Friday 22 October Paris

Off to Paris today, my favourite city and somewhere I will never tire of visiting.
There has been a lot of commotion in France this week with student protests and blockades of the fuel terminals meaning long queues at the pumps and in some cases no fuel at garages.
I have had a few calls this week by concerned passengers but am confident we shall be ok. The coach should be able to negotiate the weekend on a full tank, and if not the whole weekend it will have enough to get back to Folkestone. This was my only worry as the protests seem to be away from the centre of Paris and more in the outlying towns.
Brian is doing the pick ups for me and I will meet him in Guildford allowing me a longer day and time to take the group out tonight.
The journey to Paris, via the shuttle, is quiet and event free. We arrive at our hotel by 16:00. We are staying in the Novotel La Defense which is situated just outside of the Peripherique but close to the centre of Paris. You can see the Eifel Tower from the front of the hotel.
The hotel doesn't possess an abundance of character but is very convenient, comfortable and I can park underneath in their own car park.
On arrival I sort out the room keys and ask the group to be back at 17:30 so I can take them into Paris for a meal and then show them the sights at night.
Once the passengers have gone I return to reception to sort out my parking before having a shower and change.
I am not impressed to hear the car park has only two spaces due to building work and that they are both taken! My contract shows coach parking included but obviously this is not the case. Now what do I do.
I have to go back to Peripherique and park in the coach park at Port Maillot. This is too far away to return to the hotel to wash and change so I stay on the coach until it is time to return to pick the group up.
I also have another problem in that you require permits for stopping and parking in Paris and my two entitle me into Paris from 19:00 tonight and all day tomorrow. The hotel is out of the area so I didn't think I would need one now. I explain all of this to the man at the coach park and he very kindly lets me stay for the hour I need. Otherwise it would have cost me a whole afternoons parking for 1 hour.
At my appointed time I return to the hotel and pick the passengers up who are all refreshed after their break and ready to hit the town!
In recent years we have booked the group into a restaurant but have decided not to do this this time.
I drive them into the centre and drop them in the heart of the Latin Quarter where there are countless restaurants and bars.
I go off and park alongside the river on the edge of the city.
I am due to pick them up again at 20:30 and as I return at 20:15 they are all waiting for me! I had said that I will go at 20:30 and if anybody was missing I would presume they are making their own way back to the hotel. I think I have frightened them!
It is now dark as we enjoy the delights of Paris at night. This is a tour I always enjoy doing as the buildings and monuments always look great at night and the traffic is not too heavy.
We are back at the hotel by 21:45 and I think they have all enjoyed their tour.
I am now ready to park the coach, put my case in my room and have a quiet beer before bed.
At the reception I am told there is a space for me underneath and I'm given a map to show how to enter the parking area. We did this a couple of years ago and it was a little tight with concrete everywhere and low ceilings to be careful of.
I drive into the car park and following instructions come to a sharp left hand bend which will lead to the parking area. This is part of the area where building works are going on and I don't think I will be able to get round the bend. I give it a go but cannot get the bus round. Am not happy!
I reverse back but then am in the way for the cars coming into the car park.
I call reception and they say they will send somebody down to help me.
So I wait, all the time moving to let cars by.
And I wait. Nobody seems to be coming and I am less happy than I was 20 minutes ago!
One of the occupants of a car offers to see me around the bend but I try and explain I can't get round it. He doesn't seem to understand so it is easier to try the bend and fail to get round than try to explain my problem. Once he sees I can't get round he understands what I have been on about and leaves me to it.
Still nobody from the hotel.
Somebody from another car helps me reverse out of the car park the wrong way so that I can then turn onto the main road and go back to the front of the hotel. The only problem with this is that I have to go around all of the La Defense one way system then back over the Seine before turning around and coming back the other way to be at the front of the hotel.
Am bloody furious by now and rapidly running out of driving hours.
I stop at the front of the hotel where you are only allowed a short time ti pick up and drop off and walk into the hotel.
At reception I explain that I am nearly out of driving hours, have been up since very early this morning and have yet to see the inside of my room. Please will somebody help me or I will leave the coach where it is all night.
I am told I can park at Port Maillot again which I don't mind but insist the hotel send a taxi to bring me back.
There are no taxi's at this time of night!!! Can you believe it!
In the end the night manager comes with me to the coach to show me where I can park.
We drive back around the one way system as I had done half an hour ago and over the Seine towards Paris.
We turn around back towards the hotel and then as we reach the river turn right away from the hotel.
Two bridges later we cross the river and drive up the other side towards the hotel!
Then we take a right turn behind the hotel and he shows me where I can park. Problem is there are cars parked there!
I turn around and we end up under the Ibis Hotel which is joined to our hotel and shares the same underground parking! Coming in this way there is no building work and I eventually manage to park! About a hundred yards from the front of the hotel! I could have come straight here! It is now 23:00.
I quickly drop my bag in my room, brush my teeth and head for the bar. Do I need a beer to relax!
I had two beers which tasted gorgeous and enjoyed them so much I didn't mind paying €14.60 for the pleasure!!