It is 7:45 am and I am in my hotel room having a huge breakfast with croissants, baguette and tea, portion for two. The room can accommodate up to three persons as there are a double and a single beds here.
I left Geneve at around 10 am yesterday and took the TGV to Paris. I have not seen much in Geneve, or before that in Bern. It seems to me that 25.5.95 was just a day for me to move from one place to another and to check into yet another hotel.
I arrived in Paris in the afternoon. While looking for a telephone, I was stopped by a black man who asked me to sign on something for a campaign for Rwanda. Only after I had signed it did I realize that I had to donate some money too. I could not get away with it so I gave him 50 FF (should have given him 20 FF instead). He asked for a hundred but I refused. I hope the money really goes to Rwanda as he claimed. Another unpleasant experience.
I called a total of four hotels introduced by "Let's Go Europe" but all were full. No joking. I turned to the Tourist Office and its staff made no fewer than five or six calls but all of those hotels were full. Just as she was about to give up, this hotel "Suez" had a room for me at 435 FF. I took it without hesitation. I was really grateful to the Tourist Office. Looking back, I was very lucky to have found a room right away on the first day the I had arrived in Paris. Maybe it was because I had arrived very early that day.
I then went to see l'Opera de la Bastille. It was just a common modern building. Then I went to Bd. Haussman and walked a little in the giant department stores. I busied myself with buying a T-shirt and my dinner. Around 7 pm, the street was filled with crowds. People rushed into shops for last-minute shopping. I think the early closing time makes life considerably less easy here. But then the shops here open as early as at 8:30 am, a time too early for shopping.
I treated myself to a three-course dinner last night. The appetizer was a prawn salad from Marks & Spencer (15 FF). The main course was a baguette sandwich with ham/tomato/lettuce (22 FF). The dessert was a yoghurt with fruit. On the side were sparkling mineral water and CNN news. This was what abundance meant. Actually, I swallowed the yoghurt not without difficulty.
This is the last day of my vacation. I am going to take a flight to London tonight and from there fly back home.
Though the days so far have been somewhat boring (but with moments of happiness and excitement), having a vacation is something to be happy about.
I will just walk around Paris again today. Then I will take a train from Gare du Nord to the CDG Airport. The flying has already begun to frighten me. I hope there will be good movies on the flight.
* * *
I am now in the waiting area of Heathrow Airport Terminal 4, waiting to board the flight back to Hong Kong. What could be better than actually flying in the sky on a weekend? This is what I am going to do. The only difference is that I will be locked in a steel big bird for about 13 hours. I will be busy to see four movies and sleep occasionally. I will be back home for a real dinner on Sunday night and back to work on Monday. Simply thinking about working makes me sort of sick. One is bound to grow to hate working after a vacation.
* * *
I am now on the plane and feeling very very hungry. I get hungry very easily these days. I have just eaten on the previous flight.
I have been given a window seat which I at first did not like. But it turned out that the other two seats on the same row were free. So I have three seats to myself and can now lie down. Seems great.
I spent the last day of my vacation in Paris. I checked out of the hotel after 9 am in order to avoid the morning traffic, not realizing that it was a Saturday. First I locked my luggage at the Gare du Nord. Then I went to see le Grand Arc de la Defence. The building looked huge and grand in a blue-sky-white-cloud background. But I did not quite feel like going up there. That area was filled with new and tall buildings, a commercial centre like Hong Kong. I liked that place instantly because it was clean and modern.
The day was hot. After the Grand Arc, I strolled a little at Champs-Elysees and had a milk shake at Haagen Daz again. Then I had a little walk in the complex of the Louvre, the Tuilleries, pretty much like the first day. And I walked to Bd Haussman again to sort of continue last evening's shopping. But the place was impossibly crowded and all department stores swarmed with shoppers because it was Saturday. More terrible was that there did not seem to be enough ventilation so it was warm like hell inside. The heat robbed me of my appetite for shopping. I found it so hard to breathe in the crowd that I lifted my head for some more air. That is how I discovered the dome of the Galaries of Lafayette and it was beautiful. Otherwise, it was no different from other department stores to me.
At about 4:30 pm I was starving and so I had a fast-food lunch (late this time) at the "Quick" near the Gare St Lazare. Then I started off for the Gare du Nord where my luggage was. I was so exhausted by that time that I took a wrong metro line. I had spent minutes waiting on the wrong platform yet I had not realized it. I was that exhausted.
There must be something wrong with my Eurail Pass as it kept failing me with rides connected with the RER. The SNCF has trains, operated jointly with the RER, to Roissy Airport. But the SNCF staff told me that I could not take those trains free with my Eurail Pass after checking it, though another staff told me the previous day that I certainly could. So I had to pay 39.5 FF for the RER train fair. Having paid that fare, I found myself almost franc-less. So I rushed to Thomas Cook to exchange a Traveller Cheque as I just remembered that I had to pay the airport tax. The exchange rate was not good and I was charged a service charge of 10 FF, i.e. over 10 % of the total amount exchanged. Alas, it turned out that I did not need to pay the tax because it was already included in the air ticket.
27.5.95
25.5.95
25.5.95 (Thu)
I am now on a train heading for Bern. The train will depart at 8:13 am and arrive in Bern before 9:30 am. I plan to spend two to three hours touring around and then catch the train to Geneve. From there, I will take the TGV back to Paris tomorrow.
Yesterday was an exhausting day. I went up Mt Pilatus, which was covered with dirty melting snow. The trip up the top in the cogwheel train was exciting. The view up there was majestic. I could see a range of snow mountains which, I guess, were the Alps. I got hold of my first handful of snow. It felt cold and was just like ordinary ice I saw everywhere else. It was hot up on the top. I brought almost all jackets with me but it turned out that I kept sweating all the way in my short-sleeved T-shirt. And I was sunburnt, my face, my arms and my hands in particular. I took many pictures. Since I am a photo-idiot, I can't guarantee the quality of the pictures. But pictures are nothing. Having been there is what matters.
After the mountain trip (the downhill cable-car trip was boring), I spent a little more than one hour to walk around the town. I saw many Chinese on the streets, obviously from Hong Kong. The place was small and shops were already closed around 5 pm. I hunted for food in fear of starving and now I have with me plenty of food I could not consume last night. But it is all right as today is a holiday.
The hotel I was in last night cost me 112 SF, plus 10 SF booking fee. It was a nice room with a particularly satisfying shower, i.e. I could really adjust the temperature of the water, and many towels. The room looked down to a narrow street perpendicular to the river side. Since today is a holiday, it sounded like a carnival last night. I enjoyed free music flowing in from the river side and occasional uproar of cheers. Too bad that I could not join the crowd because I was alone.
