Signing Off

The end of my holiday is near for I will be back behind the scenes at SCH on Wednesday. Can't wait! I only have a few parting shots before I go. Firstly, buying my pair of Keens was a wise move. They are ideal for walking a city and are great through security check points so go get yourself a pair. Secondly, im glad I picked up my fine looking sport coat with the suede elbow pads. It gave me some credibility as I meandered the streets of Europe and also was handy as it contains good useful pockets. Lovely. Finally and most importantly, the half marathon was a success to say the least. Making it the focal point of the trip was a good idea and something I should probably look into doing again.

Overall the trip has been a success but I am looking forward to heaping bowls of ice cream and watching the old folks on The Golden Girls with my own set of old folks. I look forward to getting back into a running schedule. This venture has hardly gotten me out of shape of course. Honestly I don't know how anyone could get fat here unless they really put their mind to it. Anyway, I will return tommorrow a bit more aware of the world. Thanks for reading.

See ya in the States.

Au Voir Paris

I venture back to Belgium today and say goodbye to crepes and paninis and massive rushes of people at crosswalks. That makes me think. The worst crosswalk experience I had involved only me and a small Asian woman. The avenue was ours but while waiting for the light to change she sidled up to me like we were packing a subway train. I held my ground. I was not about to be bullied just because she had become accustomed to the habits of the masses in Hong Kong. But I digress. Paris has been good to me and I would return with plans to see many more things. I would utilize the bus system even more and perhaps even the metro. But nothing beats hoofing it in the streets.

Oops! Part 2

Oh yeah. I forgot to tell you I did have one casualty on this otherwise flawless expedition. After arriving back to my hotel from a 12 mile run I set my navy blue knit cap that was soaked with sweat on the rail that hangs out my fifth story window. Sure enough a gust of wind took it when I was out and about and it now lies several stories below in-between buildings in a place that is unreachable by humans. It was a good cap and it served me well and true. No tears were shed but I so emotionally charged upon this revelation that I did let out an expletive or five. Se la vie. I'll miss you blue cap.

Oops! I creped my pants!

I indulged in my first French Crepe today and it was super good. Beats Belgian waffles anyday. I ordered the crepe with chocolat and coco. That translates to a crepe with Nutella and coconut sprinkled inside. I cost me 4 euro but what makes it worse is that there was a crepe stand not 100 yards further offering them for half the price. Oh well.

I also visited my second running exposition in the last two weeks. It turns out Paris is hosting their own half marathon tomorrow. Had I been more atune to the goings-on here in France I would have planned accordingly and participated in both. This one had much better shirts too. Again, oh well.

My friend Phil, you know Phil from work, had the nerve to refer to Edith Piaf as a "Jezebel" in his comment to my last entry. I say this to my "friend" Phil. I don't know if she was or she wasn't but she had some pipes fella. I'm not even sure what that means anyway. I guess I'll ask your mother the next time we rendezvous.

I will travel back to Brussels by train tomorrow for I head back to reality on Monday. A good journey it has been Yoda might say. Can't stay in LaLa Land forever.

Edith P.

Well I was able to see my girl Edith today. Met her at the Pere Lachaise Cemetary with her buddies Wilde, Chopin and Jimmy M. It was a bit of a hike but rather than ride the bus I chose to walk since the cemetery is in and around the Chinatown district of Paris. The entire Boulevard Villette was filled with tents that were occupied by merchants selling fruit and vegetables to clothing and jewelry and puppies. The main alley between the two rows of tents was jam packed with people pulling small carts to carry their newly purchased goods. I mean wall to wall people. It's hard to be polite when every step includes a lunge over someones's grocery caddy.

Uber touristy

Even though my bus travel didn't go exactly as planned yesterday I got right back on that horse today and flourished. I found the line I wanted both to and from my destination and everything went off without a hitch. Was even able to give up my seat to a little old French lady carrying a grocery bag and her umbrella. I stepped out right in front of the entrance to the catacombs on the south side of Paris. It was nearly a forty minute bus ride but the trip back was rainy and windy so I was smart not to hoof it. As for the catacombs, they were really cool and creepy. Thousands of skulls and bones and the smells of a musty basement with the occasional drip of water while traveling through the tunnels. A good time for sure.

I went back to the hotel but stopped for a Doner, or Turkish gyro, and had lunch. Then tried to combine two activities by gearing up for a jog but carrying along my satchel. I ran the nearly four miles to the Eiffel Tower and got in line for the climb. By climb in mean elevator. It's a cool, windy and overcast day here which doesn't bother me in the least. I went prepared with an extra pullover but the wheels were bare and I caught a few eyes with my tiny dancer legs. The view was great and the system in which is used to herd massive amounts of people up and down seems pretty convenient. I jogged back home and the entire tower venture took a bit over two and a half hours. Not bad I guess.

It's virtually impossible to see everything here even in almost a week. I'm sort of picking and choosing and finding time to do nothing as well. I suppose that means I'll just have to come back someday.

69

69 is the number bus that was to take me to the famed Eiffel Tower. I'm not sure how long it was to take even in the best of traffic situations, but I'm certain it took me longer than normal. I first caught the 43 from the Gare de Nord or North Train Station, south to the Louvre. From there I was to somehow hop on the 69 that would take me across the River Siene to my destination. I arrived at the Louvre and found a stop that read 69 on it and things were looking good. I looked up and there it was rumbling towards me and stepped on with some sense of accomplishment. I realized very quickly though that I had hopped on the east bound 69 and not the west bound 69. Crap! I rode for some blocks simply to make it worth the one euro seventy I had paid and then got off at a place I knew I could find the right 69. I was sidetracked briefly by a man working his panini stand and indulged in a curry panini that was really, really good. Anyway, now back on the 69 headed west I was really happy with myself. We crossed back over the river and into a nice suburb of the city where at a stop the driver informed us that this was his last stop and we had to get off. I thought well fine. There will be another 69 just as the signs read and sure enough not ten minutes later there it came. I got on as if I had been riding these routes for years and proceeded to sit down but was immediately told in some French words by a woman nearby that I had stolen her friends seat who was up looking at the route map on the side of the bus. I gave many pardons and grabbed a pole. We moved slowly through the streets and I looked and listened for the phrase Champs de Mars. This was my stop. Finally with a squeak of the brakes and a muffled announcement we had arrived. The Eiffel Tower. It was all lit up and was quite lovely. The line to go to the top was ridiculously long, as were the lines for food and drink as I was terribly dehydrated at this point. I really had no desire to take it all in for my frustrating journey had taken a lot out of me. I snapped some photos and said to myself, wow that's really tall. Then I left. Did I take the bus home? Um no. I haven't given up on the public transportation system. I'll probably utilize it again but perhaps earlier in the day and with a more clear game plan.

So that's riding the bus in Paris. Neat huh?