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modern art. I considered<br />
going to the Louvre, but<br />
was informed by the barista<br />
in Café Kitsune that “I would<br />
need about a week to see<br />
everything!” As one week<br />
underground was not an<br />
option, the Museé D’Orsay<br />
served as a nice alternative<br />
which I managed to look<br />
around in about three hours.<br />
never had the chance to<br />
fully explore. Fortunately I<br />
was staying with one of my<br />
friends from the tour so I<br />
jumped at the opportunity<br />
for an extended stay. The<br />
tournament was a $25,000<br />
Event at Jeu De Paume, a<br />
classy old rackets club, only<br />
walking distance from the<br />
Eiffel Tower and Arc De<br />
Triomphe. It always amazes<br />
me the peculiar places in<br />
which you can find a squash<br />
club. This place blended<br />
in as if it were another set<br />
of ornate apartments on<br />
the narrow Parisian ruelle!<br />
After working out the secret<br />
knock to enter through<br />
the grand wooden door, I<br />
qualified with relative ease<br />
to get into the Main Draw. I<br />
then narrowly lost to World<br />
#35 Adrian Waller. This was<br />
the best I had played in a<br />
long while so I felt optimistic<br />
about the following two<br />
events in Zurich and Kent.<br />
With my tournament over<br />
and free to roam, I went<br />
to relax in the gardens<br />
of the Eiffel Tower and<br />
make a plan. Hopping on<br />
the Metro, the best way<br />
to get around the city, I<br />
took Line 1 to Museé Du<br />
Louvre. One of the most<br />
artistic and historical areas<br />
of the French capital, it’s<br />
a must see location for<br />
tourists and locals alike. I<br />
walked through Le Palais<br />
Royal which led me to the<br />
Japanese quarter where the<br />
first café of the day resided;<br />
Telescopé. Typical of many<br />
speciality coffee shops this<br />
was a very minimalistic<br />
space, but without doubt<br />
served the best coffee I<br />
had in Paris. I had a filter<br />
made on Aeropress with a<br />
deliciously fruity Ethiopian<br />
bean recommended by the<br />
educated barista. I also liked<br />
that they offered no Wi-Fi<br />
to encourage people to<br />
stay off their phones and to<br />
socialise instead.<br />
With the caffeine hit in<br />
full force I buzzed past<br />
the Pyramide Du Louvre,<br />
through the Jardin Des<br />
Tuileries, over the Seine on<br />
the Passerelle De Solférino<br />
and arrived at the Museé<br />
D’Orsay; the museum of<br />
Sampling splendid coffee<br />
and exploring the arts of<br />
Paris clearly had a positive<br />
impact on me as I made<br />
the semi-final in Zurich and<br />
topped the season off by<br />
winning my sixth PSA title<br />
in Kent.<br />
I was humbled to finish<br />
the season with a win but<br />
for me it was just a good<br />
reflection of the mental<br />
state I was in; which is often<br />
the difference between<br />
winning and losing. Now<br />
as the season has come<br />
to a close I will be making<br />
my way to South Africa<br />
for a holiday. Its dramatic<br />
landscapes and easy going<br />
people are the reason I fell<br />
in love with the country<br />
and I can’t wait to immerse<br />
myself further.<br />
www.tomfordsquash.com<br />
11<br />
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