Days 29-30: Friday, August 7 - Saturday, August 8, 1998 The days of the trip seem to be winding down. Being in France makes me realize how much I liked Italy. I left Bill today. Somehow I think he'll survive with plenty to talk about on the trip home from Paris. For the first time, I started thinking about home, and how nice it will be to return. Nice sucked! My expectations were not met, and I wasn't impressed. I'm headed toward Barcelona with no hostel reservation. I'm a little worried since I'll be arriving at 7:30 PM. A nine hour train ride. It's nice to get on an empty train, then you don't have to worry about seating. It's also nice to get on an air-conditioned and comfortable train. Maybe I'm so comfortable because of all the sleep I got?

Well, I got halfway to Barcelona when I had to switch trains. The train I got on was full with reserved seats. I jumped off after getting kicked out of the seat I was in. The train left seconds later. As it passed, I saw people between compartments. I then made a quick reservation on the next TGV toParis. I guess I'm going to London a little sooner than expected. And to top it all off, I cant' take out any more money on my Mastercard, plus I don't have a place to stay in Paris. Though I currently seem to be running away from my problems (lack of a place to stay), I do feel an increased sense of freedom, that my plans can change in an instant. My Eurorail pass didn't get punched during my ten hours of travel today in France. This means I'm pretty much guaranteed enough days to go wherever I want without worry. I'm thinking that if I can't find a cheap place to stay in Paris, that I'll stay in the station.

I ended up staying at a community center type of accommodation for $20. After finding my room, I went to the TV room to get some water. When I walked into the room, the five guys watching television began staring at me. As I quietly cursed the small water I had purchased at the vending machine, they began laughing. Obviously I looked dorky, or American, or both. I went to bed early (10:30 PM), very thirsty and hungry. I planned on looking for a new hostel, with more English speakers, in the morning. I'm officially over my sickness. No cough or congestion.

Day 30

I got up early, took the metro to hostel number one. There I saw a ton of backpackers sitting outside. I walked to my next choice, the Aloha Hostel, and got the last bed there at 10 AM. I booked two nights just to be safe. It looks like a cool place, lots of English spoken, breakfast included, music. I'm wondering if I should bother to call Sam's mom and find out when they are leaving, so I could meet them at the airport.

I already decided not to. The only thing that I don't like about hostels are the lockouts (11-5 PM). I just finished up my trip to the Musee d'Orsay (ImpressionistMuseum). I really enjoyed the old railway station turned into museum idea. I was surprised by how many notable paintings I saw by Monet, Manet, Degas, Van Gogh and Courbet. i was there for over two hours and still missed an entire floor. I'm out in the shade of the Jardin de Tuilleries (or, the giant park in the middle of the city). My impression of Paris has changed greatly since the last time I was here (four weeks ago). The streets are quieter, there are more tourists (or at least they are easier to pick out), and everything seems more relaxed. The sun is strong, but in the shade, there is a cool breeze making the weather quite comfortable.

Well, I'm sitting under the Arc de Triumphe (biggest arc in the world, but who really cares?) after walking the length of the Champs d'Elysees. I just came from the Museo d'O.... Its main attraction was Monet's "Waterlilies." I really wasn't able to fully appreciate these murals, but I did my best. I wanted to ascend the EiffelTower at sunset, but that was still four hours away. I guess I'll go back to the hostel and figure out how to get to London.

I ended up being too lazy to go back to the EiffelTower tonight. Instead, I attempted to start conversations down in the common room. My efforts seemed to die out like distant fireworks. That is when I decided to get drunk, which didn't really take that long. There are two more reasons why this hostel is annoying. First, there is nothing in the shower to hang your towel or clothes from (plus they get wet anyway since there is no curtain). And secondly, you are not allowed to drink alcohol purchased outside of the hostel, in the hostel. Anyway, I also found out that night that the Vans Warped Tour would be playing August 28th at some festival in Belgium. I look forward to the challenge of seeing this show.

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