well, i guess all of these are travel days, but this was the longest travel day ever!
we wake up and get ready. we leave the hostel around 9:30, lugging our bags down the four flights of stairs. after checking out, we go straight to the metro stop (which was oddly vacant, unlike the day before) and make our transition to the metro line that takes us to the airport.
the train is hot and muggy, but we found a spot in the back where we could stack our luggage and sit by ourselves. for the first time on this trip, a guy stands up and plays the violin. after a couple of songs, he walks down the train with his hand out, then past us to the next train. shortly thereafter, another guy hands out gum and a card, setting it on people's laps or on the seat next to them.
as i see this, i comment to the girls that i saw this all the time on my prior trip and especially in mexico. i also crack wise: "that guys blind or deaf...he drops the gum off, then walks back by and, collects either the gum or a donation for the gum."
other than that, our train ride is uneventful. kelli or erika make an observation about the graffiti, which we saw plenty of in italy. once we arrive, we disembark and enter the gigantic building that is charles de gaulle airport. we make our way to the northwest check in line, grateful that we got there as early as we did because the line was not moving very quickly.
once to the checker-inner guy, he asks us if we want to spend another evening in paris. we'd be put up in a hotel that evening and they'd give us some cash. maybe even another ticket too, but i didn't hear this part.
"no. i want to go home!" kelli blurts out, almost before the guy finishes telling us.
"nope. gotta go to work," erika quickly states in short succession.
"now, wait a minute... another night, eh?" goes through my mind. i am not anxious to go home, as these ladies clearly are. now busted broke, i'm thinking about the wad of cash they'd give me (probably at least a hundred euro, enough for my meals...maybe), another ticket to come back, and the fact that i'd be in paris another night! i really, really, really want to take this dude up on the offer.
then reality sets in: kansas city airport is 60 miles away from kelli's house. they'd be going there earlier in the day and wouldn't be coming back for my ass later that night, meaning i'd have to get a hotel. that's not that big of a deal, but the fact that my phone and some other belongings are still at their house is! i reluctantly drop it, but think about it until we get on the plane.
we get a bite to eat at the airport and then board. i was lucky and scored an exit row. in my luck, i was unlucky and scored the window seat. which actually wasn't that bad, there was a pocket (which was hard to manuever around when sitting and getting up, but it held my ipod and shades nicely).
no one takes the seat for a good long while. this always frightens me. who likes to take the exit row? one of two people: little jerks who think like to kick their tiny little legs (which they can easily do in normal seats) or big people, like me, who actually need the space so that their legs are not in contorted positions for the next nine hours. the longer i don't know, the bigger this dude gets in my mind. at least he has the aisle on one side, i've got the plane on my side!
then i hear, "that's our seat," a grumpy lady and, i'm assuming, her daughter. uh oh. then barbara springs forth, a little blond cutie. what a relief! my seat-partner's no 7'11" behemoth requiring two seats, not like her fly-mate for the chunk of her life. she has room to spare, right?
i did what i probably should've done with the guy flying over, and starting talking with her. that makes the whole "you're flying with someone really, really big, which will probably make this flight very uncomfortable" thing a lot easier to palate. -ish.
we even engaged the grumpy flight attendant that sat in front of us. he was hilarious. an actor by trade, he didn't really give a good answer why he was a flight attendant, but he said that he hated it. he was quite the prima donna. he had gone out partying the night before, so he was hungover. he corrected barbara - she wasn't going to new york, she was going to jersey, which he said with such disdain.
anyhow, we talk about a myriad of topics. she lived in shanghai for a year, speaks a number of languages, has a killer apartment on a hill in paris, is a graphic designer consultant. you know, shit like that. pretty interesting and, more importantly, quickly passes the time. i was really glad to meet her, and, in that moment, thought that i made the right decision. after all, had i flown the next day, i might've been sitting next to king kong, and that would not have been pleasant, for me or him.
about halfway into the flight, we run shy of topics. so, we discover our video screens and go to our movies. "run fatboy, run," "chaos theory," and a part of "flawless," were my companions for the rest of my flight.
passing through customs took awhile. a long while. but, the length of time was somewhat expected and we had plenty of time to make our gate to catch our connecting flight to kc.
we were talking about where we were going to eat once we got in to kansas city. i may have had a craving for this place called jack stack since kelli's husband, dan, told me about this bbq joint (if you don't know by now, bbq is my favorite food). he told me in great detail about its crown prime rib beef ribs that were the best he's ever had. their sides were allegedly very good as well. we were supposed to eat there the saturday that i got in town, but the girls had to practice, so we went closer to home instead. but we agreed to go there for supper - which is why none of us even got a snack in detroit. mmm...i was hungry for it, too!