* * *
It is 4:35 pm. I am sitting in Cathedrale St Pierre in Geneve because it is raining outside after the hot morning and afternoon. I will wait here till the rain stops.
I went to Bern this morning, thinking that maybe I would stay there for the night, but left there in less than two hours and came to Geneve. Since it is a holiday today, both places seem to have lost their glamour. It was very, very quiet in Bern and quite quiet over here with 90% of the shops closed.
While I strolled by the lake of Geneve this afternoon, a middle-aged man approached me and asked, with an accent, for my map. I let him look at it. He asked where a place was and to his surprise, and to my own too, I was able to point at the place on the map really fast. He asked me if I had been in Geneve long and I told him that I was leaving tomorrow. He asked if I was a Japanese and I said no. Then I hurried away. Only then did I realize that he didn't really want to look at the map. He told me that he had been in Geneve for two weeks for business so it would be quite impossible that he did not know where he was. It was the LAKEside after all. He was just trying to have a conversation, and then maybe something more. This was not a very pleasant encounter.
I have checked into a hotel called "Montana" near the station. It is a three-star hotel charging 110 SF per night. When I checked in, I asked the lady at the reception to give me a good room because I was kind of tired of shabby hotels (it is unfair to say that the hotels that I have stayed in were shabby. But I need more comfort now that I have travelled for so long.) So she gave me a really nice room that is worth, as she claimed, 130 SF. It is clean, large, with full facilities and an acceptable view. I am really grateful for this.
* * *
I left the Cathedral but it was still raining. Finding shelter on the way, I walked back to the lakeside. Then I stopped at a cinema and studied the poster of "Little Women" (because there were no better things to do). Then an elderly lady by my side started asking me if the movie was good, first in French, then in English. I replied that I had no idea as I had not yet seen it, but recommended another movie "Priest". The lady said she had seen it already and that it was a good movie. We chatted for a little while and then she went to buy her ticket for the 5 pm show. I skipped away. I feel all right talking to strangers but deep down I am an introvert who avoids personal contacts, especially with strangers.
It is very boring here in Geneve. All the shops except a few are closed. People have nowhere to go and nothing to do. Even an old lady would start chatting with a stranger like me. People here, no matter young or old, just stroll on the streets, quite aimlessly as it seems to me, and eat ice-cream. Otherwise they sit in a cafe, have a drink and then chat endlessly.
Yesterday was an exhausting day. I went up Mt Pilatus, which was covered with dirty melting snow. The trip up the top in the cogwheel train was exciting. The view up there was majestic. I could see a range of snow mountains which, I guess, were the Alps. I got hold of my first handful of snow. It felt cold and was just like ordinary ice I saw everywhere else. It was hot up on the top. I brought almost all jackets with me but it turned out that I kept sweating all the way in my short-sleeved T-shirt. And I was sunburnt, my face, my arms and my hands in particular. I took many pictures. Since I am a photo-idiot, I can't guarantee the quality of the pictures. But pictures are nothing. Having been there is what matters.
After the mountain trip (the downhill cable-car trip was boring), I spent a little more than one hour to walk around the town. I saw many Chinese on the streets, obviously from Hong Kong. The place was small and shops were already closed around 5 pm. I hunted for food in fear of starving and now I have with me plenty of food I could not consume last night. But it is all right as today is a holiday.
The hotel I was in last night cost me 112 SF, plus 10 SF booking fee. It was a nice room with a particularly satisfying shower, i.e. I could really adjust the temperature of the water, and many towels. The room looked down to a narrow street perpendicular to the river side. Since today is a holiday, it sounded like a carnival last night. I enjoyed free music flowing in from the river side and occasional uproar of cheers. Too bad that I could not join the crowd because I was alone.
* * *
It is 4:35 pm. I am sitting in Cathedrale St Pierre in Geneve because it is raining outside after the hot morning and afternoon. I will wait here till the rain stops.
I went to Bern this morning, thinking that maybe I would stay there for the night, but left there in less than two hours and came to Geneve. Since it is a holiday today, both places seem to have lost their glamour. It was very, very quiet in Bern and quite quiet over here with 90% of the shops closed.
While I strolled by the lake of Geneve this afternoon, a middle-aged man approached me and asked, with an accent, for my map. I let him look at it. He asked where a place was and to his surprise, and to my own too, I was able to point at the place on the map really fast. He asked me if I had been in Geneve long and I told him that I was leaving tomorrow. He asked if I was a Japanese and I said no. Then I hurried away. Only then did I realize that he didn't really want to look at the map. He told me that he had been in Geneve for two weeks for business so it would be quite impossible that he did not know where he was. It was the LAKEside after all. He was just trying to have a conversation, and then maybe something more. This was not a very pleasant encounter.
I have checked into a hotel called "Montana" near the station. It is a three-star hotel charging 110 SF per night. When I checked in, I asked the lady at the reception to give me a good room because I was kind of tired of shabby hotels (it is unfair to say that the hotels that I have stayed in were shabby. But I need more comfort now that I have travelled for so long.) So she gave me a really nice room that is worth, as she claimed, 130 SF. It is clean, large, with full facilities and an acceptable view. I am really grateful for this.
* * *
I left the Cathedral but it was still raining. Finding shelter on the way, I walked back to the lakeside. Then I stopped at a cinema and studied the poster of "Little Women" (because there were no better things to do). Then an elderly lady by my side started asking me if the movie was good, first in French, then in English. I replied that I had no idea as I had not yet seen it, but recommended another movie "Priest". The lady said she had seen it already and that it was a good movie. We chatted for a little while and then she went to buy her ticket for the 5 pm show. I skipped away. I feel all right talking to strangers but deep down I am an introvert who avoids personal contacts, especially with strangers.
It is very boring here in Geneve. All the shops except a few are closed. People have nowhere to go and nothing to do. Even an old lady would start chatting with a stranger like me. People here, no matter young or old, just stroll on the streets, quite aimlessly as it seems to me, and eat ice-cream. Otherwise they sit in a cafe, have a drink and then chat endlessly.
24.5.95
24.5.95 (Wed)
I am now in my hotel room in Zurich. It is 6:40 in the morning. I have planned to take the 7:07 train to Luzern but it is impossible now. The reception downstairs is still closed so I cannot check out. This seems ridiculous. I now must take the 8:07 train instead.
I arrived here at about 10:30 am yesterday and spent about an hour locating the Tourist Office, exchanging money, getting information and making hotel reservation. I could not settle down in this hotel until around noon. The service of the Tourist Office was good, though I had to pay for it.
