Bon Jour from Paris

Greetings fellow skaters:

As you've probably noticed, a few of us have been absent from the weekly skates. That's because we're skating in Paris! Jerry and I in the world famous Friday Night Skate in Paris. Well, Jim Hoyt intended to join, but a group of pickpocketers surrounded us on the way there in the subway, and Jim had to go with the police, since they took something of his. By the time he was finished, the skate had started. What a disappointment! But at least the two of us got to go.

Can you believe approx. 10,000 skaters taking over the city, blocking traffic? Police on skates, actually encouraging the sport, were on hand to control the cars (not the skaters, yeah!) The Eiffel tower sure is striking at night! That's where the group took a 20 minute break about 2/3 of the way to the end. We also skated up to and around the Arc de Triomphe and quite a few other popular places. The skate started at 10 p.m. and ended at 1:00. Other than being extremely crowded, it was pretty fast paced at times. We don't know what bumpy is in Portland. Imagine that many skaters on cobblestone roads. Most roads were normally paved, but skaters have to be fairly proficient to handle the rough ones.

The next day, the 4 of us (including Jim's wife) set out to see the city and visit some popular tourist sites. We brought our skates in backpacks especially designed for skates and gear. After taking the subway for a ways (and being more alert for pickpockets), we geared up and skated through the city to our destinations. What an efficient way to get around! People didn't frown and get all uptight at the sight of skaters sharing the road and sidewalk. In fact, skating seems to be a commonly accepted mode of transportation, possibly surpassing bicycling.

Maria S.

Click here for photos.