Backpacking 2009 Journal Complete

I have finally completely finished posting the entire journal from 2009. I will start on the 2012 one tomorrow (I swear!). I've typed it all up, but would like to put pictures and such with the posts. I realize, looking back on my posts that my food allergies (dairy and soy) were affecting me in a bad way. I wonder if my knees will hurt next time I go backpacking. It will definitely be harder to eat, because they put dairy and soy in almost everything that is processed, which is a huge part of a hostel-backpacking diet. Cheap processed crap.

My food allergies were not only causing me gastrointestinal distress, they were also causing me severe mood swings, and irritability. Ask the hubby about the irritability. And the pain. The joint pain was horrendous. And it's all gone now. I had been hurting for so long, that I didn't even realize how bad I hurt. Until I got all of the dairy and soy completely out of my diet last year, and then it was like night and day.

I wonder if there's anyone else out there with food allergies who has gone backpacking?

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!

Journal Entry: City Blues - Paris

Today felt kind of wasted. I got up at 7:30a and had breakfast downstairs. It was free. I talked to a girl from New Zealand, her name escapes me. Amy maybe? Or April? Had a nice chat with her.

I went to the Museé d’Orsay. It was very nice, but it got really hot in there, so I wound up rushing the last bit because I wasn’t feeling so hot. 

 

Museé d'Orsay

Then I went to Les Halles. I ate at a Chinese place and paid way more for lunch than I intended. It was good though. Cost €12 with a drink. Then I found there was a whole underground shopping mall at Les Halles, but my knee really started hurting so I came back to the hostel to rest. I wrote out post cards. I found them 10 for €1.50. 

I may need to withdraw some more cash. The Museé d’Orsay wasn’t taking credit cards as their system wasn’t working. 

I took some more aspirin and then felt some better so I went back out. I went to Notre Dame and it was extremely crowded. I was going to go to St. Chappelle but it cost €8.50! So I skipped it.

 

Notre Dame - Paris

I then came back to the hostel and got a burger at the bar downstairs. It cost €12. I spent too much on food today. Then I came upstairs to the room and called Andy. I need to see about how early I should be to Orly for my flight. Ugh. I have the long flight part of the trip. It is worth it though. Otherwise how could I see all these cool things.

Some new arrivals came after I got off the phone with Andy. They were from New Zealand too. I can’t remember their names either. They are backpacking for three months. They were in Asia for a few weeks. Nice to have conversations with people. 

Dorm at St. Christopher's Paris - Canal

I have a lot to do tomorrow so I’m going to hit the hay.

Journal Entry: More Train Shenanigans

This was the worst day by far. And it’s raining too, but at least I didn’t get caught in it. I hate Paris. More specifically please send me back to the endless fields of grapes.

The train ride was bad. But let me back up. After I checked out of the hostel, I missed the gas station where I was going to get gas. I pulled into a different one, but the streets are all one way, so I couldn’t go back. I got a bit lost. Then once I found the station parking, I couldn’t find the Avis spots. 

I filled it up!

The paint was almost worn off the pavement, but I finally saw them. Then when I went into the station, I saw on the board that there was an electrical problem between Toulouse and Carcassonne, so the trains were delayed/cancelled. I might be on the six o’clock news here, as there was a guy from France 3 walking around interviewing people.

I stood in line, and found the Avis office is unsigned, and on the front right side of the station. Then the girl told me to go to catch the bus to Narbonne as I had a layover for the train to Paris there. 

I missed the bus. But then I stood in line again and they said the train I was supposed to be on was okay. I waited but they all said they were still delayed so when a train came in and was marked “Narbonne” I went up to Information and asked if I should get on it, and the lady said yes. So I ran, and made it just as it was leaving. 

I caught the train in Narbonne no problem. The train ride from Narbonne to Paris was horrid. No dead body this time, though I could have killed the fat pig of a man sitting next to me. He was probably 350 pounds, and didn’t even try to keep to his seat. [Note that I used to be quite fat, but I tried my best to not invade other people's space.] And he smelled and kept coughing without covering his mouth. And he was ugly. And I don’t mean just physically. His soul was ugly. 

I spent €5 on a yogurt and water, just to sit in the dining car and get away from him.

I got to the hostel okay. The restaurant was really busy. I wanted to eat there, but all the tables were reserved. When I finally got a table, no one waited on me. I was irritable from the train ride so that might have colored my perception of things. 

Normally the bar has a good vibe, but when I arrived it was horribly crowded with large school groups

 I finally went to the store and bought a small bottle of wine from the Pays d’Oc!!!! Yum! It was only €2.75 or so. I also bought a sandwich from the place down the street from the hostel. “Poulet avec fromage.” And they asked me if I wanted it hot. They meant spicy. It wasn’t that spicy. Not like the place in Marseille. 

My writing sucks. I blame the wine and that I want to go to sleep. 

Good night.