Aaahh Paris...

Paris in the springtime might be beautiful, but Paris in the Fall during the Rugby World Cup Semi-finals can't be beat. Ok, ok, I don't know diddly squat about Rugby; it's nearly impossible for me to careless about that sport. I mean, I can barely grasp what makes American football so appealing to masses of rowdy men in the United States much less what makes humongous men with out helmets or pads pummeling each other fighting for an oval leather ball appealing to the rest of the world. Regardless, it does make Paris a happening and interesting place.
For those who don't the Rugby World Cup is currently being held here in France this year (it's held every 4 years - just like World Cup Soccer and the Olympics). This past weekend they were playing the semi-finals France vs. England and South Africa vs. Argentina at the Stade de France in Paris. Saturday evening was France vs. England the game started at 9:00pm and, as you can guess, the Parisians were geared up to cheer their team along. Oh and so were the throngs of Englishmen (and women) who swarmed across the channel to be in the city where this momentous match was taking place.
All day long as we (seriously, I don't get blogger. Why can't I put text around my picture instead of only at the very bottom? Seems ridiculous to me...or I'm just an idiot and there's a very simple way to do it I'm just too dense to figure it out!) ...so where was I after that random tangent? ah yes, the Rugby fans! They are a hoot. Men, women, old young walking around with afro puff wigs on their heads in the colors of their flag. Faces, chests, bosoms painted in the team colors and or insignias. Fabulous. Granted, there are other events which inspire such mania in people, I'm just not usually around it.
As we walked our way through the city of lights and love sampling all the must see tourist attractions our day was enhanced by these fanatic hooligans. As we tramped our weary way towards the Eiffel Tower we were grabbed by a gentlemen and his friends rollicking outside a bar, which by the looks of them the had been at for the majority of the day, we were hailed with "Who do you support?" Thinking perhaps he was British we said England. That seemed to satisfy him, though we discovered he was from South Africa. He announced to us that he was "The Love Doctor" and he was at our disposal if we had any needs while we were in the city of love. Very touching really. After we pried ourselves away from the self proclaimed love doctor we made it to la Tour Eiffel.

(I did start this post a few days ago, but then fell asleep writing it, so I figured I'd just finish it up today)
We reach the crowning glory of Paris and, low and behold, it's swarming with Rugby fans. There is a huge blown up Rugby ball (pictured above with Josh and Drew) advertising the next Rubgy World Cup - 2011 in Australia. Inside this rugby ball is a bar, we did not venture into the chaos of that delightfully tacky ball!
To top things off, not only were there fans camped out in front of the huge screens reveling in pre-game drinking there was a blow-up rugby ball hanging from the struts of the Eiffel tower and large flat screen televisions hanging from either side showing highlights and rugby commercials. This city LOVES their rugby.

There's tons more to write about Paris. I mean, we did see more than just rugby, but I'll save that for another post. If I don't stop writing soon this post will never end...and then who's going to want to read it? then again, who really wanted to read it anyways.