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| South pillar, Eiffel Tower 1976 |
I have a vague recollection of camping just outside Paris - with the parents and brother of course - since I was 13. There was some hippy dude with a coach on the campsite and for a few quid he loaded it up and drove us and others into the city. I remember we had to keep the curtains closed as he lacked the necessary paperwork and told us Les Gendarmes followed him from time to time to see if he was acting illegally - which he was, of course! I don't think he got stopped the day he took us - I'm sure I would have remembered that.
I suppose somewhere near Paris there is now a hipster providing the same service. Though maybe nobody ould get in a coach with a stranger these days. When my wife and I were in Malacca we were stranded in a village outside of the city one evening with no taxis in sight. A young Indian fellow approached us and said he could take us in his van. Said van had another young Indian fellow leaning up against it. "Are you a taxi service?" I asked. He paused and said, "Um, private taxi." We were desperate so we jumped aboard. We got back to the hotel safe and sound, though my wife was very nervous the whole time.
ReplyDeleteHave you been to the Eiffel Tower lately? Are the crowds about the same now as they are in that photo? When I see recent photos of the tower it always looks horribly over-crowded.
Malacca sounded...hmm..exciting(?). I think I'd have been nervous too. Funny years ago you probably wouldn't have thought twice about it - I remember as a student sticking my thumb out manys-a-time. Everyone did it. Nowadays it's a rarity.
DeleteI haven't been back to the Eiffel since then, Marcus. I've been to Paris, but not as a tourist. From what I hear the whole world is over-crowded these days. A group from our Photo Club are just back from Venice. Mid-March and it was chockers, apparently. Queued for hours to get to Murano, water taxis were full. I don't deal with crowds very well - I'd have sought out a quiet backstreet to take some shots, assuming such a thing exists in Venice these days. I dread to think what it must be like in the peak of summer.
I've read that people who live in Venice and other tourist areas are getting sick of the visitors. There are places like that in Korea as well. Neighbourhoods of traditional houses often get used in television dramas and then the tourists show up for their selfies. Making noise, peeking over walls, and so on.
DeleteI can't imagine what it's like to actually live in Venice. Close to hell on earth, I should think, Marcus. Portstewart in the summer months is bad enough for me and that's a walk in the park by comparison...
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