Paris Day 3 / Pt 3

The Arc de Triomphe. I'll be honest, I mostly wanted to see it just so I could say "Yes, I saw the Arc too" when people asked about our trip to Paris. I wasn't expecting to really like it. However, to get to it we were at first puzzled, as the constant ring of traffic meant trying to run across was an act of suicide. 

Eventually though, we found one of the entrances to the tunnel that leads you to the center. 

When we got up, we noticed something that we never knew about the Arc. There were names on it. Lots of them. 

Clearly, there was a lot more effort here than simply a stack of smoothed marble bricks. 

Plus, like many other structures of Europe, the scale of it was larger than I thought it'd be. Ok, we were warming up to this stone stool. 

Well, I was anyways. Don't think Michelle cared much for it. 

One good thing about being in the middle of a giant round about in Paris? Great car sightings!

Such as this massive 612. I think people will remember these as well as the 456; that is, they won't. IMO, it was a nice V12 GT that was too subtle for its own good. I doubt the 612 will hold their value as well as the faster, more in-your-face 599, 575M, or even its controversially styled and AWD successor, the FF. 

I'll wrap this post up with the most French car of them all, the beloved Citroen 2CV. Next post, we'll look at some newer French metal. 

Entering London / Part 1

Whew! Taking a new step in life and I find myself traveling to London for a few months. There's so much to learn and experience, but fortunately I'll be with my girlfriend Michelle for most of this journey. Company always makes experiences better. 

As soon as we arrived, we headed to our temporary location over in Hackney. Our hosts are very kind and the place was clean and modern, but what we (particularly Michelle) was really looking forward for was the dog. And what a dog! A beautiful golden German Shepard, she was massive! Fortunately, like most large dogs, she was a very kind and welcoming dog that loved attention and despite the long, extra thick coat she wore, shed considerably less than the Corgi and cats that I roomed with before. 

Honestly, the fur here is the only evidence that she sheds. Anyways, onto the streets! 

And of course, it'll be cars. Saw a fair number of these Nissan Qashqai throughout the day, looks a lot better than the Rogue they sell in the States. 

Next up was this E46 compact. They only sold the Compact model in the States during the E36 gen, and honestly, I don't think we were missing out on much by not getting this model. I do like that seagreen/dark grey (even though it's really just dirty wheels) color combo though. 

Vintage bikes (and cycles) are pretty common around here. While I'm a fan of the Cali-style cafes such as the creations by Deus, there's something pure about a stock, well worn but well maintained Euro bike. 

We made our way over to Broadway Market, a quiet but chic area with the main road lined with young cafes and art stores. Made it just in time to catch some filming, though we think it was just for a commercial. 

One thing I certainly noticed was the amount of street art. Even compared to SF and LA, areas that are quite liberal with such art, the amount and variety seemed to be greater here. Whether it be a scribbled drawing or a paid advert, everywhere you looked there some something. Small wonder why artists such as Banksy come from here.  

And here's another pic of a car, this time an old Citroen 2CV. Yup, definitely in Europe. Part 2 to be posted soon.