Lazy Saturday in Paris

Didn't really want to wake up that early, given that I had only went to bed close to 4am after walking all the way from the Effiel back to my hotel the previous night. What a waste of a superbly comfortable hotel if i were to only sleep for 2 hours. Luckily there was no complimentary breakfast or I would have to be forced to wake up to eat it.

Went to FNAC bookshop at around 10 am. Did some hunting around the day before and realised that it was actually quite an arduous task to try to get all the books that I wanted in the collection. This was my last attempt as it was supposed to be the largest bookshop in Paris, i panned all my hope on it. Simple task it was but true to my style, I hollanded immediately coming out from the metro station. All the streets looked the same and i was only told a general direction by the hotel staff so there i go trying to murk around. Saw this artistically challenged building which i had assumed to be the shopping centre, only to realise that why in the heck there was still a long queue forming outside at the entrance at 10am??? In the end, i found out that it was actually an art museum with an attached hall and everyone was queuing up for tickets. Anyway took me another good half an hour before i managed to find the correct place but luckily all the book were available. Set me back by another 42 Euros though...

The afternoon was simple. All the hype about the French Open made me quite curious to check out the legendary arena and so I took the remaining time to go to the Stade Roland Garros to see what it was all about. It was unfortunate that the tourney was being held at the same time and thus I was unable to enter the stadium grounds to take a look inside. Getting a ticket wasn't that expensive as it was the day before the official opening but i still can't bear to part with my 19 Euros. (Quite ironical given that i had already spent 42 Euros on books, 45 Euros on Bremen match and so much more on transport and food...) Haha maybe it's just that i wasn't a hardcore tennis fan :p Anyway the grounds was still quite large from the outside and took me close to 45 minutes to walk its perimeter alone. Also went to the nearby Parc de Princes to see. I did like PSG for a short while last time but its colours were just too yucky (double sin i would say since i would expect a more fashionable jersey and badge from the team of the capital) to sustain me. Its stadium was surprisingly white but otherwise nothing too impressive. Not excactly tall too and the shop was pheewww the most expensive among all the stadium shops that i had seen so far.

Concluded the day with my last European meal. Finally get to have my French onion soup as an appetiser accompanied by roast duck as main course, taken in a cosy bar which was showing the German Bundesliga. (Funny but don't ask me why. It just happen) Saw the end of the title race and an utter demolition of my Werder Bremen by the league champions but the league was over for me 3 days ago. ( I still can't believe that in the one single year that i get to go Germany over the past 10 years, my favourite team had decided to put on its worst ever showing since 2000. Haiz, how cruel fate decides to play its game...) But it somehow just sums up life that you cannot get what you want all the time but just have to hope that you get the good things most of the times and be contented with them. Took the night flight out of Paris that night, broke but contented =)