The snow turned to ice on the sidewalks overnight. Checked out of the hotel and checked my steps slowly to the metro station.
My sneakers were a bad choice. Feet wet and three times I was nearly ass over teakettle in the street.
Two stops on the metro and I'm at the station. The wrong station. Through the snow...slush...ice...feet wet ... I get to the right station.
Agent gets me on the first train south.
Two hours in the sun hits me for the first time in weeks.fuuuuuucccckkk...how I missed it.
I have music on random. French countryside with zeppelin, muddy waters and chuck berry in my head. I'm nearly embarrassed how good these moment is.
Nearing Avignon....
13 March 2013
11 March 2013
Cold
I left Copenhagen as it started to turn cold and it's catching up to me here.
I looked our of the window and it rained overnight.
My nose is stuffed and my eyes hurt. I had a bowl of onion soup yesterday but it was not enough to ward off the cold.
I walked all day yesterday from my hotel to the louve to cafes and the subway.
The size of the city is amazing again in contrast with Copenhagen terrific.
Changing hotels again. See a different part of the city.
Tomorrow moving on.
I looked our of the window and it rained overnight.
My nose is stuffed and my eyes hurt. I had a bowl of onion soup yesterday but it was not enough to ward off the cold.
I walked all day yesterday from my hotel to the louve to cafes and the subway.
The size of the city is amazing again in contrast with Copenhagen terrific.
Changing hotels again. See a different part of the city.
Tomorrow moving on.
10 March 2013
Here to there...
Left Copenhagen yesterday. I kind of miss it. The city and the people have a slow friendly pulse.
On the plane I got jacked 3euro for a diet coke. Airplane austerity...
The book said airport to the city was straight forward but work on the subway meant otherwise. Copenhagen to paris flight-90 minutes. Cdg to main station . 2.5 hrs. By the time I got to the hotel I was wiped out. I lost the evening in Paris.
20 euro for wifi so I would not post.
Sleep.
Up early .
Arc de truimphe, champs des élysées ...louve. Walking .
This is much different than Copenhagen . Big. It's a city. Harder but elegant just the same.
People are friendly. I think the rude local to tourist idea is dying. May not be dead but I think with the times and our sensitivity to each other there is more slack allowed.
No louve today. Maybe for this trip. Have to budget time.
Fog has obscured the Eiffel so I may have to wait for that moment until I come back around. Weather is supposed to get cold.
Throat is sore. Nose running. I'm fighting it. Cup o noodles yesterday. Helped. Onion soup today is on the agenda.
But fuck, even if I get sick. I'm in Paris. Who could bitch about that.
Later...
On the plane I got jacked 3euro for a diet coke. Airplane austerity...
The book said airport to the city was straight forward but work on the subway meant otherwise. Copenhagen to paris flight-90 minutes. Cdg to main station . 2.5 hrs. By the time I got to the hotel I was wiped out. I lost the evening in Paris.
20 euro for wifi so I would not post.
Sleep.
Up early .
Arc de truimphe, champs des élysées ...louve. Walking .
This is much different than Copenhagen . Big. It's a city. Harder but elegant just the same.
People are friendly. I think the rude local to tourist idea is dying. May not be dead but I think with the times and our sensitivity to each other there is more slack allowed.
No louve today. Maybe for this trip. Have to budget time.
Fog has obscured the Eiffel so I may have to wait for that moment until I come back around. Weather is supposed to get cold.
Throat is sore. Nose running. I'm fighting it. Cup o noodles yesterday. Helped. Onion soup today is on the agenda.
But fuck, even if I get sick. I'm in Paris. Who could bitch about that.
Later...
08 March 2013
Cope
I have never been a morning person but when I travel I try and make the most of my time.
I've been getting up at about 5am to walk the city, get some coffee and write. Trouble is Copenhagen opens at about 9am.
I went to mcdonalds yesterday at 6am for breakfast and the kid behind the counter looked confused. I asked and he said no breakfast until 7. Shit
Out today at 6am and still nothing was open. I picked up coffee at 7-11 and sat on a bench eating a scone and watching the sun come up. Brutal. My fingers were sore and red from the cold.
The radisson royal is ok. The design is modern and a bit cold. Renovated some of the human touches were excerised in favor of meeting spaces. Touring the landmark room 606 before I check out.
Plane at 5pm.
Paris tonight.
I've been getting up at about 5am to walk the city, get some coffee and write. Trouble is Copenhagen opens at about 9am.
I went to mcdonalds yesterday at 6am for breakfast and the kid behind the counter looked confused. I asked and he said no breakfast until 7. Shit
Out today at 6am and still nothing was open. I picked up coffee at 7-11 and sat on a bench eating a scone and watching the sun come up. Brutal. My fingers were sore and red from the cold.
The radisson royal is ok. The design is modern and a bit cold. Renovated some of the human touches were excerised in favor of meeting spaces. Touring the landmark room 606 before I check out.
Plane at 5pm.
Paris tonight.
07 March 2013
Thunder
Out of stupidity, after I finished getting the house ready for my departure, I decided to start my vacation by running to the 7-11 at midnight and picking up a coke and some chips like I did in college.
