20-8-2010

20-8-2010
Originally uploaded by cspatrick

We walked home, with the hour approaching 11:00. As we crossed Vouillé near our apartment, a young man in a yellow vest skated in front of us and put up his hand to stop traffic on the facing street. We realized that we were seeing more skaters, and suddenly we were overwhelmed with them! We were in the midst of Pari Roller, a weekly roller blade ride which professes to gather the largest number of skaters on the planet. They average more than 10,000 skaters (sometimes as many as 25,000!) and their ride is typically approximately 30km, or about 18 miles. It may take as long as 45 minutes for all skaters to pass a point! (In this regard, we are fortunate that we had crossed the street before the skaters came along – it might have been midnight before we got home!) They are accompanied by hundreds of volunteer staff in yellow vests, and two ambulances and police cars as well. Toward the end may be bicycles, slower skaters, skateboarders, strollers and other miscellany. Makes me wish we had brought our skates!!