This hotel is not really close to the city centre but is convenient enough with the tram. It is located near the University of Zurich. I have a cosy room fitted with matching green wooden furniture. There are pictures on the wall, TV, radio, and most of all, a terrace on which I can take a good breath.
I started a walk in Zurich city centre at about 1 pm and finished it in no more than three hours. Then I thought of visiting Liechtenstein but found that it would take quite some time to get there, i.e. 1.5 hours by train plus some 1 hour by bus. As it appeared to be too late to start this trip, I turned to the Zurich Zoo. I had a nice time there. I saw many animals which I had not actually seen before, rhinos, zebras, ostrich, emus, asian tigers, india lions, goats, deers, etc. The list is long. I know it sounds stupid to visit a zoo during an overseas trip. I mean people would think that I was not spending my time properly, i.e. to see the historical monuments, churches or go shopping etc. But then I always like zoos. The one in Hong Kong is one of my favourite place. Plus I am having a vacation. I should have some leisure time. It is too tiring to keep visiting tourist attractions.
Now that I must take a later train, I might as well go downstairs to have breakfast.
* * *
I am now having breakfast. Zurich is in a way more friendly than Paris because people here are willing to communicate in English, even those who don't speak it well. It was different in Paris. There, even those who could understand me refuse to speak in English. They insisted on speaking in French. So they understood me, but not I them. They would repeat and repeat their words, in French of course, and I would seem so stupid not to understand a word they said.
* * *
I am now on a boat in the lake of Luzern. I have joined a sort of packaged tour for just 38 SF, which includes the boat trip, the cogwheel train up to Mt Pilatus and the cable car down the mountain. I will have to pay an extra 2 SF for the bus back to Luzern. I think this is a good deal, which is only for Eurail Pass holders. Otherwise it will cost more.
The boat trip will last for 1.5 hours, which I think is a bit too long. But the view is unbeatable, like that in pictures/postcards sold in souvenir shops. And the weather is fine. Warm (it is now very warm in late May) with breezes. I only hope that I will not be sunburnt.I will have a walk around the city when I return to Luzern. It is also certainly a beautiful place. The Chapel Bridge is magnificent. It is a shame that it was mostly burnt down in August 1993.
I called the British Airways this morning to reconfirm my flight booking. The phone kept ringing because the lines were busy and about 4 SF were gone to putting me through the lines. It was too expensive, I think.
I arrived here at about 10:30 am yesterday and spent about an hour locating the Tourist Office, exchanging money, getting information and making hotel reservation. I could not settle down in this hotel until around noon. The service of the Tourist Office was good, though I had to pay for it.
This hotel is not really close to the city centre but is convenient enough with the tram. It is located near the University of Zurich. I have a cosy room fitted with matching green wooden furniture. There are pictures on the wall, TV, radio, and most of all, a terrace on which I can take a good breath.
I started a walk in Zurich city centre at about 1 pm and finished it in no more than three hours. Then I thought of visiting Liechtenstein but found that it would take quite some time to get there, i.e. 1.5 hours by train plus some 1 hour by bus. As it appeared to be too late to start this trip, I turned to the Zurich Zoo. I had a nice time there. I saw many animals which I had not actually seen before, rhinos, zebras, ostrich, emus, asian tigers, india lions, goats, deers, etc. The list is long. I know it sounds stupid to visit a zoo during an overseas trip. I mean people would think that I was not spending my time properly, i.e. to see the historical monuments, churches or go shopping etc. But then I always like zoos. The one in Hong Kong is one of my favourite place. Plus I am having a vacation. I should have some leisure time. It is too tiring to keep visiting tourist attractions.
Now that I must take a later train, I might as well go downstairs to have breakfast.
* * *
I am now having breakfast. Zurich is in a way more friendly than Paris because people here are willing to communicate in English, even those who don't speak it well. It was different in Paris. There, even those who could understand me refuse to speak in English. They insisted on speaking in French. So they understood me, but not I them. They would repeat and repeat their words, in French of course, and I would seem so stupid not to understand a word they said.
* * *
I am now on a boat in the lake of Luzern. I have joined a sort of packaged tour for just 38 SF, which includes the boat trip, the cogwheel train up to Mt Pilatus and the cable car down the mountain. I will have to pay an extra 2 SF for the bus back to Luzern. I think this is a good deal, which is only for Eurail Pass holders. Otherwise it will cost more.
The boat trip will last for 1.5 hours, which I think is a bit too long. But the view is unbeatable, like that in pictures/postcards sold in souvenir shops. And the weather is fine. Warm (it is now very warm in late May) with breezes. I only hope that I will not be sunburnt.I will have a walk around the city when I return to Luzern. It is also certainly a beautiful place. The Chapel Bridge is magnificent. It is a shame that it was mostly burnt down in August 1993.
I called the British Airways this morning to reconfirm my flight booking. The phone kept ringing because the lines were busy and about 4 SF were gone to putting me through the lines. It was too expensive, I think.
22.5.95
22.5.95 (Mon)
I am now on a train heading for Milano. It will stop at Strasbourg, my destination, at around noon. Finding a seat in the first class compartments was again difficult. Though I have the ticket, I have not made a reservation, like most other passengers. I have decided that I will make reservation of train seats for the rest of my journey.
Ah. Luxembourg. It was green and very green. Yesterday was a Sunday so almost all shops were closed. There was this parade on rue de Notre-Dame at 3 pm. The Tourist Office said it was to celebrate a festival called "Octave". People from villages all over the country marched around the city centre. It was however not a spectacular or exciting parade.
I took the walk introduced in the leaflet obtained from the Tourist Office. I took the longer trail, i.e. 7.5 km, but again it was not as enjoyable as I had expected. I was scared while I was walking alone in a park. I also went to the Casemates, which was in fact a restored ruin. The original castle must have been huge but all the guidance and information at the place were in language(s) beyond my comprehension. I could not even guess what they were about. This is another piece of evidence of the poor popularity of English on the Continent.
What made me angry/sick was that at the tourist attractions in Paris, there were all kinds of information in Japanese, but not any in Chinese. People took it for granted that an asian face like mine is Japanese. Though I actually can speak some Japanese, these were not very nice experiences.
Last night, I checked into a hotel called "Carlton", just a minute of two from the train station. The price was astonishingly low, just 1100 BF. The lady at the Tourist Office told me that the toilets of this hotel were down the hall and asked if it was fine by me. I said no problem. But it turned out that the bathroom was also detached and shared by all. That required some getting used to. I of course managed to be the first one to use the bathroom. But the hotel was decent enough at that price, though the floor kept creaking with every step I took and every move I made, even while I was in bed.