that's when i talked with my first fan - kelli's stepmom, who she called to check in with (here's me giving you props, martha!). of course, i received lots of comments and encouragement from y'all, but hearing the excitement in her voice was very encouraging.
the call was cut short because we were boarding. that was when we stepped into hell.
we board the plane. easy enough. we wait. we didn't know this at the time, but they were waiting for two people to board. they kept calling their names in the airport. finally, they gave up the seats to a couple flying standby. unfortunately, they botched the seats, giving one of the seats that was already filled to the wife. the husband sat next to a kid (he was in his 20s) who saw his life flash before his eyes. when they sort it out, a grumpy lady from the desk points to the open seat in first class and directs her gaze to the frightened boy, "you, sit here, you," looking at the wife, "sit there. done," and quickly walks away. "you owe me big," the wife says as she sits next to her husband.
once all the commotion settles down and we're about to push back, a storm rolls in. "well, folks, looks like we have a delay. this storm looks to be moving pretty quickly, so we hope to be in the air in a half-hour. stay in your seats, though, 'cause if we get the okay before then, we'll push back from the gate and be on our way. thanks for your patience."
there was some lightning in the storm, so this made sense. but that half-hour moved by pretty quickly (it only took about 30 minutes). no announcement. the storm was still coming on strong. 7:00 pm in detroit is 1:00 am in paris. not late, but sitting around waiting or flying for most of that day is extremely boring. and with bbq on the brain - it's time to go eat, damnit! don't these guys know?
the girls were talking about whatever they were talking about, and my name popped up, but my focus was on the cockpit. how could they tell us that we'd be in the air in 30 minutes and then, once we hit that mark, not give us an announcement? i mean, come on! and airlines wonder why their approval rating is lower that george bush's! i was stewing, man, paying no mind to whatever the girls were slinging my way.
after an hour, they get on the horn. "yeah, we don't have approval to take off yet, so we're just going to hang tight. we'll keep you posted," yeah, right, "we're still hoping to be on our way soon, though. thanks again for your patience."
the flight attendants start handing out water. people get on their phones. "oh, there's golfball sized hail in kansas city? well, shit - why didn't they tell us that it's not the storm here, that it's because we can't land there? this is stupid," a girl behind me says into her phone. "i guess we have a terrifying drizzle out there and can't take off," a guy says, then recounts his travel experience, which started long before ours did. another hour passes by.
"looks like they're going to start sending flights out in the direction we're headed here soon, so we just need to hang tight for a little while and get the thumbs up. we should be out of here in no time."
the door was still open to the plane. we were connected to the gate, but the air was hot. poor erika, sitting next to me, experiencing the fear that i described with that open seat next to me, was starting to feel ill. we were connected to the gate, though! they didn't put on the air or anything. the storm had died down. kelli's looking out the window and tells us about a plane that is parked, coming off the runway, but not unloading.
not only that, but, by now i start to believe the horrible news that kelli has been saying for the last hour and a half: we're not going to make it to jack stack tonight. nooooooooooo!!! my agitation is jumping. wait for it...
after about 30 minutes, we get the following announcement: "this flight has been canceled. head to gates a38 and a39 to get further instruction. please take all of your belongings as you will not be returning to this plane. thank you."
what! you mean - you held us on this plane for 2:30, and now we're getting canceled? this is bullshit!
i can feel the blood in my face, i'm hot. not acting-out hot, but i'm definitely angry at this whole situation. i understand that the delay is weather, but, what're we going to do? because it's weather, they're just going to tell us that we're screwed and have to hang out in the airport until the flight takes off at its rescheduled time. right? i mean, it's an airline - do they care about the consumer really? well, maybe we can get a bite to eat at least. we hadn't eaten since a sandwich and strawberry sorbet (gross strawberry sorbet that i didn't eat) about an hour and a half before we touched down. we get our stuff and start heading up the jetway.
