{OT} Wish I'd Had My Camera ..

.... or at least SO's (as mine won't work without the iBook): riding up to
SO's this afternoon, and I'm passing the Hôtel des Invalides and I see the
filth everywhere, and hear a helicopter. 'Fucking demonstrators..' I
think.

Turn the corner onto the Esplanade des Invalides, and I see three ****-off
monstrous Army helicopters, one in green and the other two in grey (I
thought 'Marines', until I got closer and saw, 'Armée de Terre' on their
flanks) sitting on top of the roundabout.

The roads were all blocked, and there were 'Garde Républicaine' horsemen in
ceremonial dress escorting a motorcade North towards the Alexandre III
bridge.

Got talking to a friendly gendarme, and he told me that it was the
Portugese President on a visit [1]. 'A bit of overkill, innit ?' I asked.
'You should have seen it when Bush came over ... we outnumbered the
lampposts.. then again, the **** doesn't go out of his way to be liked ..'

Well impressive.

Anyway, I'm off to the pub.


[1] <http://nouvelobs.reverso.net/url/ob....nouvelobs.com/europe/20050411.FAP7227e.html>