Paris...

[maimie]

home yesterday and only now able to sit and put my thoughts together about the trip and the game...

what a few days.  never been at an away scotland game before but i doubt this will be my last....

started off on the train down from inverness when we met another 2 couples from nairn.  had a wee cd player with us and we were playing the tunes and singing the songs on the way.  change at perth and met up with about 50 more!

in to glasgow and got CaleytillAYEdie a crackin haircut with a saltire cut in the back and blue face paint to colour it and then it was off to the pre-train party.  music by the tartan specials and ronnie brown to name a few.

the train was leaving glasgow at 8.45 and we marched from the party round to the station led by clanadonia who were superb.  central station was fantastic singing dancing playing footy!  train was something else.  not sure many had much sleep...  but it wasn't a sleeper so that didn't really matter...  :001:

first stop preston and the whole lot got off the train (well those that were able..).  again the singing was amazing - not sure what the folk there thought!

eventually reached london about 6 and it must have been some sight as 700 of us got off a train and about half walked off into the capital for breakfast...  2 eurostars were booked to take us to paris - ours was the second and we eventually arrived in paris at about 1.30 on tuesday afternoon. 

finally found our hotel, dumped the bags and headed off into the city.  wandered around some of the sites and the number of times caleytillAYEdie and his dad got their photos taken was something else.  mananged to make our way to the auld alliance pub which was absolutely jumpin!  no room at the inn so everyone was in the street outside.  the wee supermarket up the road ran out of beer too...

home reasonably early in preparation for the big day on the wednesday....

up early and headed in to the plyon...  actually went up to the top which will amaze many who know about my fear of heights!  but what views...  it was a most beautiful day and you could see for miles and miles...  and at the bottom you could see the tartan army starting to gather for the prematch party.

and again it was a sight to behold!  dancing singing pipes drums flags (including our own!).  by about 3 there were thousands of us as well as the usual tourists many of whom by this time were really getting into the party mood with us.  we met a dutch family who shared a bench and some wine with us and thought it was great! 

the craic was brill including when some started singing oh when the scots...  at which point a guy with a turban joined in and the words started to change to oh when the sihks....

http://www.dailymotion.com/search/ecosse/v...-ecosse_parties

met up with a whole heap of folk we knew or had got to know over the couple of days including an old primary school friend of mine who just happened to be standing in front of us at a set of traffic lights!  met Ali the butcher and his son 'the lamb', keith and cheryl to name but some...

about 5 we all started to congregate nearer the road and the river and then to about a dozen pipers and drummers thousands of us started to walk to the stadium...  the police were fantastic and had closed roads for us and given us a route to follow.  the french were hanging out the windows waiving at us and clapping us.  must have taken at least half an hour for everyone to cross the bridge...

eventually reached the ground and that was probably the most police we had seen.  having said that they were absolutely fantastic! just pointed us all in the direction of the ground and the bars and let us get on with it.  the french fans were fantastic too.  no segregation what so ever and scottish flags in every part of the ground.  not sure if you could hear it but after flower of scotland was sung the scots all joined in with the french anthem!  no booing just respect.

you've all seen the game by now but when we scored the place just errupted!  the noise was tremendous...  the french fans didn't have a clue what to do!

afterwards the french fans were applauding the scots as we left the stadium.  fantastic response after their team getting beaten yet again.  the metro on the way home was just jumping - singing the french again applauding the police and metro staff fantastic...

the city centre after the game was awash with tartan but strangely enough there were folk in paris who really didn't know what had happened or even that there had been a football match on!

thursday sees us getting organised for the trip home.  in to the gard du nor to catch the eurostar yet again and when we reached london it was just fantastic!  again the police at waterloo were great and went round telling everyone what platform and time the train was..  prob wanting us home!  the queue to get on the train was great the singing the faces on the londoners when they saw what was happening...  one guy even walked past in an england top to a rendition of what the fcn h*ll is that....

train again was one big party though slightly more subdued than on the way down but the stories and the jokes and the songs were just great...  in to glasgow at 6.45am and time for breakfast.  train up to inverness was extremely quiet with us all sleeping....

early bed last night...  long lie today...  and still have the dreams and memories of the few days in paris....

hope i've not bored you all with this but hope also it will encourage more folk to think about going to an away game in the future - ticket or not!!

hopefully make another one myself sometime...

[Guest eliza]

Great report.... only wish I had been in your suitcase!

Here's to the next away outing!?  x

[Heilandee]

Eh'm feeling weary just reading that M, some stamina , good on ya,top trip by the sound of it,i had a brilliant night and only went next door!!, feck knows how good it must oh been in Paris  :021:

[maimie]

you'e no idea HD!!! 

here's a wee vid of the march too...  the booing was at a french fan then they gave him a scotland flag....

this'll give you some idea of what it was like!!

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Were you a Tartan Army Virgin maimie ? But - feck me - what a choice to be deflowered !! You will be able to say I was there whnever this glorious win is discussed over and over again.

But did any of the lads get down the Pigalle.  :023:

[maimie]

i was indeed Immortal one...  :004:

they say you always remember your first time and goodness - this one will be hard to beat!! :001:

and yes.... a few did.... not us though!

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

i was indeed Immortal one...   :004:

they say you always remember your first time and goodness - this one will be hard to beat!! :001:

And the first time was a sudden explosion from thirty yards after an hour of foreplay?  :rotflmao:

[L_G]

:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: