OUR MAN in EUROPE/dave delacroix/Part 19: The Forty Towers

Part 19:   The Forty Towers  (of Wisdom?)


(Moment: I'm pissing in the sink...)

Like an old friend, the Saint Pierre, Chambre (room) No. 11 awaited/greeted me...at the "Anvers" metro located/district hotel...like an old friend. Ye olde ceiling fan going: EEK-QUI, EEK QUI; definitively French with every swivel.

Throw verbal Salami at it? It'll come back verbal Pate foi Gras...so there's no use complaining.

On que/queue (a'la'ROMAN HOLIDAY) whilst trying to nap, construction guys across the alley way, demonically, sing full blast (this time Rossini) "arias" whilst duelling with "skill" Saws. In a hotel BOX, ERGO....yes I'm gonna whine!

That the TV didnt work with not a HOPE of WIFI, the "chambre's" (room) only real window of note didnt open, but the one in the shower (douche) cubicle wouldnt close...
October, kiddoes! BRRRRR!

...And I will spare you the (shared) WC description, except to say, NO DOOR LOCK, (T.P>bring your own) the rotting wooden door (cardboard, basically) wouldnt close, and stared - whilst seated... in one's most intimate Guardian Newspaper,crossword puzzle moments - right back at you, an inch from your nose...which like the hotel room (chambre 11) made entry-delivery/exit an operation demanding mucho management control! -in every personal, hygenic sense.

(Hoping that came out right)

(Probably not)

Chambre (room 11) carpeting, incidentally, installed by "UNDER-Carpeting INC", a kind of wafer-thin, sad, stained, pink sponge material; and chambre (room 11) lighting, in three shades of DIM, no plug for the "le sink", sparse stained blanketing (child patterns), the "le" Concierge" (reception dick head) a DWARF!...the "aged" hotel Porter, her twin brother....

Le result?

Strangely, I liked - not the hotel - but THEM!

Thus; le Hotel Saint Pierre, named after the Patron Saint of Plumbers, Firemen (?), Sailors (Ahoy!) and - like me - ridiculously UNDER-qualified Film-makers! -sometimes it's easy to sink, burn your old socks, buy a coupl'a new pairs....and make yourself - incredibly! - at home?...

The new French Revolution? The October Strikes? The Daily Demos? The Swat Cops? The rolling electrical blackouts?... Well; that's another story.



c 2010. oct/montmartre/paris/davedelacroix/our man in europe