Journal Entry: Home!

[9:01 Texas time]

I am home. Had a great sleep last night. Now I’m trying to catch up on all the things here. Forgot it was Sunday, kept thinking it was Monday. I’m going to look at my pictures now. 

Au revoir!

Journal Entry: DFW Gate Changing

[5:18p Texas time]

I’m at my gate. They’ve changed it twice. What is this? Houston? LOL

I forgot to say that the passport control agent liked that I’d been to the Vatican. He was probably Catholic. Asked me if I’d seen the Pope, and told him I wasn’t there on Wednesday when the Pope gives an audience. He said I should plan my trip around seeing the Pope. Hehe.

Journal Entry: DFW Crosswind Landing

[4:38pm Texas Time] 

I am in Dallas. Oy. So tired. Passport control/customs/screening seemed to take forever, but I am tired. 

The flight was long and boring. About an hour and a half before landing I thought I was going to be sick. Luckily I got a sprite from the stewardess and took a half a chloratab and felt better. Poor girl next to me threw up. I gave her my blanket as there [were] no air sick bags. She was embarrassed. I told her I’m sure it happens a lot. The landing was really rough. One of the roughest I think I’ve ever had. We were thrown sideways, and if the engine [on the wing] had hit the ground I wouldn’t have been shocked. I didn’t have much time to think about any of it though because I was trying to help the girl next to me. I think her name was Adrianna.

My head still hurts a bit because there was a screaming kid for part of the flight right in front of us. 

I’m eating fries at Bennigan’s at DFW. [French fries are great for a restless stomach.]

Journal Entry: Leaving Paris

I am at Orly. Way too early. I’ve been here for a while actually. I used the lady’s room, saw about getting on an earlier flight (I would have had to pay) and about getting an exit row seat (no-go there either). 

 

Dawn in Paris

I got a Cappuccino and a Pain au Chocolat from the Illy stand. There is that and a couple other shops beyond security, but that’s about it.

I took the RER-B train here. There were very shady young men hanging around the platform at Gare du Nord. In fact, I was crossing the bridge not 10 meters from the hostel and a couple picked something up off the ground (sound familiar) and then started talking to me. I don’t even look at them.

While on the train, a young, healthy looking male came by passing out cards begging for money. Usually it’s a woman with a baby.

Oh, and when buying the ticket for the Orly shuttle, which was an exorbitant €8.40 for a ten minute ride (if that), the machine spit out what I thought was the ticket, but it was a receipt. I had selected “non” for the receipt. The gate wouldn’t take it, and the man at the gate didn’t speak enough English to tell me it was a receipt. I went to the window and the man there explained it to me. So stupid. 

Also, I nearly got on the wrong train at Gare du Nord. It said track 42 for the train that goes to Orly (RER-B) and track 44 for the RER-D. Well guess what train was on track 42? Not the RER-D you say? Why yes it was. The screen was thoroughly confusing. I only realized it after boarding the train that the map said “RER-D” I hopped off a half second before the doors closed. 

Looks like the 8:10a flight is a little late leaving. I only have an hour and a half at Heathrow. I few come into Terminal B or C, I will have to go back through security. I don’t want to miss my flight home. I want to be in my own bed tonight. 

Paris from the Air

Journal Entry: The End of Another Trip

Well, here we are. Almost done and time to go home. I have the alarm set for 5:15a. I’m going to leave earlier than I think I need to, just to be on the safe side. I guess it’s better to be sitting around the airport than to miss my flight. 

This morning I waited around the hostel until it was time to check in for my flight. I then went to the “Tour Eifeel”. I walked down to the Laumiere stop, so I’d know where to go in the morning.

I mailed my post cards from the Eiffel Tower. They have no postmen any more, just a machine. I was going to pay to go up the tower, but only one elevator was working, so the line was backed up to Timbuktu. I decided to skip it. 

 

Eiffel Tower

I went to information, and asked how to get to the Louvre. The girl told me which bus to take, and that it was an hour walk. Well, I’m an idiot. I decided to walk it. I looked at the map at the bus stop and decided it didn’t look that far. Kinda like how Roquefixade didn’t look that steep.

It was not an hour walk, but about forty minutes. It was still pretty far, and I shouldn’t have done it, because my legs have been hurting pretty badly for some days now. It was a pleasant walk though, with some nice views of the Eiffel Tower and other buildings. And two gypsies that tried to pull the “ring scam” on me. They pretended to pick something of the ground, usually a “gold” ring, and then try to sell it to you. It’s probably plastic. I thought it was too bad V. wasn’t with me because we could have had some fun with them. 

Tried to pull the Gold Ring Scam on me - vanished when he saw I was photographing him

The Louvre was nice. I went up to the 2^nd floor (the 3^rd floor in the States) and saw some nice paintings, Dutch, Flanders, etc. Poussin, Rembrandt, Van Eyck, Ruisdael, etc. It wasn’t too crowded because I think most people start on the ground floor and work their way up. V. and I did not see that floor. Actually, I only really saw one wing of it. 

 

Poussin's Shepherds of Arcadia

I then went downstairs. I was going to look at the Etruscan stuff, but it was bedlam, so I left. I was only there about two hours. It would have been longer, except , my batteries started dying in my camera, so I went and bought some. I got upstairs and they didn’t work! I put them in and they had no charge. I had to find a Tabac shop to buy some more. Luckily they didn’t mark my ticket, so I was able to come back in, no problem. When I was done, I went back and told the shop where I bought them what happened. The lady remembered me luckily and she gave me my money back! I was expecting them not to do anything for me.

In the Louvre, I took pictures of all the Poussin (sp? I can’t remember how to spell his name, I don’t think that’s right) paintings. I really like his paintings. “The Shepards of Arcadia” was there. I didn’t know that it was.

Bedlam at the Louvre

One of his other paintings I really liked was of his “seasons” paintings. There were the farmers carrying grapes and they were the size of apples! It struck me as amusing for some reason.

After I left the Louvre, I went shopping. I bought Andy a brass squirrel I’d seen in a shop window. It’s so cute! I hope he likes it. I also bought Oliver a stuffed Eiffel Tower, and his yet born sibling a pair of cute purple socks that say “Paris” on them.

I ate dinner at the hostel. I got an appetizer of chicken strips and another of onion rings. It was a massive amount of food. I should have only ordered the chicken. It cost €14 with wine and a tip. A bit much, but it’s the last dinner here, so there you go. I ate too much!

I have had a shower. I have everything as together as possible. I really can’t pack until in the morning because I want to air out the clothes I wore today. Hope I don’t make too much noise in the morning. 

Well, I think that’s it. Good night!