Paris Roller Dimanche

(All these pics here are courtesy of the 'Rollers & Coquillages' Website) I was too scared to take my camera the first time for fear of falling and breaking it.

Put on your hypercolour t-shirt on, grab some C&C Music Factory for your walkman and come and meet me with your roller blades at Bastille on Sunday.

The fact that the fad that was roller blading ended long before Hey Hey it's Saturday first left our screens somehow never reached France. Roller blading (or as it is called here "Rollers") is still supremely popular, and the sport continues to grow year after year in France. I am not sure why this is. In Paris 'Rollers' are a legitimate form of transport, and one thing that struck me when I first arrived here, is the sheer number of people you see wearing 'Rollers'. You will see them in a shop, sitting at a cafe or on the metro. Go to any sports store, and there is a very large section entirely dedicated to all things rollers.

Not being wanted to be left behind by the fashion of Parisians, I myself have rejoined the army of those who own Rollers. My last pair, I think were discarded around 1995, around the same time that puberty was in full swing. Now 14 years later, I once again own a pair of Roller Blades.

So last Sunday, I took myself and my 'Rollers' out to Bastille to take part in the weekly 'Paris Roller Dimanche'. Which basically involves a 20km skate around the streets of Paris, with about 10,000 other people. What is good, is that they actually close the streets for the rollers to come through (there is a full police escort, including police on rollers themselves) Its a great way to see the city, and is a lot more relaxing than trying to navigate your way through all of the traffic.