"it's not canceled. go back down." this was somewhat exciting news, but, by this time, we're all irritated by the circumstances, so the gentleman who said it had the tone as though he was rolling his eyes as he said it. we turn, but there's a plane full of people heading our way. we at least stop, and a different lady comes down the jetway to dispel the rumor that the flight's canceled. we stand around for another half-hour or so, then get back on the plane and find our seats.
shortly after we get situated, the door closes. we get pushed back. now there's a line of flights in front of us, but at least we're heading towards the tarmac.
we take off. at 11:30. we were supposed to take off at 7:30, landing at 8:20 (time difference), providing ample time for some bbq beef ribs, goshdarnit!
i cash out. kelli wakes me once, telling me that i'm snoring real bad. unlike her overexaggerations throughout the trip, i really believe her this time. but then i go back to doing it the rest of the flight. erika told me after that she tried to wake me up too, but didn't succeed. my throat hurts from snoring. everyone must hate me on the flight, and i don't blame them, but i don't care, either.
we had been on a plane for 15 hours. more than a quarter of which was completely unproductive. just sitting there. not doing a damn thing. on a plane. this is not a place where i want to spend four hours of my life if i don't have to. but, i had to.
luckily, the baggage claim was just out the door. dan picks us up. we get to their house at 1:10 am. had i stayed in paris, i would just be waking up after a restful night's sleep at the hotel of the airline's choice. at this moment, i wished that i would've taken that offer and stayed in paris.
i go to bed around 2:00 am, exhausted. but, i'm back state-side and can text and call all my friends now. that's my silver lining...everyone i love.
so, there you have it. the daunting trip back from the lovely trip to europe. sure, it had its ups and downs, but it was awesome. eye-opening in many regards, i loved the experience and can't wait to go back...in the meantime, i'm dreading my return to 115 degrees in the desert...
dread. -ing.
7.09.2008
7.03.2008
last day in paris, last day in europe
well, last full day in paris, last full day in europe.
if you know anything about me, you would know that this does not make me happy. i woke up a little early, cold, suprisingly, listening to the traffic four floors below. the only thought running through my head was: this is my last day in paris.
i laid awake for a little while before the girls woke up. then, they had to get ready. do you know how long it takes girls to get ready? well, kelli took a little longer 'cause she had to straighten her hair. we went to the bakery for some breakfast bread, then off to the musee d'orsay. we had bought some tickets off norbert before the end of the tour. this saved us quite some time with the line.
we walk in, then go to the top. the impressionist floor. monet. manet. van gogh. renoir. matisse. whistler. a bunch of 'em. my favorite was one called "la nuit," or, "the night." i forget who it was by, but i took a picture. better believe you'll see it later.
we roamed around here for a few hours, then headed to lunch back by notre dame. while the girls went to the crêpe shop i visited on saturday afternoon. as we walked up, i realized i was out of cash, so i headed for a bank. by the time i got back, they were almost done. so i went to find another place to sit and have a bite while they shopped. i found a place that served some onion soup. well, we might call it french onion soup, but when you're in france, it's just called onion soup. this soup was better than the night before and would end up being better than the stuff i ate later that night. i had a pepper steak, some fries, and some fruit salad for dessert.
when i got done, i needed to pick up a couple of souvenirs myself. we shopped for a few minutes, then headed to the sacré cœur - the last of the three things we wanted to do, taking it easy. the metro took us to, what i could summise, the closest stop to the basilique. 365 steps later, we arrive at the top of the mountain. many of them just in the metro stop. when the girls go inside, i find the other stop on the map that i couldn't find, the funiclaire. i can only imagine that it takes you from the metro stop we were at to the top of the mountain (i dare not mention this to the girls, by the way, just smile to myself as i notice it.)
at the top is a little artist community around the church. the view is tremendous. you can see the entire city from up there. around the front of the church is a guy play the diggery-do and across the street is a guy with a guitar and a little amp playing to the crowd on the steps. he's singing reggae-ish. his buddy comes up later to sing cover songs, stand by me, when the lion sleeps tonight, roxanne.
after we get our fill of the wonderful view, we get a small bite to eat. i get onion soup again, the girls share a panini. the waiter was a funny guy, rapping with us in plain english. then, it's back down the hill.
we get back to the hostel to pack. the girls, or "poopers," as i like to call them, decided that they were too tired to go to the river and have a couple of drinks. so, i get everything ready to sneak in that night and go down to the internet cafe. that's when i tried to check in online, but failed 'cause i didn't have my information with me (who knew that they needed a confirmation number? pshah!).
running low on cash, i get a couple cans of beer and go to the river seine. i just plop down, dangle my feet over the edge, watch the water, and drink some beer. heineken and 1664. the reflection of the light on the water reminds me of a van gogh painting, short brush strokes moving quickly over the canvas of the black water. i see some people in the distance, on the bank, and a ferry boat that was moored at the side with music booming. behind me, it looks like a few people are hanging out at a table, which i thought was odd and out of place.