* * *
It is warm today, except a little chilly with wind or when in the shade. Most of the time I was just wearing a short-sleeves T-shirt and still sweating.
I spent about three hours walking around Strasbourg. Well, not as beautiful as the guidebooks describe. At least it could not be compared with Brugge. The city maps, i.e. both the one I got from Hong Kong and the one I bought here, were impossibly HORRIBLE. Many street names were missing, some were in abbreviations. I don't know how the tourism authority expects tourists/strangers to use them. I myself was lost in the streets several times.
The Cathedral of Strasbourg was truly impressive and I could go inside for free. Other buildings were nothing special. They could not be compared with those in Paris, at least. The "Petit France" was a pretty place, but Brugge's waters surely were better than it.
The one good thing of Strasbourg is the hotel I am in. It is right opposite the station. As usual, I looked among the hotels nearest to the station so as to unload my baggage as soon as possible. The Place de la Gare was surrounded by hotels and this one looked newest and most modern. so I checked in. The room I have, which has no view unfortunately, has a private shower and toilet!! Bravo!! And it is only for 290 FF per night, which is curiously cheaper than the one-star "Guy Lussac" in Paris (this one is a two-star hotel). The room is clean, pleasant and installed with a TV. I am delighted even though I don't watch much TV, especially French ones.
Having got tired of Strasbourg, I then went to Colmar, which is only half an hour from Strasbourg. The experience there was awful. I didn't have any meaningful information with me, not even a map, and there was no Tourist Office at the station. Roadsigns with the pictogram "i" were everywhere but all pointing to different directions. I could only refer to the maps along the roads and at the bus stops. A vending machine selling city maps just shamelessly ate the 2 FF I put in. The map it produced was trapped on its way out so there was no way of getting it. It seemed impossible to get to anywhere just by following the road maps, especially under the hot sunshine. Yes, so hot that it was discouraging. I eventually got very tired and hungry and gave up. So what I did during this trip were mainly walking back and forth on the busy and dusty rue de la Republic, trying to get to the centre Ville or returning to the station. It was exhausting.
I had a donar kebab for dinner and watched an old American musical movie on the TV. Having been to Colmar, Strasbourg appeared to be a much nicer place to be when I took the little walk to buy my dinner. At least I felt safe and much more at ease here. I saw the tram here which was really impressive. It looked like a space shuttle or something.
I am going to get a 7:47 am train to Zurich tomorrow. I hope Switzerland won't let me down.
Ah. Luxembourg. It was green and very green. Yesterday was a Sunday so almost all shops were closed. There was this parade on rue de Notre-Dame at 3 pm. The Tourist Office said it was to celebrate a festival called "Octave". People from villages all over the country marched around the city centre. It was however not a spectacular or exciting parade.
I took the walk introduced in the leaflet obtained from the Tourist Office. I took the longer trail, i.e. 7.5 km, but again it was not as enjoyable as I had expected. I was scared while I was walking alone in a park. I also went to the Casemates, which was in fact a restored ruin. The original castle must have been huge but all the guidance and information at the place were in language(s) beyond my comprehension. I could not even guess what they were about. This is another piece of evidence of the poor popularity of English on the Continent.
What made me angry/sick was that at the tourist attractions in Paris, there were all kinds of information in Japanese, but not any in Chinese. People took it for granted that an asian face like mine is Japanese. Though I actually can speak some Japanese, these were not very nice experiences.
Last night, I checked into a hotel called "Carlton", just a minute of two from the train station. The price was astonishingly low, just 1100 BF. The lady at the Tourist Office told me that the toilets of this hotel were down the hall and asked if it was fine by me. I said no problem. But it turned out that the bathroom was also detached and shared by all. That required some getting used to. I of course managed to be the first one to use the bathroom. But the hotel was decent enough at that price, though the floor kept creaking with every step I took and every move I made, even while I was in bed.
* * *
It is warm today, except a little chilly with wind or when in the shade. Most of the time I was just wearing a short-sleeves T-shirt and still sweating.
I spent about three hours walking around Strasbourg. Well, not as beautiful as the guidebooks describe. At least it could not be compared with Brugge. The city maps, i.e. both the one I got from Hong Kong and the one I bought here, were impossibly HORRIBLE. Many street names were missing, some were in abbreviations. I don't know how the tourism authority expects tourists/strangers to use them. I myself was lost in the streets several times.
The Cathedral of Strasbourg was truly impressive and I could go inside for free. Other buildings were nothing special. They could not be compared with those in Paris, at least. The "Petit France" was a pretty place, but Brugge's waters surely were better than it.
The one good thing of Strasbourg is the hotel I am in. It is right opposite the station. As usual, I looked among the hotels nearest to the station so as to unload my baggage as soon as possible. The Place de la Gare was surrounded by hotels and this one looked newest and most modern. so I checked in. The room I have, which has no view unfortunately, has a private shower and toilet!! Bravo!! And it is only for 290 FF per night, which is curiously cheaper than the one-star "Guy Lussac" in Paris (this one is a two-star hotel). The room is clean, pleasant and installed with a TV. I am delighted even though I don't watch much TV, especially French ones.
Having got tired of Strasbourg, I then went to Colmar, which is only half an hour from Strasbourg. The experience there was awful. I didn't have any meaningful information with me, not even a map, and there was no Tourist Office at the station. Roadsigns with the pictogram "i" were everywhere but all pointing to different directions. I could only refer to the maps along the roads and at the bus stops. A vending machine selling city maps just shamelessly ate the 2 FF I put in. The map it produced was trapped on its way out so there was no way of getting it. It seemed impossible to get to anywhere just by following the road maps, especially under the hot sunshine. Yes, so hot that it was discouraging. I eventually got very tired and hungry and gave up. So what I did during this trip were mainly walking back and forth on the busy and dusty rue de la Republic, trying to get to the centre Ville or returning to the station. It was exhausting.
I had a donar kebab for dinner and watched an old American musical movie on the TV. Having been to Colmar, Strasbourg appeared to be a much nicer place to be when I took the little walk to buy my dinner. At least I felt safe and much more at ease here. I saw the tram here which was really impressive. It looked like a space shuttle or something.
I am going to get a 7:47 am train to Zurich tomorrow. I hope Switzerland won't let me down.
21.5.95
21.5.95 (Sun)
I am now on a train to Luxembourg. The trip takes about three hours and there is one more hour to go.
I went to Ghent yesterday. I think that the city was dismal and unattractive, at least to me. There were medieval buildings, rivers, cobblestone streets, same as Brugge. But it did not have the charm of Brugge. I however found the service of the Tourist Office there very helpful and friendly. When you are alone on a journey, every friendly smile counts.
