Moto taxi

One dark, wet night, when the traffic was at a virtual standstill I foolishly allowed myself to be persuaded to take a moto taxi from the Gare du Nord to the 16th (Passy) - first begging the driver to go slowly as I was old and nervous, and also how much it would cost. He muttered what I thought was "2€ a kilometre"..

He stored my back pack in the luggage compartment and my carry-on case to the space on top with bungees, jammed a helmet on my head (first putting on a white hairnet - very attractive), and then a massive black jacket over my coat. I launched myself on and we set off. At speed. I calculated how long I'd have to spend in a French hospital having my hips repaired and metal rods inserted in my legs when we had the inevitable accident, then decided to try and relax and enjoy the ride.

It was actually quite nice, in parts. The French being patriotic and this only being about a week after the terrorist attacks all the big buildings were lit up in red white and blue, and the quieter streets were as always like being in a film. But it was very hairy in traffic and a few people shouted angrily at us as we shot in front of them or narrowly avoided taking off their wing mirrors. 

So, terrifying and dangerous. But a good little adventure.