i sit there for, maybe :30 or :45, just enjoying the cool air and the sight of the river. this is, after all, my last night. i see a ferry boat, a dinner cruise, really, pass me, from east to west. my thoughts are my own, thinking about the trip, thinking about me, thinking about so many different things. i'm not excited to come home. the girls are, but i'm definitely not. i could stay. i could definitely stay. i'm not bummed, i'm not depressed, i'm not really even sad. i know that i have to return the next day, and i know that i will. so, i enjoy the moment. i enjoy my last minutes in paris, in europe.
shortly thereafter, that ferry boat comes back my way. i see it turn in the water, just past me. there are a handful of men standing outside the dining room, and one lifts his glass to me. i, of course, respond in kind. in moments, i find out that they're going to park that son of a bitch right in front of me, spoiling my view. but this is still interesting...for sure. i don't move a muscle - now, instead of watching the river, i'm watching the people on this boat.
the windows are cracked slightly, so i can overhear some of the conversations. most of it is in english, but i can also hear some in french and, i think, german. but i can't hear anything too well.
there's one table in particular, in the back, that has about five or six men sitting around it, with a woman at the back of it. i see them looking in my general direction. they're chuckling and carrying on. who knows what they're talking about? maybe about work, maybe about one of the people that were sitting in the table across the room, maybe about some show that some of them attended. i'm watching, amused. i have a half-smile cracked on my face, and i'm trying to figure out what they're talking about. then i see one of the guys start pointing at his chin. now i'm starting to get a better idea of what they're talking about. they're almost blatantly talking about me! i'm listening attentively, but can't hardly hear anything more than a couple of words. they're speaking in english.
the girl waves at me! i wink back. the guy sitting to her right says, "he just winked at you!" i thought they were just having some fun or whatever, but now i realize that they're insulting me. i sure bet they didn't know that i could hear them. what's so funny about me!?!
some of them get up to go on the other side and have a smoke. then the others get up and start to mill around, her one of them. she's cute-ish, in a frumpy kind of way. glasses, her hair is pulled back in a pony tail and she has long bangs. her dress is black with a wide belt around her waist, the huge buckle in front. this is a semi-formal event. she goes to one table, and is laughing and talking with the people there. then to the table in front. then i hear, as clear as day, "i'm a little afraid of the strange guy outside." i chuckled to myself. i reached in my bag and pulled out my journal book. i scribbled out, "don't be afraid, i'm not scary. just american."
by the time i got done, most of the people were sitting again, getting their salad. i look up, but the freak show is over now. no one looks up and i can't get her attention. just in case, though, i scribble out a new message, "be nice. i'm not strange, just different."
the more i thought about it, the more ticked i got. i mean, how am i strange for sitting at the bank of the seine watching the water and enjoying a beer? don't get me wrong, i get the whole bald-headed, long goatee thing as unusual to clean cut, regular joes. but i didn't do anything to this woman or these people? they cut off my view!
unfortunately, i was never able to get her attention again, and they were called into a different room to conduct a business meeting. the guy said it would take an hour or an hour and a half, and it was already midnight. oh, well, my fun was over.
i walked back to the hostel, stopping for a kebab sandwich on the way. then, a refreshing shower and my day was over.
my last day in paris, my last day in europe.
if you know anything about me, you would know that this does not make me happy. i woke up a little early, cold, suprisingly, listening to the traffic four floors below. the only thought running through my head was: this is my last day in paris.
i laid awake for a little while before the girls woke up. then, they had to get ready. do you know how long it takes girls to get ready? well, kelli took a little longer 'cause she had to straighten her hair. we went to the bakery for some breakfast bread, then off to the musee d'orsay. we had bought some tickets off norbert before the end of the tour. this saved us quite some time with the line.
we walk in, then go to the top. the impressionist floor. monet. manet. van gogh. renoir. matisse. whistler. a bunch of 'em. my favorite was one called "la nuit," or, "the night." i forget who it was by, but i took a picture. better believe you'll see it later.
we roamed around here for a few hours, then headed to lunch back by notre dame. while the girls went to the crêpe shop i visited on saturday afternoon. as we walked up, i realized i was out of cash, so i headed for a bank. by the time i got back, they were almost done. so i went to find another place to sit and have a bite while they shopped. i found a place that served some onion soup. well, we might call it french onion soup, but when you're in france, it's just called onion soup. this soup was better than the night before and would end up being better than the stuff i ate later that night. i had a pepper steak, some fries, and some fruit salad for dessert.
