DAY 39
Wednesday JUNE 8 2005
Today I woke up and started my day with a bubble bath and a good book. At the hotel desk there was a Rick Steves 2005 Paris book, when I asked if I could buy it, he just handed it over as a gift. What a sweet gesture. The I went off to hit the streets of Paris. I also took a wonderful city walking tour that was two hours long and I bought my bus ticket to Prague through Euro lines for $70 Euros. The train would have cost $170.00. I leave for Prague on Saturday the 11th. Busy day. Here are some of the pictures. I can't include all of them because I took over 60. This is just a few of the best.
Someone spray painted his girlfriends name on the side of a huge building. It was higher than a Coca-Cola bill board. A colossal size. The picture does not do it justice. Good job Chloe!
A tombstone, believe it or not.
Lovely Paris streets.
Ah, the detail.
Such a beautiful sunny day.
I know, I love old cars.
Paris.
Joan of Arc.
Sunset on the Rhine.
The Metro or as we know the subway.
I passed an old, frail woman and she motioned for me to give her food money. I said no. I don't give out money, but I did circle back to a bakery and buy her a bag of the tastiest breads and ran after her to give to her. Yes, I know I am a sucker for old, frail, grandmother types.
I sit here at the Woodstock hostel bar listening to the gaggle of girls around me laughing and talking about all the trials and tribulations of travel. I can learn a lot when I am silent. They have gone through everything I have went through, they are just as nervous when hitting a new city as I have been. They seem stressed out about the unknown. Just like me. They each have a friend they are traveling with. Apparently that helps a lot.
None of them know where they will sleep tomorrow night and every one has complained about the weakness of the dollar and the expensiveness of western Europe. They have had the same difficulties I have had except they are fresh off a train, I have had to deal with the same situations after five hours of biking totally exhausted.
I have a more realistic yard stick to measure by and this makes me think that I haven't done as badly as I thought, not by a long shot. Much better than these girls whose only exercise was a five hour train ride. I think that after listening to all these things I would keep biking if I had the funds. As it is, I am totally over budget and haven't much choice.
Everyone has had trouble calling out on the phone and I had to explain how the system works. Gosh, I know more than the hostel clerk. He couldn't even figure it out. I also explained how the metro worked for them. Humph, maybe I am not as disorganized as I thought.
This hostel is the worse one I have stayed in. It reminds me a lot of Anchorage. This type is the kind I wanted to avoid. There is no heat in the room and no hot water for the lousy shower head, yet it has wonderful, outgoing, friendly people. So that helps. I always feel like such a minority because I am the only fat person. I only hope the bed doesn't have bed bugs. We have all complained about the cold shitty showers.
A very courageous guy braved our circle and invited everyone out to the local bar. They all took off and I am heading to bed. It has been a long, busy day.