Soyez le bienvenue a Paris

I wasn't really looking forward to today (bit of an understatement!) - a full day travelling, lots of connections, lots of possibility for things to go wrong. But do you know, it's all gone off without a hitch - bit of a fast walk required between platforms in Basle (I don't run dahlink) as the trains into France go from the opposite end of the station, strolled to the next platform in Mulhouse-Ville, and I had the sense to ask on that train which platform the Paris train went from when we reached Belfort - at last, I'm back in a country where I can speak the language!! I might not be fluent any more (does dreaming in another language mean you're bilingual?) but I remember enough to get by. Dieu merci ;-)

Oh, and I also sent off the postcards from Budapest and Ljubljana on the way to the station. I wonder if I should just post the Paris one from home!

Got to the station a bit early, so I bought a coffee, and discovered a contender for worst coffee of the trip - Blueberry American Bakery. Should've gone to Starbucks... I also bought a chicken caesar salad for lunch which somewhat incongruously included blueberries!

I meant to mention, a funny thing happened in Ljubljana. Well, it happened twice - in the same street. The first time was just after I arrived. Walking down to the hotel, I saw an older man (late 50s/early 60s) walking in the opposite direction staring at me, wide-eyed as if he was shocked to see me there. He continued to walk and stare, and I stared back from behind my sunglasses, right up until we passed each other in the street. After which I couldn't help but snort my laughter - ladylike I know!

The day after, walking back from the station again, another older man was leaning against a wall by an alley, again staring as I walked towards him. There was another man on a bike, riding towards him ringing the bicycle bell to get him to move. Bike man stopped next to stary man, who hadn't moved out of the way, and stood ringing the bell, stary man totally ignoring him. I looked at stary man, looked at bike man, he looked at me - stary man looked at bike man and near jumped out of his skin. If I'd have been sitting down, I'd have fallen off my chair laughing.

Now, I know I don't have the kind of looks that would inspire a reaction like that, so I wondered if I had something hanging from my nose or something! Or perhaps I've found my niche market - Slovenian male pensioners! Ha, it's an option eh, and my mum always said you should never limit your options in life. Though I'm not sure that's what she was talking about...

Anyway, I digress...

There was a woman next to me on the train who smelt of tea, but one of those fruit teas that smells lovely but tastes like dirty bathwater (or so I'd imagine). It was very nice for the first half hour it so, but then it was making me feel nauseous, which isn't what you want on a 4 hour train journey. Fortunately for me (and perhaps her too because she'd still have had to sit next to me if I'd thrown up) she got off at Chaumont, about half way to Paris. Phew!

And so to a rather soggy Paris. Looking at the forecast, I'd say my best bet would be inside tomorrow! Got the bus from Gare de l'Est - driver told me he didn't go my way, then changed his mind after setting off and very kindly hauled my bag back onto the bus! You'll be delighted to know that it went past the sex shops and the erotic museum (which itself has a shop!), as well as the Moulin Rouge - just up (as it were) from the naughty shops.

The hotel is like the one in Verona - could do with modernisation and a paint job but a fabulous location, a 5 minute walk from the Arc de Triomphe. Ankles up like balloons again, so I'm putting my feet up before venturing out in the rain for sustenance. Something tells me I won't be out for long!

Bon soir mes amis x

ps it might be just my tired mind, but I'm sure I can hear faint French music, of the accordion variety. Damn!

pps After a quick bite to eat tonight - it's been a long day - I made the usual wrong turn, and this was round the corner! Ok, I wasn't quite this close, but I had to go and look, didn't I? Alors, maintenant je suis assis dans un bar à côté de la tour Eiffel avec mon nouvel amour - c'est a dire un campari and orange, listening to the two men on the next table discussing one of them's love triangle. They don't realise (or care?) that I understand ;-)