Finishing Paris and Early China

Monday was my most tiring day so far. Got going around 10:00 and headed towards L'Orangerie located in the Tuilieries Gardens. I had not known anything of what proved to be a most enjoyable experience.

Note to self a 7 day Metro pass runs from Monday to Sunday so if you buy on Wednesday it still runs out on Sunday. Oh well day passes €6.20 for the next two days I guess.  

The main part of the gallery comprises just two extremely large oval shaped rooms each wall of which contained extremely large Monet canvases. 

As the plan shows there is a gallery below known as the Guillaume Collection with Renoir, Picasso, Matisse, Soutine and more.

There was a temporary exhibition of an artist Emile Bernhard whom I had never heard of (not hard) but which I really enjoyed at points in his works very similar to Gaugin. Later in his life he returned to traditional religious style and themes.

I wanted to buy a book about him but nothing in English.

I walked along Rue St Honore which again convinced me that although I think I am well off by world standards I am a pauper compared to others who can afford $A2,000 for a manbag or $A2,000 for a backpack.

I head to the more affordable district of Gallery Lafayette and Printemps. I had been looking for a particular cookware with removable handles (saves a lot of cupboard space) for three years and stumbled upon it in Lafayette and at 30% discount noch which covers the cost of shipping it back to Australia. 

Some more shopping for gifts and bits and pieces before heading back to the apartment around 18:00 - exhausted. I settle in for a relaxing night eating much of the food left over from my supermarket shopping. 

One more day to go and I've had a great time in Paris being able to enjoy it in a relaxed way without the pressure of having to do a lot in a short period of time. It's great.    

Well Tuesday and my last day in Paris. The temperature when I leave the apartment at 10:00 is around 9 degrees and there is a bitter cold wind accompanied by sprinkles of rain.  I head to Opera with a final shopping in mind and walk around the department stores and nearby boutiques. Am tempted by a few things but o have a new policy of asking myself whether I have a need or passionate desire before I buy things. On this basis alone I have resisted numerous purchases this trip. However I finally succumb to just one electronic item which I can say I had absolutely no need for but really wanted it - oh well. An old technology burglary at my place would be greatly appreciated.

I grab the metro to Temple and walk around Le Marais for A few hours. Unfortunately I am tempted by a Buffet Asiatique which I didn't realise you then heated in the microwave but as my legs had been on the go for five hours I just accepted it and hey it wasn't THAT bad - well considering I am in Paris it was disgusting. I have a dinner date with Regis to catch up on his job search and love life but it isn't until 19:00 so I spend another two hours doing more window shopping and coffees including one amazingly good one.

Now Regis, someone who has lived in Paris for a long time, asks me to choose the restaurant so I go on Trip Advisor And find the 50th of 12,000+ restaurants in Paris, a Japanese Restaurant Magokoro in the 9th. I walk the 1.5kms there to complete what I am sure has been more than 10kms for the day only to find that the restaurant is at the bottom Rue Des Martyrs, a street where mum's cousin lived for many years, where I had stayed twice with her in the late 70s and early 80s - brought back a lot of memories.

The restaurant was small and I got somewhat pissed when told that a number of items on the small menu were not available.  However what was available was amazingly good. Imagine dourade (bream) with kiwi fruit - so good, raw salmon bruschetta and other delights. A farewell to a somewhat unhappy Regis and metro back to the apartment. Note to self never ever get on or off a metro at St Lazarre it is a labyrinth of a station poorly signposted and extreme walks to find the right line.

Macaron Cake

 

Get home around 22:00 and start the washing cleaning ironing cycle to get ready for my "check-out" tomorrow morning. Vacuuming, mopping wiping - the apartment was super spotless when I arrived so had to try to leave it in same condition.

Up at 05:00 shower dress, wash linen and out of there. Shuttle supposed to arrive 07:30 phone to say late 07:40 OK no problem except they had to wake another driver who arrived at 08:15 hitting traffic that I had tried to avoid by leaving early. Get to airport at 09:45 after shocking traffic whole way. VAT refund check in and brief lounge visit. Board the plan A380 to take my seat in business class which I can only describe as the most amazing plane environment I've ever seen.  It's indescribably spacious and well appointed, Minibar at each seat, huge TV screen, bar and lounge at the back, separate screen for seat control massage - yes massage control, lighting etc..  Fresh orange juice gets FRESHLY SQUEEZED orange juice. What a step above he rest this is - it makes my recent El Al business class look abysmally bad.  With the festival of Eid there's even free wifi on board.   

I do have but one complaint nay two, that the only have 50ml Bulgari EDT in the bathrooms and they don't leave the lids there. Anyway two should last me a while.

Arrive Dubai without a boarding pass for the Cathay Dubai to Hong Kong leg. Why so? Because Emirates and Cathay are on different systems therefore not able to issue in Paris. A very lengthy walk two security checkpoints and some difficulty in finding where to obtain it and I finally get my boarding pass and a lounge entry to the BA lounge.which if ordinary. Flight to Hong Kong and the three hours keep and five hours on this flight sees me in good shape when I arrive in Hong Kong.

First order of business I get a data card for Hong Kong and China and am all set arriving at the Novotel airport hotel. I planned to get the train for the 35 minute ride to Kowloon on Wan Chai until I realise that the hotel is part of an amazing shopping centre which has one of the best selection of shops imaginable all of which have 30-80% discounts. Fortunately and holding to my new ethos I resist buying anything except some outfits for grandkids.