when i got done, i needed to pick up a couple of souvenirs myself. we shopped for a few minutes, then headed to the sacré cœur - the last of the three things we wanted to do, taking it easy. the metro took us to, what i could summise, the closest stop to the basilique. 365 steps later, we arrive at the top of the mountain. many of them just in the metro stop. when the girls go inside, i find the other stop on the map that i couldn't find, the funiclaire. i can only imagine that it takes you from the metro stop we were at to the top of the mountain (i dare not mention this to the girls, by the way, just smile to myself as i notice it.)
at the top is a little artist community around the church. the view is tremendous. you can see the entire city from up there. around the front of the church is a guy play the diggery-do and across the street is a guy with a guitar and a little amp playing to the crowd on the steps. he's singing reggae-ish. his buddy comes up later to sing cover songs, stand by me, when the lion sleeps tonight, roxanne.
after we get our fill of the wonderful view, we get a small bite to eat. i get onion soup again, the girls share a panini. the waiter was a funny guy, rapping with us in plain english. then, it's back down the hill.
we get back to the hostel to pack. the girls, or "poopers," as i like to call them, decided that they were too tired to go to the river and have a couple of drinks. so, i get everything ready to sneak in that night and go down to the internet cafe. that's when i tried to check in online, but failed 'cause i didn't have my information with me (who knew that they needed a confirmation number? pshah!).
running low on cash, i get a couple cans of beer and go to the river seine. i just plop down, dangle my feet over the edge, watch the water, and drink some beer. heineken and 1664. the reflection of the light on the water reminds me of a van gogh painting, short brush strokes moving quickly over the canvas of the black water. i see some people in the distance, on the bank, and a ferry boat that was moored at the side with music booming. behind me, it looks like a few people are hanging out at a table, which i thought was odd and out of place.
i sit there for, maybe :30 or :45, just enjoying the cool air and the sight of the river. this is, after all, my last night. i see a ferry boat, a dinner cruise, really, pass me, from east to west. my thoughts are my own, thinking about the trip, thinking about me, thinking about so many different things. i'm not excited to come home. the girls are, but i'm definitely not. i could stay. i could definitely stay. i'm not bummed, i'm not depressed, i'm not really even sad. i know that i have to return the next day, and i know that i will. so, i enjoy the moment. i enjoy my last minutes in paris, in europe.
shortly thereafter, that ferry boat comes back my way. i see it turn in the water, just past me. there are a handful of men standing outside the dining room, and one lifts his glass to me. i, of course, respond in kind. in moments, i find out that they're going to park that son of a bitch right in front of me, spoiling my view. but this is still interesting...for sure. i don't move a muscle - now, instead of watching the river, i'm watching the people on this boat.
the windows are cracked slightly, so i can overhear some of the conversations. most of it is in english, but i can also hear some in french and, i think, german. but i can't hear anything too well.
there's one table in particular, in the back, that has about five or six men sitting around it, with a woman at the back of it. i see them looking in my general direction. they're chuckling and carrying on. who knows what they're talking about? maybe about work, maybe about one of the people that were sitting in the table across the room, maybe about some show that some of them attended. i'm watching, amused. i have a half-smile cracked on my face, and i'm trying to figure out what they're talking about. then i see one of the guys start pointing at his chin. now i'm starting to get a better idea of what they're talking about. they're almost blatantly talking about me! i'm listening attentively, but can't hardly hear anything more than a couple of words. they're speaking in english.
the girl waves at me! i wink back. the guy sitting to her right says, "he just winked at you!" i thought they were just having some fun or whatever, but now i realize that they're insulting me. i sure bet they didn't know that i could hear them. what's so funny about me!?!
some of them get up to go on the other side and have a smoke. then the others get up and start to mill around, her one of them. she's cute-ish, in a frumpy kind of way. glasses, her hair is pulled back in a pony tail and she has long bangs. her dress is black with a wide belt around her waist, the huge buckle in front. this is a semi-formal event. she goes to one table, and is laughing and talking with the people there. then to the table in front. then i hear, as clear as day, "i'm a little afraid of the strange guy outside." i chuckled to myself. i reached in my bag and pulled out my journal book. i scribbled out, "don't be afraid, i'm not scary. just american."
by the time i got done, most of the people were sitting again, getting their salad. i look up, but the freak show is over now. no one looks up and i can't get her attention. just in case, though, i scribble out a new message, "be nice. i'm not strange, just different."