After an evening walk in Brussels, i.e. the Grand Place to be exact, I returned to the hotel and asked for the bill. To my surprise, the hotel charged me 3550 BF for two nights, not 4700 BF as I had expected. Though it was posted in the room that the price was 1950 BF for the room and 2350 BF with shower, I think my slight bargaining during check-in worked and the rate became 1775 BF for a single person with private bathroom and WC. Nice price. But I could not enjoy the breakfast today because of the early train.
Once again, taking all the luggage with me nearly killed me. I think I will just check in the nearest decent hotel when I arrive in Luxembourg.
I went to Ghent yesterday. I think that the city was dismal and unattractive, at least to me. There were medieval buildings, rivers, cobblestone streets, same as Brugge. But it did not have the charm of Brugge. I however found the service of the Tourist Office there very helpful and friendly. When you are alone on a journey, every friendly smile counts.
After an evening walk in Brussels, i.e. the Grand Place to be exact, I returned to the hotel and asked for the bill. To my surprise, the hotel charged me 3550 BF for two nights, not 4700 BF as I had expected. Though it was posted in the room that the price was 1950 BF for the room and 2350 BF with shower, I think my slight bargaining during check-in worked and the rate became 1775 BF for a single person with private bathroom and WC. Nice price. But I could not enjoy the breakfast today because of the early train.
Once again, taking all the luggage with me nearly killed me. I think I will just check in the nearest decent hotel when I arrive in Luxembourg.
20.5.95
20.5.95 (Sat)
I am now in a cafe in Brugge. For the first time in this trip I can have a hot meal, a spaghetti! Not bread, not salad, not cookies. It is a hot dish they call snack, for 195 BF only, i.e. about 55 HKD, which is absolutely affordable. Plus this cafe is neat.
I am always having early lunch or early dinner. I guess it is because I start off very early everyday, i.e. 7 am to 7:30 am, and for most of the time I keep walking.
I like Brugge much better than Brussels. The place is beautiful and the ambience is lively. It is old, clean and picturesque. Maybe it feels lively because it is Saturday today. But the place is lovely and the weather is fine. Everything is wonderful and neat.
But I am kind of tired of walking and searching for museums and les hotels.
I will go to Ghent by train at around 1 pm.
I am always having early lunch or early dinner. I guess it is because I start off very early everyday, i.e. 7 am to 7:30 am, and for most of the time I keep walking.
I like Brugge much better than Brussels. The place is beautiful and the ambience is lively. It is old, clean and picturesque. Maybe it feels lively because it is Saturday today. But the place is lovely and the weather is fine. Everything is wonderful and neat.
But I am kind of tired of walking and searching for museums and les hotels.
I will go to Ghent by train at around 1 pm.
19.5.95
19.5.95 (Fri)
I am now in a hotel called "Windsor" in Brussels. It is 7:35 pm and it is raining outside.
I saw the movie "Pretre" (i.e. "Priest") for the second time last evening at a cinema on av des Champs-Elysees. I had seen it once at the Hong Kong Film Festival. After that, I got in the underground to get the RER back to my hotel. The train was very crowded and the doors were about to close and I could not decide whether to get on. Then, an indecisive step and I fell off the platform gap. Well, just my left leg, actually. Someone pulled me up and luckily I was not hurt except for two colourful bruises. But it was dead embarrassing. What was worse was that this was not the first time that I had part of my body "fallen" off the platform gap. It had happened before in Hong Kong. Mon Dieu! (I learnt this from the subtitles of the movie.)
I took the TGV to Brussels early this morning so I missed the breakfast for which I had paid 25 FF. I could not find my seat on the train. The main reason was that I could not fully understand my ticket : it was all in French. What was worse was that I got very frustrated when I discovered that I could not just take any seat for all the seats had to be reserved. The staff pointed to different directions and I, taking all my luggage with me, walked from car to car in search of my seat. Finally, I had to ask one staff to personally take me to my seat, which I had apparently missed. I was so exhausted when I finally sat down.
Then there was the breakfast served by an attendant who had not been very helpful to my search of seat. She served the others but not me. I of course got angry. But I did not complain for I was sick of non-communication between French/English. And lucky that I had not complained because I later found that those breakfasts had all been ordered and paid for in advance at the time of seat reservation. But then I had not been told that I could order breakfast. Anyway, it costs over 60 FF and I think it is outrageously expensive.
Talking about non-communication, I must write this down. After the platform gap incident, my jeans became visibly dirty. I did not care to wash them so I went to Bd St Michel, hoping to buy a new pair, and also to kill some time. But it was already after 7 pm and most shops were closed. There was this shop selling denims that was still open. I went in to have a look but was not really preparing to buy anything. A male staff approached me and greeted me in English. I was pleased by the language. He let me try on 501's, which of course did not fit me, and then a pair of Liberto, French label I was told, which fitted me perfectly. The salesperson was friendly and, most importantly, we could communicate. I bought the jeans without much thought partly because of my need and partly because of the pleasant way I was served.
Back to Brussels. I arrived here at around 9:40 am. I called the hotel in "Let's Go Europe" but it was full. I then tried to walk to the Grand Place hoping to get some information from the Tourist Office there and, if possible, find a hotel as soon as possible so that I could unload the luggage. On the way I saw a decent hotel which charged a decent price. The next hotel I saw, which was literally next to the first one, was this Windsor, a three-star hotel. Nice room, nice service. The room is spacious and has a sink in it. The bathroom is separated. I am not sure if it is for my sole use. The WC is as usual detached. This room will cost me 2375 BF per night maximum. I am not sure about the charge because the price posted in the room is not the same as what the receptionist told me. Anyway, I can afford it.
Brussels, or the Brussels I see, is more like a town than a city. There is not much modern development. Cobblestones, churches, old medieval buildings, etc., are everywhere. Wandering around here made me miss Paris. Besides, I don't know why, it is easy to lose my way in this place. The boulevards and avenues are, even in Hong Kong standard, just streets. They are not even good enough to be called roads. I find them a bit disappointing and boring. The Grand Place was beautiful. But this was about all. The Mannekin-Pis was just a very little statue pissing towards everyone looking at it.
I ate an early lunch at a McDonald's. It was expensive. A set meal with McChicken, medium fries and a coke cost 179 BF, i.e. 52 HKD. The price here is three times the Hong Kong price. Having finished the food, I sat reading the map and information. A man at the next table started talking to me and then moved to my table. He said he was a Dane working for the EC. He had been to Hong Kong 12 years before when he was 18 playing football for his country. He then flipped through my information trying to introduce to me places to visit and then offered to drive me around during his lunch break. I politely declined, bien sur, and rushed to the toilet for escape. He was nice, but I had to be careful. And his hair was thinning (this is sad for men). As I always say, I never attract the right kind of people, i.e. I don't attract the people whom I find attractive.