I booked the executive floor and was therefor able to enjoy a free dinner in the lounge before a broken nights sleep. Up early next morning for my included breakfast and off to the airport for what was supposed to be my 11:15 read 12:00 90 minute flight To Sanya. There are around 20+ bridge players on the flight including Ish Del'Monte who is carrying my suit from Sydney which works well.

Sanya is regarded as the Hawaii of China boasting 100 five star hotels and 11 golf courses and is a holiday resort mainly frequented by Chinese and Russians.

I arrive again parking on the tarmac rather than air bridge something which always pisses me off - until of course I realise that this is a pissy little airport with no air bridges at all.

Quickly through immigration and luggage to be taken for the thirty minute drive to the MGM Grand Hotel. The hotel is beautiful with gardens, pools, ponds, water features, massive lobby, restaurants and everything one would expect from a five star resort hotel.

Check-in which is a lengthy process as the receptionists all speak very limited English and before I know it time to don my suit and and attend the Opening Ceremony at the adjoining Sheraton Hotel. All pretty much as one would expect from a Chinese function. Lots of speeches mercifully translated on the big screens around the venue. Lots of mutual admiration as well as a few traditional Chinese performances - think Asian folklorico. Lots of presentations of tokens of friendship all followed by food and drink.

While having one of those (soft) drinks Stephen Burgess asks if I would like to join a mixed team for the next 2+ days playing with his wife Wendi, Nevena Djuravic and two Americans now resident in France. 

Now would be a good time to say that, not long after arriving I discovered that there would be no Vugraph theatre at the venue as no space was available to run a public viewing theatre. This now meant that I was cast into a pool of bridge journalists having to write for the tournament all of whom are much better than at it than I am. Oh well struggle on.

So not having work or should I say "work" duties I agree to play in what would be a minimum of two days and more if we do well.

Saturday morning and all charged to play good bridge. Breakfast would fall into the category of the five best buffet breakfasts I have experienced. Everything from Western, Chinese, Japanese and a lot more. Closer to a lunch buffet actually.

I play 5 of the 8 matches on each day and, together with my partner we play reasonably well but the team struggles as the Americans are probably below the standard of the other four in the team. They keep arriving at the score-up saying "sorry" one of my pet hate - just score up and I'll decide how sorry you should be!!!

In between bridge I enjoy a thirty minute massage in an OSIM massage chair who are one of the sponsors of the tournament. I don't feel guilt as I own of the chairs so feel I am entitled to try the latest models.

Anyway we finish well down the track after two days of play and that ends my playing in this tournament.

If I have a complaint about the hotel it is that no restaurant other than a sandwich bar allows one to have a meal under $50. In fact everything in Sanya is expensive - more below. That said the bridge venue provides heaps of options such as dumplings, noodle soups, burgers, hotdogs, cappuccinos, soft drinks, cakes, sandwiches and more all for $A6 a serve which works well.

Sunday night and not playing I head for the newly completed luxury duty free shopping centre, a thirty minute cab ride from the hotel. While amazing as a structure and the variety of top end retailers (Cartier, Gucci, Chanel, Lacoste and many many more) it is amazingly expensive. My index for price comparison is that a Lacoste Polo costs between $80 and $100 ANYWHERE in the world - except Sanya where it is $A160 and they generously give you 10% off for duty free making it just 45% above Sydney full retail. I was forced to have two pieces of KFC when I found every Asian food outlet had menus in Chinese only and I wasn't feeling too adventurous. 

I then go to a shopping area near to the hotel only to find that I should have eaten there as all the menus were in Russian and English as well as Chinese. On a whim I decide to have a massage as my body feels really stiff and sore. Well after the massage it felt OK but I noticed how well I felt the next morning so well worth the $A55. Interestingly the masseur only knew one word in English - he finished the massage and stood at the door with his hand out and said "tip" haha - gave him $A5 10% seemed fair.

Monday I did an article interviewing the Chief Tournament Organiser Maurizio di Sacco which I hope to get published. As I write this I have submitted three articles and none have made the Bulletin - oh well have to lift my game I guess.

I also do an article based on following Pepsi, a (Polish player Jacek Pzszcola - cola get it?) and his Dutch partner Mieke Wortel another article which didn't make the grade. 

Dinner time and I take a short cab ride to the nearby food precinct where I run into my English friend Simon Gilles and his entourage who are half way through dinner and realising that he has massively over-ordered invites me to join them in an effort to make a dent in which is a massive amount of food. He generously does allow me to contribute and as this like the third time he has bought me a meal the next one will have to be on me.

Being adventurous I decide to walk back to the hotel and something I have rarely done I headed exactly 180 degrees the wrong way not realising that the cab that brought me here had done a U-turn outside the centre before dropping me off. So what was a 2km walk now became a 4km cab ride which started with the driver showing me 20 on his phone, me insisting on his turning on the meter - and yes I was prepared to get out despite waiting 10 minutes to get the cab - and I paid the 9RMB ($A1.80) fare even rounded up despite the attempted ripoff.

Apparently I will be seconded to do keyboard commentary for OurGames which are broadcasting the finals online starting tomorrow. I have decided that unless I do something meaningful here during the balance of the tournament I will donate my per diem back to the WBF Youth Bridge Fund as I would feel quite guilty coming here without a job.

Well a long missive for which I apologise. Maybe with the bridge not too much before I return to Sydney but at least one I am sure. 

Hope all good wherever people are

XD