the more i thought about it, the more ticked i got. i mean, how am i strange for sitting at the bank of the seine watching the water and enjoying a beer? don't get me wrong, i get the whole bald-headed, long goatee thing as unusual to clean cut, regular joes. but i didn't do anything to this woman or these people? they cut off my view!
unfortunately, i was never able to get her attention again, and they were called into a different room to conduct a business meeting. the guy said it would take an hour or an hour and a half, and it was already midnight. oh, well, my fun was over.
i walked back to the hostel, stopping for a kebab sandwich on the way. then, a refreshing shower and my day was over.
my last day in paris, my last day in europe.
me and the girls in paris
we decided not to have too much of an agenda - i mean, sure, there were things that we wanted to see, but we didn't want the tight schedule. we'd get to what we got to and would leave it at that. the things that we had left were the musee d'orsay, napoleon's tomb and the army museum, and sacré-cœur basilica. three things to see, two days in which to do them. no problem.
this monday, we're on our own, so we get up when we darn well please (around 9:30 am) and go have breakfast. kelli and erika go see if we can squeeze two more nights at the group rate out of the hotel, to no avail. luckily, while i enjoyed the eiffel tower on friday night, they were seeking out a place to stay and found a hostel in the area. only 25€ a night! well, plus a sheet and a towel at 2€ each, so 54€ total for each of us - not too bad considering the other hotels were charging around 200€ a night...
anyhow, we leave our comfortable hotel rooms for our quaint little hostel around the corner. in all actuality, i think the hostel is much more my speed. there are no frivolous luxuries, community bathroom and shower, just a room with three beds and a sink. i do like the fact that i was sharing the room with people i know and trust, as packing bags and taking them down the four flights of stairs - and back up again - every day would suck ass. but, it was enough. warm, for certain, because one of those frivolous luxuries is air conditioning (okay, so that part i lied about - i would have liked the room to have a/c), and filled with noise from the street, but just fine.
we can't go up in our room until 3:30 pm, but they have a little secured area for us to put our bags. afterwards, we head out for napoleon's tomb and the army museum. being the expert of the metro system as i am (well, maybe not expert, but i get it and have been getting us around much better than i did when we were in italy), i get us there pretty easily.
originally, this was not the tomb of napoleon, as he wasn't alive at the time that the sun king had it built. but it serves well as his final resting place. beautiful and ornate, each wall has a different stained glass window. the colors were immense, orange, signifying the sun king, and others of blue and green. the chapel, which was not open as it still serves as a chapel, had flags of conquered tribes and peoples hanging along the walls.
the tomb itself was enormous, and quite the tribute to such a little fellow with a huge ambition. the french really respect him, rightfully so. his greatest pride being his code of conduct.
after we finish there, we go to the armory and see some of the most ornate and beautiful armor and weapons ever created. this stuff is high quality, "luxury armor," it was called. for the horses, for the men, and, also, for the children. different than the things i saw in the doge's palace in venice, but awesome, nonetheless. again, as i was going through it, i was thinking about all the geeks at work that would be creaming their shorts in this place.
then we went to lunch. we walked the streets for a little while until we found a local restaurant. 7,50€ for a sandwich, drink, and dessert. we all had ham and cheese, i had an orange sodey (so tasty in europe - way better than ours here with their high fructose corn syrup) and the girls had waters. erika had a rich, delicious brownie with walnuts, and kelli and i each had an apricot or peach cake. the owners didn't speak hardly any english at all ("sandwich? hamcheese?"), but we communicated just enough to get what we needed. we thanked them graciously and headed to the musee d'orsay.
the streets we walked were not the tourist ones that we were used to walking. there was the hubbub of business as usual. there were retail shops, but they were not filled with the camera toting visitors that we were on for the trip with the tour.
the museum was strangely vacant. well, i guess it wasn't that strange as it turned out to be closed. so, we just opted to head back to the hostel, get our bags up to the room, then have a bite to eat for supper.
getting back there was a different story. we went to the right metro stop, but just after we got there an announcement blared over the speakers. in french, of course - i mean, it just makes sense that it's in french, as we're in france, but it didn't do us any good as we had no clue what it meant. a lady, speaking in english in front of us to her daughters, said, "they just stopped the trains for an accident or something, i don't know what, but they're not running anymore."