(Isn't it strange that there is still sunlight outside at 8:15 pm?)
That Danish man told me that Leuvan was a beautiful place. As it was just 25 minutes away from Brussels by train, I decided to go there as there was not much to see in Brussels. All the guide books said I could go there by train, not mentioning at which station. I decided to try the Central Station. I was lost in the streets and got to the station half an hour later. I learnt how to read the train schedules which were in unidentified languages. (Just kidding. They should be French and Flemish.) When I got to Leuvan, ALAS, it was raining. I hate rain when I am on vacation. With the rain it became chilly and I had not brought my raincoat as it had been fine back in Brussels. I decided, almost instantly, to return to Brussels. So I did. What a waste of time.
I am going to Brugge tomorrow morning and then I will stop at Ghent on my way back and return to Brussels in the late afternoon.
One more thing. So far I have met nice/helpful people and the not-so-nice on the trip. I am very grateful to the nice ones as now I know how frustrated it can be being a tourist or new comer, and how much a kind word matters. I myself being the not-so-nice should perhaps consider changing.
I saw the movie "Pretre" (i.e. "Priest") for the second time last evening at a cinema on av des Champs-Elysees. I had seen it once at the Hong Kong Film Festival. After that, I got in the underground to get the RER back to my hotel. The train was very crowded and the doors were about to close and I could not decide whether to get on. Then, an indecisive step and I fell off the platform gap. Well, just my left leg, actually. Someone pulled me up and luckily I was not hurt except for two colourful bruises. But it was dead embarrassing. What was worse was that this was not the first time that I had part of my body "fallen" off the platform gap. It had happened before in Hong Kong. Mon Dieu! (I learnt this from the subtitles of the movie.)
I took the TGV to Brussels early this morning so I missed the breakfast for which I had paid 25 FF. I could not find my seat on the train. The main reason was that I could not fully understand my ticket : it was all in French. What was worse was that I got very frustrated when I discovered that I could not just take any seat for all the seats had to be reserved. The staff pointed to different directions and I, taking all my luggage with me, walked from car to car in search of my seat. Finally, I had to ask one staff to personally take me to my seat, which I had apparently missed. I was so exhausted when I finally sat down.
Then there was the breakfast served by an attendant who had not been very helpful to my search of seat. She served the others but not me. I of course got angry. But I did not complain for I was sick of non-communication between French/English. And lucky that I had not complained because I later found that those breakfasts had all been ordered and paid for in advance at the time of seat reservation. But then I had not been told that I could order breakfast. Anyway, it costs over 60 FF and I think it is outrageously expensive.
Talking about non-communication, I must write this down. After the platform gap incident, my jeans became visibly dirty. I did not care to wash them so I went to Bd St Michel, hoping to buy a new pair, and also to kill some time. But it was already after 7 pm and most shops were closed. There was this shop selling denims that was still open. I went in to have a look but was not really preparing to buy anything. A male staff approached me and greeted me in English. I was pleased by the language. He let me try on 501's, which of course did not fit me, and then a pair of Liberto, French label I was told, which fitted me perfectly. The salesperson was friendly and, most importantly, we could communicate. I bought the jeans without much thought partly because of my need and partly because of the pleasant way I was served.
Back to Brussels. I arrived here at around 9:40 am. I called the hotel in "Let's Go Europe" but it was full. I then tried to walk to the Grand Place hoping to get some information from the Tourist Office there and, if possible, find a hotel as soon as possible so that I could unload the luggage. On the way I saw a decent hotel which charged a decent price. The next hotel I saw, which was literally next to the first one, was this Windsor, a three-star hotel. Nice room, nice service. The room is spacious and has a sink in it. The bathroom is separated. I am not sure if it is for my sole use. The WC is as usual detached. This room will cost me 2375 BF per night maximum. I am not sure about the charge because the price posted in the room is not the same as what the receptionist told me. Anyway, I can afford it.
Brussels, or the Brussels I see, is more like a town than a city. There is not much modern development. Cobblestones, churches, old medieval buildings, etc., are everywhere. Wandering around here made me miss Paris. Besides, I don't know why, it is easy to lose my way in this place. The boulevards and avenues are, even in Hong Kong standard, just streets. They are not even good enough to be called roads. I find them a bit disappointing and boring. The Grand Place was beautiful. But this was about all. The Mannekin-Pis was just a very little statue pissing towards everyone looking at it.
I ate an early lunch at a McDonald's. It was expensive. A set meal with McChicken, medium fries and a coke cost 179 BF, i.e. 52 HKD. The price here is three times the Hong Kong price. Having finished the food, I sat reading the map and information. A man at the next table started talking to me and then moved to my table. He said he was a Dane working for the EC. He had been to Hong Kong 12 years before when he was 18 playing football for his country. He then flipped through my information trying to introduce to me places to visit and then offered to drive me around during his lunch break. I politely declined, bien sur, and rushed to the toilet for escape. He was nice, but I had to be careful. And his hair was thinning (this is sad for men). As I always say, I never attract the right kind of people, i.e. I don't attract the people whom I find attractive.
(Isn't it strange that there is still sunlight outside at 8:15 pm?)
That Danish man told me that Leuvan was a beautiful place. As it was just 25 minutes away from Brussels by train, I decided to go there as there was not much to see in Brussels. All the guide books said I could go there by train, not mentioning at which station. I decided to try the Central Station. I was lost in the streets and got to the station half an hour later. I learnt how to read the train schedules which were in unidentified languages. (Just kidding. They should be French and Flemish.) When I got to Leuvan, ALAS, it was raining. I hate rain when I am on vacation. With the rain it became chilly and I had not brought my raincoat as it had been fine back in Brussels. I decided, almost instantly, to return to Brussels. So I did. What a waste of time.
I am going to Brugge tomorrow morning and then I will stop at Ghent on my way back and return to Brussels in the late afternoon.
One more thing. So far I have met nice/helpful people and the not-so-nice on the trip. I am very grateful to the nice ones as now I know how frustrated it can be being a tourist or new comer, and how much a kind word matters. I myself being the not-so-nice should perhaps consider changing.
18.5.95
18.5.95 (Thu)
I am now on a train to Dieppe, Normandy, which will stop at Rouen, my destination. It is raining outside.
I hesitated this morning about what to do today so I started off late. When I finally got to Gare St Lazare, I had missed the earlier trains and had not many choices. I would have liked to go to the D-Day Beach and Cherbourg as recommended by Fiona but they were too far away and I was afraid of returning late for I would have some packing to do tonight. I am leaving at 7:07 am tomorrow by TGV to Brussels. I don't know how Rouen will be like. But I can always wander around.