When faced with my options of Doritos and funyons (neither could never occur in nature) I decided to keep with the college theme and I picked...BOTH!
Fast forward. Palace hotel, Copenhagen.
After a nice plane ride, I got out of the airport. Got lost. No free wifi so I had to ask a local for help. Stumbled, bumbled and eventually found my hotel.
The palace is a great historic building on the main square. The rooms and decor are modern and comfortable but walking the streets you can feel the age of this place. There is a feeling of stability confidence and humility in the way the city is put together.
I've stayed near the square so I haven't seen a lot but I did not notice any seventy story high rises that scream at the eye. Brick and wood and glass and steel sit together respectfully.
The plane and dragging my bags around took a lot our of me. The strap on my backpack has been broken for weeks so the chore is more difficult getting here to there. So I hit the bed and stayed.
This morning I looked outside. No snow but the residents were bundled so I had breakfast in the hotel. Meat, local breads, coffee and veg. Mostly healthy but off the diet I've been trying to keep.
I wrote but mostly in a fowl mood since the plane.
Finished two cups of coffee with breakfast headed to the room. Hit the button in the elevator and a twisting searing pain hit me in my gut held me for ten seconds or so. I'm guessing ten seconds. It felt like a minute but searing pain tends go play with the imagination. I had to get to the room.
Fast walk. Agh! I know what this is!
You know in moments like this how the universe with fuck with you. My room key needed three swipes to work...one...beep beep beep...two...beep beep beep....three..beep beep...green light.
Got to the room to unleash a thunderous barrage of Doritos funyon apocalypse which reminded me that in college I was an idiot.
I was in a better mood afterward.
Walked to the museum, hard rock and a seamstress fixed my bag.
Moving hotels tomorrow.
Things are good.
When faced with my options of Doritos and funyons (neither could never occur in nature) I decided to keep with the college theme and I picked...BOTH!
Fast forward. Palace hotel, Copenhagen.
After a nice plane ride, I got out of the airport. Got lost. No free wifi so I had to ask a local for help. Stumbled, bumbled and eventually found my hotel.
The palace is a great historic building on the main square. The rooms and decor are modern and comfortable but walking the streets you can feel the age of this place. There is a feeling of stability confidence and humility in the way the city is put together.
I've stayed near the square so I haven't seen a lot but I did not notice any seventy story high rises that scream at the eye. Brick and wood and glass and steel sit together respectfully.
The plane and dragging my bags around took a lot our of me. The strap on my backpack has been broken for weeks so the chore is more difficult getting here to there. So I hit the bed and stayed.
This morning I looked outside. No snow but the residents were bundled so I had breakfast in the hotel. Meat, local breads, coffee and veg. Mostly healthy but off the diet I've been trying to keep.
I wrote but mostly in a fowl mood since the plane.
Finished two cups of coffee with breakfast headed to the room. Hit the button in the elevator and a twisting searing pain hit me in my gut held me for ten seconds or so. I'm guessing ten seconds. It felt like a minute but searing pain tends go play with the imagination. I had to get to the room.
Fast walk. Agh! I know what this is!
You know in moments like this how the universe with fuck with you. My room key needed three swipes to work...one...beep beep beep...two...beep beep beep....three..beep beep...green light.
Got to the room to unleash a thunderous barrage of Doritos funyon apocalypse which reminded me that in college I was an idiot.
I was in a better mood afterward.
Walked to the museum, hard rock and a seamstress fixed my bag.
Moving hotels tomorrow.
Things are good.
18 February 2013
16 February 2013
set
about 2 weeks to go...
received my train tickets....reservations are set for most of the trip.
birthday 48 is just over the horizon.
talking with someone the other day. I mentioned by birthday coming up and the standard, ugh....i'm getting old...i hate my birthday...it reminds me of how old i'm getting.
first thing, i hate people that bitch about mundane shit. after about five, you know your birthday is coming, get used to it...
there are a lot of things i like about myself but the birthday tradition is near the top. I may shelve the travel part eventually, which isn't the main focus of the tradition, the main focus is to be where you want to be and reflect on where you've been in the last year and ready myself for the year coming up.
my twenties and some of my thirties washed past me before i realized how much had left. the birthday tradition helps me keep all of that in hand, holding on the that time, with value attached to it.
time here will be gone soon enough.
work is wearing my out. this trip is coming just in time.
counting down....
received my train tickets....reservations are set for most of the trip.
birthday 48 is just over the horizon.
talking with someone the other day. I mentioned by birthday coming up and the standard, ugh....i'm getting old...i hate my birthday...it reminds me of how old i'm getting.
first thing, i hate people that bitch about mundane shit. after about five, you know your birthday is coming, get used to it...
there are a lot of things i like about myself but the birthday tradition is near the top. I may shelve the travel part eventually, which isn't the main focus of the tradition, the main focus is to be where you want to be and reflect on where you've been in the last year and ready myself for the year coming up.
my twenties and some of my thirties washed past me before i realized how much had left. the birthday tradition helps me keep all of that in hand, holding on the that time, with value attached to it.
time here will be gone soon enough.
work is wearing my out. this trip is coming just in time.
counting down....
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