Approaching Biévres Photo Fair: An Uberwhelming experience

I definitely wasn’t looking forward to this morning’s trip to France, as you can imagine from my rather gloomy prognostication yesterday. In the end, though, it went like a dream rather than the nightmare I had expected. Despite the best efforts of the dinosaurs of the French labour movement and a flooded Seine conspiring to make life difficult, common sense and ingenuity won through. How come?

Today was made bearable entirely thanks to Uber. I have admired Uber from afar but now I am a firm advocate. After a smooth passage by Eurostar from London I was thrown into the usual chaos of Gare du Nord, ejected into rue du Dunkerque and deposited helpless with my bags outside McDonalds. Desperation was setting in.

Without much hope of salvation I got out the iPhone and powered up Uber. Within just a few seconds I had a driver, Guillaume. He was six minutes away, dropping off a customer, and I followed progress as the little car icon edged towards me though the dense traffic. A cheery Guillaume arrived within the six minutes and whisked me off in his Renault to the hotel in Saclay, near Versailles. The hour-long trip in excruciating traffic had been estimated at €77 but in the end worked out at a very reasonable €47. Result, happiness.

I’ve beaten all the assembled photographic trade to the hotel and I can relax and look forward to a day at the fair tomorrow. Thanks, Uber. You have a new fan and I have just raised a glass of Brouilly in your direction.