Both of us have written our versions of Day 2. There should be photos to go with this page, as soon as I find them I'll post them.
We were pleased to notice that there was a cybercafe just around the corner from the hotel, but couldn’t stop as in big rush to get to CDs, LOL.
Get there and run into nice bar owner from yesterday, (well he runs into us). Feel a bit sorry for him as without sounding like a 'true fan' it was obvious that he knew nothing about FS and was just there because it was his only day off that week. He was there to see 'the French,' LOL....
Met up with Ben (skatak from FSW) who was volunteering, Susanne from Germany, Carina and Jessica from Sweden.
So after a long time at the rink and feeling the French lurve, we leave during the final resurface and go into the Novotel where we watched on TV in comfort with wine and fag (me)...coke for shells.
We then take a meal in the Novotel, steak and stuff. Then back in for the mens’ SP. Gave first SO of the week to Yags, WOW. Then ...to the Sofitel for drinks. :)
Sit there and listen to an American woman talking about Yags and all his personal troubles and that 'The crowd gave the Standing Ovation for what was going on on the ice and that they don't know that he's done this and that...blah blah blah'...LOL! (note from shellybean: I agree with her!)
Somehow we managed to restrain ourselves from butting into that conversation, but I think we made conversation with the Swedes. I just sat there drinking wine :)
Left the bar at just after midnight. This was quite a tame night really, but just as well as that was going to change..... xoxoxox
First dance was the Waltz. Wing & Lowe were 17th, Dubreil & Lauzon were 10th (I was shocked and thrilled), A&P were first (Marina wore her gorgeous waltz dress from the OD last year), FP&M were second (although, I personally liked L&A’s waltz better), L&A were third, and D&V fourth. I can’t remember where the rest of the field placed.
Next was the Tango. W&L managed to move up to 15th in that dance, D&L unfortunately dropped a spot to 11th (but Sharon and I both agreed that their tango was better than their waltz), and the rest of the standings stayed the same. The buzz around the building was that people thought FP&M might overtake A&P in the tango because their tango was strong and A&P’s is a weaker dance for them. It didn’t happen though, which made the French fans very happy. I’ve never seen such a fuss made out of comp. dances before!
The nice bartender that gave us the very vague directions the day before came over to us before the dances started and said, you don’t remember me, do you? I actually DID remember him, and told him so (well, I knew I knew him from somewhere, but wasn’t sure where…thought maybe he had driven me in the taxi from the hotel). Sharon had no idea who he was. LOL He said that today was going to be the most interesting day of the competition. We sort of looked at each other and went, ”um...Ok” He certainly spent a lot of time out in the lobby smoking…
Hmm…I was getting VERY sick of compulsory dances, and the seats in the arena, and managed to convince Sharon to leave there a little early. We went to the Novotel (one of the skaters hotels) and sat in the bar in a much more comfortable chair (after Elvis and his entourage vacated that is) and watched the rest of the CD’s on the television. We had dinner at the Novotel too…real food! :) Steak and green beans for me, steak and french fries for Sharon. And these rolls that were harder than the damn table! I think they were really meant for decoration.
Back to the rink to see…uh…Men’s short. Yagudin, whom I’ve never really been overly fond of, stole the show and after his short program (he skated last I think?) I found myself being pulled (magnetically? magically?) from my seat to start (or perhaps join in) a standing ovation!
We made our way over to the Sofitel bar where we were supposed to have met up with some people the night before (but as we were both exhausted we didn’t go). We found some great seats and plopped ourselves down. Sharon went off in search of something (not sure what..either drinks or the telephone to try and reach Hils whose line was ALWAYS engaged (get a second one already Hils!). I sat listening in on a conversation that was happening at the bar (sorry ladies!). I was absolutely floored when I figured out who one of the ladies was, and when Sharon came back I told her and she was very interested as well. I couldn’t figure out who the second one was, and we later learned that she (according to her friend) is not an internet person. Their conversation was quite interesting, I always love listening to people who know what they’re talking about (unlike those Americans from the night before who were slagging off Sale & Pelletier). Ok, so it was blatant eavesdropping, but… I was sitting there alone at the time.
Jessica and Carina arrived then and so I pulled my attention away from the bar and chatted with them.
We left the Sofitel around midnight (the bar closed at midnight (well, most nights), have you ever heard of something so ridiculous in your life?!) and took a taxi back to the hotel (which we didn’t do again because it was bloody expensive!) But we got to the hotel and…THE DOORS WERE LOCKED!!! I was quite worried, but it all turned out ok. They have a bell and a lovely night gentleman who sleeps on the sofa in the lobby who let us in (I’ll bet he was glad to see the end of us!)
Day Three to follow...