeling as though I was being boiled alive in my skin. Even when the train was moving and the breeze came into the cabin it didn't make the slightest difference.
Staggering above ground I walked across the road to the long long line of people waiting to get into the catacombs. We all stood there like turkeys for 45 minutes in the sun and 34 degrees only for the people to inform us that the last entry was 4pm and it was now closed so could we all please go away.
Angry scenes at the catacombs as the crowd tries desperately to convince them to open the doors back up. Yes, this was all I saw of them!!!!!!!!!!!!! After that metro trip!!!!!!!! and feeling like I was going to die.
The only good thing about this kind of experience is that it can't get much worse. It did get better, or perhaps worse depending on your point of view. I discovered that I could catch the RER from Denfert-Rochereau to Auber (entrance 5 metres from my hotel) in only 4 stops, and that the line from Les Halles to Auber was AIR CONDITIONED!!!!!! Kind of good to have a better trip back. But horrible to think I could have saved myself from this particular Paris experience.
I suppose we all have to learn something from our experiences. Mine was that taxis are a good thing.
Oh dear!
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