Oh Paris, how I wish I could say you were betterto us. And how I wish I had bought Rosetta Stone six months earlier.
Our trip started off pretty darn good. In our first 2 days there we were able to knock out the Louvre which was so overwhelmingly awesome and the next day the Eiffel tower.
Note to self: If you too believed the Eiffel Tower was a gift from the US to France thanking them for the Statue of Liberty, you're wrong. I could have sworn this was true. That I had been taught this in my younger years in school. But in the hotel lobby one night drinking with friends, including our Frenchman friend Sorby, I was proven wrong and that the Eiffel tower was apparently built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Even my mom, who is fluent in French and lived there for a few years thought that same as I did.
But back to the Louvre... It was so awesome. So big. You can easily spend days in there. I had been there before, but never made it inside. Apparently it's closed on Tuesdays and that was the one day we had planned to go. So when Michael was invited to race Bercy SX I was super excited knowing I'd finally get to plan my attack on the Louvre. It would have been even better if I was with someone who appreciated the things we saw as much as I did. Bringing a dirt bike rider and his mechanic along probably wasn't the smartest idea... apparently the Mona Lisa isn't a big deal because it's a "small" painting. I guess because da Vinci painted it doesn't matter! LOL But I have to give them credit, they were good sports and walked up and down a thousands stairs all day with me.
With my electronic guide. Total tourist and I love it.
Michel and I in front of the Mona Lisa.
One of the coolest parts of the Louvre, I think, was Napoleon III apartments. Here was the 46 seater dining room table.
The inverted pyramid.
Outside the Louvre.
The second day, after we overslept until noon... Oops... we just hung out in Bercy for the day and then when our friends GL and Chelsey arrived we headed out. They aren't the touristy types so I was excited to drag them out with us on an adventure! We took the smelly metro to a mall to look around and then went to the the Eiffel Tower. It was perfect timing for photos because the tower started twinkling just when we started taking pictures. Then after photo-ops we journeyed to the top of the top. By elevator that is. No way were we walking the stairs.
Michael and I at the twinkling Eiffel Tower.
My girlfriend Chelsey and I.
So then Friday rolled around which meant game-time. The first of 3 nights racing. I was really anxious earlier in the day and during Michael's practices but after he killed it on his hot lap in the pre-show I was really at ease. Then came the elimination races which meant the riders would race 3x. The first time 5 laps and the bottom 5 riders would be dropped, then 4 laps and the bottom 3 riders would be dropped and so on and so forth. In the first set he almost had the hole shot, which means almost 1st into the 1st turn, and finished 3rd the first set of 5 laps only getting passed on the last lap. He was riding awesome! The 2nd elimination race started and he was 2nd into the 1st turn again and was riding so strong. On a jump about to pass for 3rd into a turn is where it all went wrong. Upon landing he clipped a tough-block and pretty much did a cart-wheel in the air before hitting the ground pretty hard :-( So not cool. Not the night we were looking for. Michael had been training so hard and looked better than I had seen him riding in a long time. But once again, bad luck plagues us and we're injured again.
I say "we" because I really feel for him when we has to go through these injuries and I go through them with him. It affects me just as much as him, mainly because I know he doesn't deserve it... he's an amazing rider. And it it weren't for so many injuries I know Michael would have already accomplished so much more. So it's back to rehab and when that's over I know God has really big things in store for him!!!
Anywho, after he crashed we were rushed to the ER in Paris. Not fun. Especially because no one at the first hospital spoke a lick of English. Even worse was that we had a translator with us, but the doctors kept kicking him out and then would just ramble on in French when they knew we didn't understand them. Not trusting the ER doctor we declined having surgery that night and got in contact with our surgeon in CA. But he told us the dislocated wrist couldn't wait until we came home and he recommended we have surgery in Paris. Michael had surgery the next day in a different hospital and they kept him for observations for 2 nights. It sucked leaving him every night to go back to the hotel. Between trying to speak with the doctors and nurses and getting to and from the hotel by taxi knowing more French would have totally come in handy. Now, with 6-8 on the DL ahead of us I'll have plenty of time to learn.
Funny story about our horrific experience... Michael's hospital roommate preferred to hang out commando while he laid in bed. And sometimes wasn't covered by his blanks (EWW) And wasn't shy to pass gas... really loud.
The 3 pins put in...
Now we're home... kissed the ground when we landed... and have begun therapy to get back to 100%... more updates to come...