* * *
I am now, again, on a train back to Paris. Rouen was nothing special to me except that the place was full of old buildings with brown lines drawn on their facades. Well, I think it was a nice place, mainly because of the fine weather there. I really hope that the rain has stopped in Paris.
I seem to have forgotten that I can't stand long-haul train rides. I will easily throw up. That is how I feel now. Eurrr.....h!
I must record this : I had a very delicious sandwich of chicken/egg mayonnaise/vegetable in Rouen. It only cost 17 FF. I chose it because "poulet"was the only word I could recognise.
I hesitated this morning about what to do today so I started off late. When I finally got to Gare St Lazare, I had missed the earlier trains and had not many choices. I would have liked to go to the D-Day Beach and Cherbourg as recommended by Fiona but they were too far away and I was afraid of returning late for I would have some packing to do tonight. I am leaving at 7:07 am tomorrow by TGV to Brussels. I don't know how Rouen will be like. But I can always wander around.
* * *
I am now, again, on a train back to Paris. Rouen was nothing special to me except that the place was full of old buildings with brown lines drawn on their facades. Well, I think it was a nice place, mainly because of the fine weather there. I really hope that the rain has stopped in Paris.
I seem to have forgotten that I can't stand long-haul train rides. I will easily throw up. That is how I feel now. Eurrr.....h!
I must record this : I had a very delicious sandwich of chicken/egg mayonnaise/vegetable in Rouen. It only cost 17 FF. I chose it because "poulet"was the only word I could recognise.
17.5.95
17.5.95 (Wed)
I am now in Montmartre, sitting in a cafe on the street. I don't enjoy it much because it is windy and dusty.
I went to Versailles, Musee Rodin, Hotel des Invalides and the Church of Sacred Heart. The weather was weird today. It rained all the morning with occasional sunshine while I was in Versailles. It has been fine back in Paris. The Palace was beautiful and majestic. But that was all. I don't really like rain.
I came to Montmartre and caught the tram to the peak. There was a service going on inside the church. I just strolled around and when I saw the souvenir counter, a sudden anger struck me and I started to cry right inside the Church. Luckily it was dark inside. I cried because they were so busy doing business in church even during a service. Those people had learnt nothing from Jesus' teaching. And I couldn't stop crying on my way back to the Metro, where this cafe is. I don't know why on earth I was so emotional. It is, after all, so common for people to do business on religious premises all around the world. But I felt really sad.
I am thinking about changing my plan tomorrow. Instead of going to Fontainebleau, I think I will go the Normandy. I will see.
I think I am now all covered with dust.
* * *
I am now in a restaurant near av des Champs-Elysees which charges over 65 FF for a chef salad and over 20 FF for an orange juice. It is expensive enough but I don't think I am enjoying it. I am afraid that the salad will come late as I still have to rush for the movie "Alerte" (i.e. "Outbreak"). The movie costs me 45 FF. I feel that there is not much difference between spending French Francs and spending Hong Kong Dollars. I did not think that the ticket was expensive until I came across another cinema on av des Champs-Elysees showing the same movie but charged only 38 FF for a ticket. It was not much cheaper, but it was CHEAPER. So I am a not-so-smart tourist!
I went to Versailles, Musee Rodin, Hotel des Invalides and the Church of Sacred Heart. The weather was weird today. It rained all the morning with occasional sunshine while I was in Versailles. It has been fine back in Paris. The Palace was beautiful and majestic. But that was all. I don't really like rain.
I came to Montmartre and caught the tram to the peak. There was a service going on inside the church. I just strolled around and when I saw the souvenir counter, a sudden anger struck me and I started to cry right inside the Church. Luckily it was dark inside. I cried because they were so busy doing business in church even during a service. Those people had learnt nothing from Jesus' teaching. And I couldn't stop crying on my way back to the Metro, where this cafe is. I don't know why on earth I was so emotional. It is, after all, so common for people to do business on religious premises all around the world. But I felt really sad.
I am thinking about changing my plan tomorrow. Instead of going to Fontainebleau, I think I will go the Normandy. I will see.
I think I am now all covered with dust.
* * *
I am now in a restaurant near av des Champs-Elysees which charges over 65 FF for a chef salad and over 20 FF for an orange juice. It is expensive enough but I don't think I am enjoying it. I am afraid that the salad will come late as I still have to rush for the movie "Alerte" (i.e. "Outbreak"). The movie costs me 45 FF. I feel that there is not much difference between spending French Francs and spending Hong Kong Dollars. I did not think that the ticket was expensive until I came across another cinema on av des Champs-Elysees showing the same movie but charged only 38 FF for a ticket. It was not much cheaper, but it was CHEAPER. So I am a not-so-smart tourist!
16.5.95
16.5.95 (Tue)
It is almost 10 pm now and I am in the hotel. It is raining outside. It has been raining since around 2 pm while I was playing the “Big Thunder Mountain” in the Disneyland. And I have stayed in the hotel since 6 pm.
I started off early for the Disneyland today, planning to buy a passeport for the park before going there and redeem an RER return ticket to Disneyland with my Eurail Pass, just as taught by the guidebooks. I bought the passeport from the Tourist Office at the Gare de Lyon, a shabby little room at a corner of the station. But when I asked for the RER tickets, the RER staff said no. I don't know if it was because of a failure of communication or a change of policy. Just "no". So I spent 74 FF for the RER tickets and was almost exhausted when I finally got on the right train.
The Disneyland was not as enjoyable as I had expected. It was partly because of the rain, partly because it was very similar to the one in Tokyo, and partly because some of the staff were being unhelpful or even rude. Somehow the wonder of the park had faded. I hope it had nothing to do with my age. Anyway, it was cold and wet there so I left at about 4 pm, quite early I must say, and dozed off on the train all my way back to Paris, with a headache upon arrival.
I have exchanged 5 traveller's cheques for 1 USD to 4.75 FF and got 475 FF in total. I don't know if the rate was good but the service at the Tourist Office at the av des Champs-Elysees was definitely satisfactory and, most importantly, welcoming.
My eyes seemed to have resumed normal today as a result of the eyedrops I bought from a pharmacy near Pompidou Centre and I wore lenses today.
I hope the rain will stop tonight as I plan to go the Versailles tomorrow.
