Visit of Paris (in english !)

Saturday 26 May 2012

Mary Dailey and Tracy VieBrock arrive in Paris.

Mary and Tracy are 2 Americans we met in San Diego during the World Championships and who had decided
to spend a week in Paris during the two week Roland Garros tournament… a moment to enjoy Paris as well.

I was delighted to be able to invite them to my home as over the years I am very used to having visitors
from abroad to stay… They were thrilled and the landed in Orly at 11h20 this Saturday morning.

We really had to put a move on as I was playing in the finals of the Hauts de Seine Department two hours
later for a qualification for the French Nationals.

Arrival at my house, transfer over to Yann (thrilled !) setting in, short explication of how to get around
Paris by bus, metro and train and then off for my match…

Very hot (not lucky !), windy, 2 hours and 40 minutes match which I lost with the score 4/6 6/4 6/4 ;
(« almost » ! commented Véronique … yes it was really almost… of Véronique : ALMOST !!! LOL).

No comment, a pleasant, determined opponent who played very well : Bravo Florence you deserved to win.

A new challenge for the bloggeuse : play as many matches as possible… for the least wins… ???!!! Ah zut,
isn’t that the way it works !

While I was on the court, Mary and Tracy were learning how to juggle with the Parisian Bus service – No problem : they
successfully arrived in front of Roland Garros but could’nt get in as the tickets were sold out ! So their first
visit was to walk all the way round the outside of Roland Garros ! … probably just to keep them awake after
their long flight and the jet lag !.

An evening at home with us to unwind…

Sunday 27 May 2012

A little tennis with Yann to warm up !

Stroll down the Champs-Elysées (Adidas, Nike…!) arrival at the Arc de Triomphe but they were
unlucky as there was an official ceremony and Mary and Tracy could’nt go up to the top of the Arc de
Triomphe.

How they got to the Eiffel Tower to meet me and Yann will remain a mystery but they were there at
18h45 for a Bike Tour of Paris.

Yes that’s right… a bike Tour ; I did’nt even know it existed. Tour of Paris with Fat Tire Bike Tours
: rendez-vous at 19 hours under the Eiffel Tower for a 5 hour (!!!) tour… Ryan, our guide, was very worried
as it was the first time that he had 2 Parisians in this group (3 groups of 25 people wearing yellow jackets
and riding through Paris… a sight to be seen !).

Departure from the agency in the 15th district, not far from the Eiffel Tower, on the bus lanes, the bike lanes…
the order was to fill up the whole road to stop the cars and the motorbikes from overtaking… it worked !!!.

Through the Quartier Latin, we cycled towards the Ile de la Cité, Notre-Dame, The Sainte Chapelle, the Pont des Arts,
a stop to have a delicious ice-cream at « Berthillon », then we arrived on our bikes the Pyramide du Louvre (magnificent
in the setting sun) in short we visited all the main historical monuments of Paris.

We left our bikes in front of the Bâteaux Mouches for a one hour trip of the Seine..

Then back to dry land, a photo souvenir under the Eiffel Tower and return to the agency.

A superb visit which we would never have done without our American friends ! Crazy !

Return home in Meudon at one in the morning ! …

Monday 28 May 2012

Doubles at 9 in the morning with my brother Jean-Pierre, Yann, Mary and Tracy… They’re crazy !

What’s even more awesome is that Mary and Tracy played until one !

In the evening, dinner at home… outside but on the concrete between piles of wood and paints pots
(it got colder and colder), first we were 12 then 16 then 12 then 16… the more the merrier !

Food for everyone… great fun… lots to drink (happily) somebody even took my sweater home !… hum,
hum, but I know who it was… LOL.

Tuesday 29 May 2012

Now its getting serious… ROLAND GARROS for everybody… Mary and Tracy leave at 9 am… Brigitte
and Yann at about 3 pm… Jean-Pierre ??? well I still don’t know LOL.

IC Cocktail party in the Roland Garros restaurant, who’s that next to Bridget ???.

It’s an opportunity to see all my tennis friends… my dear captain must have had her ears ringing !

OK… I should have followed that « man » next to me but finally we finished the evening in front of a
television screen (the sound came from both outside and inside… a new invention) on the terrace of
the restaurant to watch the victory of Virginie Razzano over Serena Williams after 8 match points !.

Honestly « Jean »… you could have taken us with you into the President’s stand !. Next time, don’t forget us !.

Wednesday 30 May 2012

Without knowing how they got there ! … Mary and Tracy found themselves at the Bastille and
as everyone knows. A la Bastille, on aime bien Nini-Peau-d’chien, elle est si bonne et si
gentille… !!! (too French to translate !)…

To listen to all day long !…

In short they found themselves in a « bazar » !!! then in the Rue de Rivoli, Tracy hurt her foot,
a blind man nearly « killed » Mary with his stick… I told you girls… Paris is dangerous !.

Thursday 31 May 2012

I dropped off Mary and Tracy at the Clamart Club where they had been challenged by Audrey and Valérie…

France won 6/0 6/4 but a revenge match is programmed for saturday !

When they got back, I offered to take them to the Usine (no not that one…), ex Usine Center in Vélizy
and then Vélizy II (a big Mall… including Auchan.

Tracy is delighted because she was exhausted by Mary’s incredibly energetic program… LOL.

They bought things they can’t find in the States : like Fa deodorant… Thimothé shampoo… Andros low-sugar
jam… and WASH CLOTHS !… they raided the shop !.

Fraidy 1 June 2012

Yann played tennis with Mary. Tracy took advantage of the opportunity to have a rest…

Mary, after having looked at my tennis rackets and shoes, suggested that I should do something… So
off we went to Decathlon to string my rackets (apparently I was playing with a salad basket !) then
insoles for my new tennis shoes which I was going to keep for next year ! Ah, apparently every year you
must restring your rackets and change your shoes… nobody ever told me !.

You should have seen Sébastien, the person who strings the rackets at Decathlon, when Mary asked him to
string her racket at 35 !!!… never been done before. In fact while we were still in the store, the person ran
after us as he had already broken a string (not the racket luckily) ! So Mary’s racket was strung at 30… and
obviously she found it was a real salad basket.

On the way back we visit the Club of Meudon « Trivaux ».

Quiet dinner at home : lots of laughs and we even manage to joke in English !

Saturday 2 June 2012

Calm morning for once… I drop off Mary and Tracy at one fifteen for a game at the Club of Clamart as I’m off to
play with the Team 2 to play against « Bagneux » in a team match.

Mary and Tracy train with the Team 1… a word of thanks to Valérie, Audrey, Héloise, Fabrice, Charles, Dominique
who let me them play in their club during their stay.

When they got back, I explained how to go to the « Sacré Coeur » and see Montmartre.

Meanwhile we were invited to dinner by Veronique and Dominique ; a very pleasant moment… thanks… and a
special thank you for Dominique’s faithful friend Mrs Picard (frozen store !)… we really love her… especially when we get
back after a match at 8 in the evening.

Mary and Tracy get back at 23h30 and we talk into the night until 1h30… the next morning it was difficult to
get up for a check in at 8 in Orly, returning home to Miami… we’re envious !.

The week was unforgettable and we felt as though we had been on holidays: two great friends who said I spoke
very good English … ah, yes, definitely very good friends. Special thanks to Liz who translated this page
in English !

Time went by so fast ! you must come back to see us: booking for rooms is already open !.

See you next year.

And now, the famous film by Bridget Cadoret… have fun :