19 mars 2011 - Coup du Monde de Gymnastique (Paris World Cup)

SAMEDI

It is a little before 4am when I pass this boulangerie on my way into town. The light in the kitchen is on and the smell of bread fills the pre-dawn air.

I arrive in the parking lot where a Périgord Voyages bus was waiting. The gymnastics club rented the bus to carry gymnasts and their parents to the Paris World Cup. About two and half hours up the autoroute we stopped at a service station for half and hour.

Arrived in Paris a bit after eleven.

We ate our picnic lunches in the parking garage of the Palais Omnisports Paris-Bercy.

Walk to the entrance and join the line.

Il y a du monde.

Warm-ups.

Event staff handed out face paint, buttons, balloons, and noise makers to the fans. Bleu, Blanc, Rouge!

 Presentation of the Flags-  representing all the countries participating in the competition.

Chinese gymnasts chalking up the bars. Irish gymnasts on the parallel bars.

French gymnasts on floor... enthusiastic crowd. 

Danell Leyva of the US qualified for the final day of competition in first place on high bar.

It is 8:30pm when we leave the parking garage and head through Parisian traffic to begin the journey back to Sarlat.

Twenty-four hours later we arrive back in Sarlat and I walk back to my apartment early on Sunday morning.