I started off early for the Disneyland today, planning to buy a passeport for the park before going there and redeem an RER return ticket to Disneyland with my Eurail Pass, just as taught by the guidebooks. I bought the passeport from the Tourist Office at the Gare de Lyon, a shabby little room at a corner of the station. But when I asked for the RER tickets, the RER staff said no. I don't know if it was because of a failure of communication or a change of policy. Just "no". So I spent 74 FF for the RER tickets and was almost exhausted when I finally got on the right train.
The Disneyland was not as enjoyable as I had expected. It was partly because of the rain, partly because it was very similar to the one in Tokyo, and partly because some of the staff were being unhelpful or even rude. Somehow the wonder of the park had faded. I hope it had nothing to do with my age. Anyway, it was cold and wet there so I left at about 4 pm, quite early I must say, and dozed off on the train all my way back to Paris, with a headache upon arrival.
I have exchanged 5 traveller's cheques for 1 USD to 4.75 FF and got 475 FF in total. I don't know if the rate was good but the service at the Tourist Office at the av des Champs-Elysees was definitely satisfactory and, most importantly, welcoming.
My eyes seemed to have resumed normal today as a result of the eyedrops I bought from a pharmacy near Pompidou Centre and I wore lenses today.
I hope the rain will stop tonight as I plan to go the Versailles tomorrow.
15.5.95
15.5.95 (Mon)
It is about 1:45 pm and I am now in the Louvre.
Here are where I went to yesterday : Jardin des Tuileries, Place de le Concorde, av des Champs-Elysees and then I walked all the way up to le Arc de Triomphe. There was nothing special except that I no longer felt that my legs and feet were mine. I went to the top of the Arc, very easily by means of an elevator, but had to walk down to the street level through a round-and-round staircase. I turned and turned and it made me very dizzy. The Arc could never be taller to me!
Then I went to the Pompidou Centre. I felt so very helpless and misplaced inside (didn't know where to go, what to see/expect, and had no assistance, etc.) that I left there in 10 minutes.
I woke up at about 5 am this morning to find that I could not open my eyes. My right eye hurt very badly and the tears kept pouring out. I could not wear my lenses and am now afraid of light. But it hurts less now and the tears have stopped. I hope it well get better tomorrow because I am going to the Disneyland and I need my sunglasses. I really can't stand sunlight straight into my eyes.
I came to the Louvre at 9 am and started strolling around. I haven't had much guidance or information but that is fine as I can concentrate on the works of art themselves. I am not good at art but this is also fine by me. I can still feel the beauty. The most famous pieces attract crowds and I didn't care to get near. I love a painting by Raffelle portraying St Michel beating up the demon, a marble sculpture of a nymph bitten by a scorpion and the Roman sculptures. I feel tired, naturally, but quite happy. The Louvre is really worth a visit.
I had lunch at a cafe in the museum. It cost me 62 FF for a baguette, as usual, and two drinks. It was expensive but I enjoyed it.
It is still cold in the morning. Local people wear gloves and coat. I still don't have enough to wear. I called mom at 8 am telling her this and she told me to buy some clothes. I was just preparing to do so but I find it absurd to by winter clothes in mid-May.
Here are where I went to yesterday : Jardin des Tuileries, Place de le Concorde, av des Champs-Elysees and then I walked all the way up to le Arc de Triomphe. There was nothing special except that I no longer felt that my legs and feet were mine. I went to the top of the Arc, very easily by means of an elevator, but had to walk down to the street level through a round-and-round staircase. I turned and turned and it made me very dizzy. The Arc could never be taller to me!
Then I went to the Pompidou Centre. I felt so very helpless and misplaced inside (didn't know where to go, what to see/expect, and had no assistance, etc.) that I left there in 10 minutes.
I woke up at about 5 am this morning to find that I could not open my eyes. My right eye hurt very badly and the tears kept pouring out. I could not wear my lenses and am now afraid of light. But it hurts less now and the tears have stopped. I hope it well get better tomorrow because I am going to the Disneyland and I need my sunglasses. I really can't stand sunlight straight into my eyes.
I came to the Louvre at 9 am and started strolling around. I haven't had much guidance or information but that is fine as I can concentrate on the works of art themselves. I am not good at art but this is also fine by me. I can still feel the beauty. The most famous pieces attract crowds and I didn't care to get near. I love a painting by Raffelle portraying St Michel beating up the demon, a marble sculpture of a nymph bitten by a scorpion and the Roman sculptures. I feel tired, naturally, but quite happy. The Louvre is really worth a visit.
I had lunch at a cafe in the museum. It cost me 62 FF for a baguette, as usual, and two drinks. It was expensive but I enjoyed it.
It is still cold in the morning. Local people wear gloves and coat. I still don't have enough to wear. I called mom at 8 am telling her this and she told me to buy some clothes. I was just preparing to do so but I find it absurd to by winter clothes in mid-May.
14.5.95
14.5.95 (Sun)
I am now sitting in le Jardin du Luxembourg, bathing in sunshine. This is a lovely park.
After over 14 hours of torture on a plane, I arrived at Paris Orly early this morning. Finding the way to Paris was not without panic. Since I could not find the way to the train station at the airport, I took an Air France bus for 32 FF to Montparnasse. But I did not know where to get off. Luckily there was a stop at the Metro station Duroc, so I just jumped off there. More panic when I actually looked up the route map of the Metro. It was almost impossible to find the way to the hotel that I planned to move in. Though recommended by "Let's Go Europe", the hotel is somewhat disappointing, and not cheap at all for it costs me 325 FF per night for a single room. There is a bathroom inside, but no toilet. It is really weird. But the room has a huge ceiling-height window which provides quite a good view.
The weather is fine and dry, but cold. There is sunshine, but it must be below 10 degrees when in the shade. Because of the wind, I think. I have not enough to wear and there are signs of a cold.
I am prepared to just stroll around today and see what I will find. Just to try to take in Paris, or the other way around.
After over 14 hours of torture on a plane, I arrived at Paris Orly early this morning. Finding the way to Paris was not without panic. Since I could not find the way to the train station at the airport, I took an Air France bus for 32 FF to Montparnasse. But I did not know where to get off. Luckily there was a stop at the Metro station Duroc, so I just jumped off there. More panic when I actually looked up the route map of the Metro. It was almost impossible to find the way to the hotel that I planned to move in. Though recommended by "Let's Go Europe", the hotel is somewhat disappointing, and not cheap at all for it costs me 325 FF per night for a single room. There is a bathroom inside, but no toilet. It is really weird. But the room has a huge ceiling-height window which provides quite a good view.
The weather is fine and dry, but cold. There is sunshine, but it must be below 10 degrees when in the shade. Because of the wind, I think. I have not enough to wear and there are signs of a cold.
I am prepared to just stroll around today and see what I will find. Just to try to take in Paris, or the other way around.
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