The streets of Paris were far from the usual hustle and bustle of the cosmopolitan capital of France following the country’s worst terror attacks, according to a Wagga resident caught in the middle of the chaos.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The local entrepreneur was in Paris when the co-ordinated attacks occurred, killing at least 129 people and leaving scores injured.
Tolsa Harrison was in Europe for a prestigious web summit in Dublin, and decided to take the opportunity to travel around the continent with his now fiancee Tahlia Keogh.
Mr Harrison proposed to Ms Keogh while in London about three weeks ago and they were wrapping up their travels in the city of love when terror struck.
“The closest of attacks happened just over one kilometre from our hotel,” Mr Harrison said.
“What’s even scarier was that it happened in the area that we were intending to eat snails and frog legs.
“Thankfully, Tahlia was sick and we decided to have a quiet night in.”
It was the first time the couple hadn’t gone out to dinner in their three-and-a-half weeks overseas.
The Pop-Up Gigs founder contacted the Australian Embassy and finalised plans to leave France.
The couple was enroute home when The Daily Advertiser contacted Mr Harrison at Dubai.
He said they were confronted with a scene of heavily armed police officers and empty streets at the front of their hotel on the morning following the attacks.
“Sirens were going off throughout the night, however, Tahlia and I simply didn’t give it any thought as to what was happening,” the 29-year-old said.
“We still heard sirens the following morning but the place was in lock down and we stayed in our hotel room.”
Mr Harrison thanked the couple’s friends and family for their support.
“The whole experience was a roller-coaster ride,” he said.