we went our way, trying to find a different route back to the hostel. up the stairs again, down the street. we stop for a minute on a bench so i can review the map - not much help with the smaller streets. but we're right by the national assembly stop, it's not too far to the invalides stop. as we're walking behind the joint, a bus stops at the back of the building, that reads, "assemblee national musique," and there were about 20...not soldiers, but men - and a woman - in uniform, alighting the bus (that's what they call disembarking, hehe), the rear two with snare drums.
they line up in two lines, marching in step. the gate to the back garden opens up, and to the beat of the drum they march in through the gate.
that was that - then we went to the metro and then to the hostel. i lugged two bags and a backpack up three flights, kelli came down and met me, then went for the rest. one of the girls came down to help me carry the backpacks or bags up the rest of the way. we settled in a little bit, then i went down to the internet cafe. (had to write to the masses, of course.)
i met them at a local little bar where the waiter was being rude to the girls, evidently. still had a couple of beers - had to catch up to those drunken hussies - and we shared a croque monsieur (a ham sandwich topped with cheese and toasted). we were going to eat there, but they stopped serving food just as we were asking for it.
so, we walked up the street and found a nice restaurant. we were reminiscing about the desserts we enjoyed when carolyn and john interrupted, telling us, basically to shut up 'cause they were starting to crave all of that deliciousness. they had just got in and were having dinner that night. the next day they would travel to the south of france for some wine, then enjoy a free apartment for the following week.
for dessert, we stopped for dessert, having crêpes. i was going to get the one with sugar and berries, you know, sucre-beurre. the girls opted for that one too, getting it first. um...beurre does not mean "berries," like i thought...it means butter. and they were subsequently turned off from the crêpes immediately. i had one with sucre-limon. i liked it - not as much as the nutella, banana, and coconut, but i think they should've had another one with some chocolate, but they decided not to give them another chance.
after that, they went back to the hostel and i blogged. boy, writing about our events sure was expensive! i spent about 70€ or better on internet cafes and such. last time i was in europe, i had no problem getting either free internet time at our hotels or cheap cafes. this time, it was five or 10€ a pop.
aftering typing on that messed up keyboard for awhile, it was midnight. i went back to the hostel, took a shower, and crashed. going to sleep was much easier in that warm room after cooling off in the shower, but my mind was racing a mile a minute. just thinking about everything, the winding down of the trip and all...it'll all be over soon. too soon...
this monday, we're on our own, so we get up when we darn well please (around 9:30 am) and go have breakfast. kelli and erika go see if we can squeeze two more nights at the group rate out of the hotel, to no avail. luckily, while i enjoyed the eiffel tower on friday night, they were seeking out a place to stay and found a hostel in the area. only 25€ a night! well, plus a sheet and a towel at 2€ each, so 54€ total for each of us - not too bad considering the other hotels were charging around 200€ a night...
anyhow, we leave our comfortable hotel rooms for our quaint little hostel around the corner. in all actuality, i think the hostel is much more my speed. there are no frivolous luxuries, community bathroom and shower, just a room with three beds and a sink. i do like the fact that i was sharing the room with people i know and trust, as packing bags and taking them down the four flights of stairs - and back up again - every day would suck ass. but, it was enough. warm, for certain, because one of those frivolous luxuries is air conditioning (okay, so that part i lied about - i would have liked the room to have a/c), and filled with noise from the street, but just fine.
we can't go up in our room until 3:30 pm, but they have a little secured area for us to put our bags. afterwards, we head out for napoleon's tomb and the army museum. being the expert of the metro system as i am (well, maybe not expert, but i get it and have been getting us around much better than i did when we were in italy), i get us there pretty easily.
originally, this was not the tomb of napoleon, as he wasn't alive at the time that the sun king had it built. but it serves well as his final resting place. beautiful and ornate, each wall has a different stained glass window. the colors were immense, orange, signifying the sun king, and others of blue and green. the chapel, which was not open as it still serves as a chapel, had flags of conquered tribes and peoples hanging along the walls.
the tomb itself was enormous, and quite the tribute to such a little fellow with a huge ambition. the french really respect him, rightfully so. his greatest pride being his code of conduct.
after we finish there, we go to the armory and see some of the most ornate and beautiful armor and weapons ever created. this stuff is high quality, "luxury armor," it was called. for the horses, for the men, and, also, for the children. different than the things i saw in the doge's palace in venice, but awesome, nonetheless. again, as i was going through it, i was thinking about all the geeks at work that would be creaming their shorts in this place.
