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Paris On Ice

January 1, 2002

It’s the last day of the year, and, quite honestly, it’s
pretty hard to believe. The older I get, the faster the
years pass.

Last year, we had gumbo at Bojangles Restaurant (it was
their opening night http://www.bojanglesparis.com) and then
made the mistake of "schlepping" in the cold and rain to
the Pont des Arts to watch the fireworks at the Eiffel
Tower, which never happened! The rain drowned out the "feu
d’artifice" and turned us into wet rats, downtrodden and
desperate for a warm bed. I remember the walk home as
utterly miserable.

This year, there aren’t any fireworks, or at least I
haven’t been able to ascertain if there will be or not, so
I’m not making that mistake again. Instead, take my advice
and head for the PARIS ON ICE enormous rink (12,900 square
feet) at the Place de l’Hotel de Ville, open with free
admission until March 3, 2002. If you’re a novice like I
am, then take advantage of the free skating lessons from 3
to 5 p.m. every afternoon. The rink is open Sunday to
Thursday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 9 a.m.
to midnight. New Year’s Eve is sure to be busy, but fun!
Skates can be rented for 4.50 euros ($4).

There are two other ice skating rinks in Paris this winter
(both are 8,600 square feet): on the square in front of the
Montparnasse railway station at Place Raoul Dautry and at
the Bassin de la Villette, Place de Stalingrad, both open
Sunday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday
9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Happy New Year to one and all and good luck sorting out the
euro/franc confusion!

Adrian
[email protected]

P.S. Bojangles Book of Gumbo is available at
www.insiderparisguides.com/bojangles/index.html