Paris
my 19 hours in Paris is nearly over. Once again I am awake at 3.30 in the morning so at least I have time to write this up. I guess once I start the serious walking I will sleep longer - I won't need to worry if I have set the alarm properly either.
I barely slept last night in London due to the the other hotelnresidents partying and thought that would keep me asleep this morning but no such luck. Luckily I've had a lifetime of coping with little sleep so mostly I'm doing fine. Although as this is the first time I've been completely alone in a country where I don't speak the language I was nervous last night but this morning with the benefit of sleep I am much more sanguine. If I buy the wrong ticket and end up in the wrong place I will just stay a night and sort it out in the morning. As it is the information about where to catch this morning's train from was wrong. I thought it was clever to stay across the road from the Gare de L'Est so I could sleep in and catch the later train. Instead I have to get to Paris Montparnasse and buy a ticket to Bayonne (which I am clearly not pronouncing correctly). Then get to Bayonne in time for the last train to St Jean Pied de Port at 3.30. I had planned to be looking out the window at the passing world but much of the tracks are surrounded by walls, embankments or tunnels. Still it was visibly different enough to be clear I was in France so I can still hope to see more today before I get up close and personal and actually become part of the landscape in the Pyrenees.
I've had an interesting time with language today remembering far more vocabulary than I had realised. I could manage to work out far more than I realised. My accent is atrocious though which has led to me not speaking any French at all which of course leads to absolutely no improvement. The Parisian road system is a history lesson in itself being named after significant people in history. I did a three hour walking tour with Michael and Lauren after brunch and was surprised how much history I remembered as well.
I left the fabulous new camera and several other significant bits in my hotel room which I was upset about. Luckily Michael was able to put their photos onto my tablet so I have them with me. The poor decision making about what to take with me on the walking tour came about when, after organizing for them to meet me on arrival, they weren't there. I hadn't organised my internet access before I went and hadn't realised I had little credit left either - too little to pay for the internet booster text. So suddenly I was alone, didn't speak the language, had no cash and no phone and was desperate to go to the toilet. I found the toilets but they cost 70c. I was harassed by a young mute (maybe) girl for money which I later found out was a begging scheme but got away from that with my temper in tact. Finally went back to the arrivals spot to find Michael and Lauren just arriving. They had not set the alarm properly and slept in. Then we had to try to find the hotel without the benefit of Google maps which I had counted on. Of course we managed but started to cut it fine to fit in lunch before finding the walking tour.
Of course the walking tour was great and we certainly got to see many of the significant parts although we spent no real time on any of them. Then we had either a very late lunch or very early dinner in a restaurant recommended by the. We decided to walk to the Eiffel Tower which was impressive and debated whether or not it was beautiful. Lauren says not but it is extremely iconic. We agreed it has whatever the Harbour Bridge has. Then we got back on the Metro and found our way back I stopped to get my ticket for tomorrow and got the bad news. We stopped at my hotel then walked to theirs in Montmatre, got lost, then reoriented, found it and got organised to have dinner together. Sadly we didn't enjoy the food. On my part it was. at least partly because I was so tired.
On the way from mine to theirs, we walked up one particular street where there were groups of men congregated all up and down the long street socializing together. They were clearly mostly of African descent with some wearing the most beautiful robes. I had already noticed that there were few unaccompanied women on the street. They didn't appear to be drinking, not even coffee, and it was quire odd. Some were talking very animatedly I assumed about politics or football but Michael thought more likely about women. I wondered if the women and children were elsewhere or whether these were all unattached men. One man proudly promenaded with his identical twin sons. I noticednthat these were all men in their late twenties or older although no obviously old men. It didn't feel menacing but I was profoundly uncomfortable. I told Michael and Lauren I wouldn't be walking back that way and I got the Metro home.
Later, in Montmarte, we di d see some threatened violence with a group of younger men and then there was a large mixed group of tourists clearly partying. Many more women around but it was all about outdoor dining rather than a sense that people were living out their lives there. I kept wondering where were the locals? Mind you I didn't see grocery stores of significant size so no doubt I was missing a lot. I came away profoundly curious though. I'd love to come back and try to work it out. With the men in particular I wondered whether I was seeing patrircy in action, another culture in action, or a deeply isolated group or something else again that I just couldn't imagine.
There have been groups of men congregated on the footpath of the Boulevard outside my window all night. There doesn't seem to have been any disrurbances but I can hear them talking, and on one occasion, singing, and wonder what is going on.