then we went to lunch. we walked the streets for a little while until we found a local restaurant. 7,50€ for a sandwich, drink, and dessert. we all had ham and cheese, i had an orange sodey (so tasty in europe - way better than ours here with their high fructose corn syrup) and the girls had waters. erika had a rich, delicious brownie with walnuts, and kelli and i each had an apricot or peach cake. the owners didn't speak hardly any english at all ("sandwich? hamcheese?"), but we communicated just enough to get what we needed. we thanked them graciously and headed to the musee d'orsay.
the streets we walked were not the tourist ones that we were used to walking. there was the hubbub of business as usual. there were retail shops, but they were not filled with the camera toting visitors that we were on for the trip with the tour.
the museum was strangely vacant. well, i guess it wasn't that strange as it turned out to be closed. so, we just opted to head back to the hostel, get our bags up to the room, then have a bite to eat for supper.
getting back there was a different story. we went to the right metro stop, but just after we got there an announcement blared over the speakers. in french, of course - i mean, it just makes sense that it's in french, as we're in france, but it didn't do us any good as we had no clue what it meant. a lady, speaking in english in front of us to her daughters, said, "they just stopped the trains for an accident or something, i don't know what, but they're not running anymore."
we went our way, trying to find a different route back to the hostel. up the stairs again, down the street. we stop for a minute on a bench so i can review the map - not much help with the smaller streets. but we're right by the national assembly stop, it's not too far to the invalides stop. as we're walking behind the joint, a bus stops at the back of the building, that reads, "assemblee national musique," and there were about 20...not soldiers, but men - and a woman - in uniform, alighting the bus (that's what they call disembarking, hehe), the rear two with snare drums.
they line up in two lines, marching in step. the gate to the back garden opens up, and to the beat of the drum they march in through the gate.
that was that - then we went to the metro and then to the hostel. i lugged two bags and a backpack up three flights, kelli came down and met me, then went for the rest. one of the girls came down to help me carry the backpacks or bags up the rest of the way. we settled in a little bit, then i went down to the internet cafe. (had to write to the masses, of course.)
i met them at a local little bar where the waiter was being rude to the girls, evidently. still had a couple of beers - had to catch up to those drunken hussies - and we shared a croque monsieur (a ham sandwich topped with cheese and toasted). we were going to eat there, but they stopped serving food just as we were asking for it.
so, we walked up the street and found a nice restaurant. we were reminiscing about the desserts we enjoyed when carolyn and john interrupted, telling us, basically to shut up 'cause they were starting to crave all of that deliciousness. they had just got in and were having dinner that night. the next day they would travel to the south of france for some wine, then enjoy a free apartment for the following week.
for dessert, we stopped for dessert, having crêpes. i was going to get the one with sugar and berries, you know, sucre-beurre. the girls opted for that one too, getting it first. um...beurre does not mean "berries," like i thought...it means butter. and they were subsequently turned off from the crêpes immediately. i had one with sucre-limon. i liked it - not as much as the nutella, banana, and coconut, but i think they should've had another one with some chocolate, but they decided not to give them another chance.
after that, they went back to the hostel and i blogged. boy, writing about our events sure was expensive! i spent about 70€ or better on internet cafes and such. last time i was in europe, i had no problem getting either free internet time at our hotels or cheap cafes. this time, it was five or 10€ a pop.
aftering typing on that messed up keyboard for awhile, it was midnight. i went back to the hostel, took a shower, and crashed. going to sleep was much easier in that warm room after cooling off in the shower, but my mind was racing a mile a minute. just thinking about everything, the winding down of the trip and all...it'll all be over soon. too soon...
7.01.2008
last night in paris
and i'm not too happy about it, but i'm definitely living it up!
i probably won't see a computer until late tomorrow, so i'll get things caught up when i have the time...expect one a day or every two days until that happens.
thank you all for reading my nonsense. i really appreciate the feedback and all of the comments. i will be continuing to blog about my experiences and such after this trip, so...stay tuned!
i read your comments, but didn't really have much time to respond to them. for now, here's a general thank you to everyone. i'll follow up with you individually.
anyhow, it's my last night - i need to go see somethin'§
peace!
i probably won't see a computer until late tomorrow, so i'll get things caught up when i have the time...expect one a day or every two days until that happens.
thank you all for reading my nonsense. i really appreciate the feedback and all of the comments. i will be continuing to blog about my experiences and such after this trip, so...stay tuned!
i read your comments, but didn't really have much time to respond to them. for now, here's a general thank you to everyone. i'll follow up with you individually.
anyhow, it's my last night - i need to go see somethin'§
peace!
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