Grolliffe takes a trip.....to Paris

DLM · Post by **DLM** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 1:03 pm

Delivered a carload of posessions and clothes to Paris for daughter number two who is about to start a 3 year course there : BX estate loadspace well up to the job.

Parisian BXs still around in small numbers as low rent transport. No pix due to stress levels negotiating fiendish Paris oneway system at night. Parked behind a 19TRD while taking a breather and getting my bearings. Seemed almost like a minor BX convention as there was another TR of some description a few spaces up the road.

Spent more on Paris parking over 36hrs than I have done so far this trip on French diesel....

Jaba · Post by **Jaba** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 11:39 am

Whoops duplication duplication

Jaba · Post by **Jaba** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 11:41 am

I have just spent a week in Germany. Bremen in the north.
I saw very few middle aged cars from the early 90s. From Todd's explanation I understand why.
Then to my surprise I saw a lovely red GTi in a filling station. He drove off before I could congratulate him unfortunately.

You are a brave man Dave for driving in Paris. They give no quarter there.

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 12:01 pm

Jaba wrote:You are a brave man Dave for driving in Paris. You usually have no quarter-panels left after driving there.

Edited for accuracy.

Granted it was a fair while ago, but the only time I've driven in Paris I was very glad for having large steel bumpers. I was bumped at least a dozen times and no-one batted an eyelid. My theory at the time was "I have a tatty old car with large steel bumpers, no-one will come anywhere near me.

Wrong.

M · Post by M » Mon Sep 22, 2008 12:53 pm

Oh yes - I once drove a Transit Minibus round the Boulevard Périphérique and did I get hit and bumped - mind you I did also take the side rubbing strip off a Fiat Mareva. I had to have a little lie down in a darkend room after driving round that.

And heres me worrying about the language barrier and if un bidon de coke et quelques morceaux avec du fromage satisfont dessus and combien pour un travail de coup svp (which were the limits of my volcabulary at the time) would enable me to swap details - I needent have worried the UK plates seemed to give me immunity as no one was prepared to stop, esp the Fiat driver ( though you stupid winker was obvioulsy what he was saying to me in French).

DLM · Post by **DLM** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 4:37 pm

Paris - or at least the northern bits I was driving in was none too scary on the Wednesday evening or Friday morning: lots of stop-start and lights. Far less competitive than London the last time I drove there. The streets I was on were too narrow, and there were too many bus lanes, lights and pedestrian crossings for anyone to really get up to speed.

It helps to get out of the way of the emergency services though.

The one-way system, given one-man, non-satnav navigation was another thing, however....

1,000 miles plus for the trip once I'd been down to the Mayenne and returned to Hampshire.