Well time to get organised and go. I wonder how this will turn out?
my 19 hours in Paris is nearly over. Once again I am awake at 3.30 in the morning so at least I have time to write this up. I guess once I start the serious walking I will sleep longer - I won't need to worry if I have set the alarm properly either.
I barely slept last night in London due to the the other hotelnresidents partying and thought that would keep me asleep this morning but no such luck. Luckily I've had a lifetime of coping with little sleep so mostly I'm doing fine. Although as this is the first time I've been completely alone in a country where I don't speak the language I was nervous last night but this morning with the benefit of sleep I am much more sanguine. If I buy the wrong ticket and end up in the wrong place I will just stay a night and sort it out in the morning. As it is the information about where to catch this morning's train from was wrong. I thought it was clever to stay across the road from the Gare de L'Est so I could sleep in and catch the later train. Instead I have to get to Paris Montparnasse and buy a ticket to Bayonne (which I am clearly not pronouncing correctly). Then get to Bayonne in time for the last train to St Jean Pied de Port at 3.30. I had planned to be looking out the window at the passing world but much of the tracks are surrounded by walls, embankments or tunnels. Still it was visibly different enough to be clear I was in France so I can still hope to see more today before I get up close and personal and actually become part of the landscape in the Pyrenees.
I've had an interesting time with language today remembering far more vocabulary than I had realised. I could manage to work out far more than I realised. My accent is atrocious though which has led to me not speaking any French at all which of course leads to absolutely no improvement. The Parisian road system is a history lesson in itself being named after significant people in history. I did a three hour walking tour with Michael and Lauren after brunch and was surprised how much history I remembered as well.
I left the fabulous new camera and several other significant bits in my hotel room which I was upset about. Luckily Michael was able to put their photos onto my tablet so I have them with me. The poor decision making about what to take with me on the walking tour came about when, after organizing for them to meet me on arrival, they weren't there. I hadn't organised my internet access before I went and hadn't realised I had little credit left either - too little to pay for the internet booster text. So suddenly I was alone, didn't speak the language, had no cash and no phone and was desperate to go to the toilet. I found the toilets but they cost 70c. I was harassed by a young mute (maybe) girl for money which I later found out was a begging scheme but got away from that with my temper in tact. Finally went back to the arrivals spot to find Michael and Lauren just arriving. They had not set the alarm properly and slept in. Then we had to try to find the hotel without the benefit of Google maps which I had counted on. Of course we managed but started to cut it fine to fit in lunch before finding the walking tour.
Of course the walking tour was great and we certainly got to see many of the significant parts although we spent no real time on any of them. Then we had either a very late lunch or very early dinner in a restaurant recommended by the. We decided to walk to the Eiffel Tower which was impressive and debated whether or not it was beautiful. Lauren says not but it is extremely iconic. We agreed it has whatever the Harbour Bridge has. Then we got back on the Metro and found our way back I stopped to get my ticket for tomorrow and got the bad news. We stopped at my hotel then walked to theirs in Montmatre, got lost, then reoriented, found it and got organised to have dinner together. Sadly we didn't enjoy the food. On my part it was. at least partly because I was so tired.
On the way from mine to theirs, we walked up one particular street where there were groups of men congregated all up and down the long street socializing together. They were clearly mostly of African descent with some wearing the most beautiful robes. I had already noticed that there were few unaccompanied women on the street. They didn't appear to be drinking, not even coffee, and it was quire odd. Some were talking very animatedly I assumed about politics or football but Michael thought more likely about women. I wondered if the women and children were elsewhere or whether these were all unattached men. One man proudly promenaded with his identical twin sons. I noticednthat these were all men in their late twenties or older although no obviously old men. It didn't feel menacing but I was profoundly uncomfortable. I told Michael and Lauren I wouldn't be walking back that way and I got the Metro home.
Later, in Montmarte, we di d see some threatened violence with a group of younger men and then there was a large mixed group of tourists clearly partying. Many more women around but it was all about outdoor dining rather than a sense that people were living out their lives there. I kept wondering where were the locals? Mind you I didn't see grocery stores of significant size so no doubt I was missing a lot. I came away profoundly curious though. I'd love to come back and try to work it out. With the men in particular I wondered whether I was seeing patrircy in action, another culture in action, or a deeply isolated group or something else again that I just couldn't imagine.
There have been groups of men congregated on the footpath of the Boulevard outside my window all night. There doesn't seem to have been any disrurbances but I can hear them talking, and on one occasion, singing, and wonder what is going on.
Well time to get organised and go. I wonder how this will turn out?
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