Page 31 - BPW-UK - E-news - Edition 124 - September 2024 - COMPLETED

Between us we put the mobility scooter together as it didn’t fit in the boot of the car in
one piece and then had a wander around the courtyard by the Palace until we eventually
found someone to ask where we should go. Pointing us out of the gate again and saying we
had to go to a different entrance and walk further down the park to the arena, off we went
with a newly acquired map in hand. Admiring the architecture and the cobbled streets of Ver-
sailles, we passed and trundled towards the gate we’d been directed through, enjoying the
warm Paris sunshine. Commenting as we went that there surely was a closer car park for dis-
abled people as our journey seemed never ending but through huge gates and beautiful parks
we continued. Well, I’m glad we started early because we did miss the first few horses due to
the distance involved, it took us all that spare time to get there in the heat. The disabled
seats are usually in a wide first row at these events and with a good view of the Arena but in
full sun and no shade as the temperature rose to 34 degrees C.

Plenty of water, snacks I had taken and a cone of chips kept us going and happy
watching these brilliantly talented horses and riders. Then the walk back to the car and the
decision to have a drive around the area before heading back to the house to see if there was
a closer place to park. I had walked over 6 miles that day. It came as bit of a surprise when
we found what definitely looked like a car park with a disabled sign close to a drop off area in
what turned out to be just a 5 minute walk from the Olympic Arena. Tomorrow would be
easier.
The next day I was just the delivery driver for the 2 that were going but I did take
along one of the other ladies too, so that I had a navigator on the way back to the house af-
ter the drop off. It was just as well because the drop off was a small pull-in manned by a lot
of police who only allowed 3 minutes before they were making you move on to let others in.
Three minutes to stop, get out and rebuild the mobility scooter and get a limited mobility lady
out of the car and safely onto the scooter then leave. Yes, but we managed it. Then I headed
back to the house with my navigator for the day until we had to return to pick them up and
dismantle the scooter and get everyone back into the car in the 3 allotted minutes.

On Thursday we all decided to visit the Louvre in central Paris, as we had no Dressage
to watch that day. Easy to get to by Metro we were told, unless you have a mobility scooter
with you. Tickets purchased, eventually, there was a lift down to the platform and when the
train arrived it was a short step onto it but we still had to push the scooter over the gap, no
big deal though. Lovely clean train and we arrived at the next station where we needed to
transfer. The lift wasn’t working so 2 of us manhandled the scooter up an escalator to the re-
quired platform ready for the next train. This one had a disabled carriage area but a bigger
gap from the platform we had to lift the scooter over; we settled down for a few stops to our
next station only to find the same on arrival and even worse, no lift and no escalator, just
stairs.