Could only get onto a train at 11 so we sat by a wall with chocolate pastries and listened to Paris themed music. Then onto the train. While there we received a message from Dani that there was a mix up with the tickets so she would be there an hour and a half later then planned. A bit annoying but there was nothing to be done about it.
We arrived back in Paris at the same station as the previous encounter (see thing). Only this time we were here for a lot longer. We sat around in the station for much of the afternoon. We got baguettes for lunch while we waited.
Finally the time was upon us. We made our way to the eurostar gate. It opened and we peered down the corridor anxiously for signs of a Lurie. There she was, red hair and black backpack with little yellow toy hanging off it. We embraced and smiled and giggled happily. Well I did at least. We were all together again in Paris. Finally we could all travel together and be tourists together and face hostels together. There was so much I was looking forward to doing.
Out of the intense greenhouse heat of the glass roofed station we trodded to our hostel. Which seemed a lot further inn the humid humid heat and with heavy backpacks. At that point the food bag was in my pack and was really weighing me down. Everyone else seemed to be faring better than I was that walk. On the way we kept our selves happily occupied in conversation. We caught up on all the gossip and the news. there was plenty to catch up on.
The hostel was huge and new. It reminded me off the Wombat in Vienna, but without a kitchen. We got into our rooms (ours was the Notre Dame room) then cleaned up and went out. Dani had brought a new time out Paris with her and had circled all these places we could go. Some didn't look to far so we started walking beside the river towards them.
The river was wonderful and weather fine, but the walk ended up longer than we expected. We finally got to the place in the book. It still existed and was open, but only really served alcohol. We were getting peckish and it was too early for the bar´s famous selection of vodkas. We crossed a bridge over the river and searched for a cafe-bar with food.
There were plenty along the river but none had outside tables free, so we kept walking. Along a lot more walking we sat at a tabac-restaurant. We faced the street, eating apple pie and iced coffee. I relaxed right away in the presence of good food and good company.
We were still hungry when we were finished. Dani had found a cool looking crepery with in walking distance. We started off. On the way we crossed Place del republique, which was dedicated to something historical I think. Freedom maybe.
Between 3 maps and map readers we managed to get lost. We didn't the crepery, but we did find a café called café del absinthe. So we stopped in. Absinthe is French,after all. We wanted to show the French ritual of aperitif (although I kept calling it apertif). We struggled to get our order across to the bar man, but persistence and pointing at things paid off. We ordered absinthe aperitif. We received 3 glasses, each with a shot of absinthe. On top of each was a holed spoon with a cube of sugar. Plus a samavar like jug filled with water and 4 small gold taps.
The barman showed us how to slowly drip water over the sugar to melt it into the glass., It was good fun and we all had a laugh doing it. We also laughed a lot because the absinthe was strong and none of us handle large amounts of alcohol well. It was past nine when we finally left the cafe. We realised then we still hadn't eaten dinner. so we picked up the trail of the crepery and continued our journey.
We got to the Bastille. It used to be the prison that was stormed at the heat of the French Revolution. Except its a traffic circle. Still though, a moving monument still stands. The sky was well clouded over as we left the circle. We felt the first drops of rain. We lamented not having our umbrellas as the rain got heavier. We just had time to find a ledge too stand under.
It bucketed down. We jumped from shop to shop, getting more soaked each time. So we waited. We waited more. We thought it died down a little. We ran. We were lost and running wasn´t much help. So Dani and I sent Josh ahead in the down pour to find a direction. We phoned him, only to find him 100m away.
The finally stopped. We walked as fast as we could toward the crepery. It was a hole in the wall restaurant with a friendly host. She taught us some French words. The placed looked authentic,not too touristy at all. We ordered their special cider and couldn't find any glasses. We asked for some and were told they drink cider from bowls that were placed on the table.
I had Camembert and walnut crepe, Dani had Gruyeres with mushrooms, Josh had goats cheese. They were all amazing. We followed with a dessert crepe. A crepe Suzette with grand marnier.
A very good night all in all. We were tired but happy enough with the night to not go out for anything bigger. We walked, triplet after triplet in a line, all in thongs/ flip flops splashing through deep puddles. Through the metro and back to the hostel.
1 comment:
The photo of the three of you reunited makes you look like a band more than ever.
Enjoy yourselves!
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