Thanks for this resting day... (plus a post from day one 'trip to Paris.')
I must say, I felt good today, just one nap I needed to come trough this day. I'm ready for tomorrow's work. Today has been a un-packing day and a laundry day, though I can do only one load a day, cause of one washing rack. I had a visitor aswell, Ina dropped by for a coffee and a wishing me a good New Year, nice. Finally I had some decent food, what I actually missed in Paris. Uhm, I meant my regular food, food what I'm used to. The food in Paris wasn't bad, but I guess you have to be rich, lol.
Tomorrow work is calling again, I'm looking forward to it. It's only one day and then the weekend starts, during the weekend I have nothing planned yet. Yeah, resting I will do for sure. I need my rest after these five filling vacation days, cause it sure wasn't a calm and take it easy vacation. I will be writing the next five days about my adventures in Paris after I wrote about my actual day. Here's the first day....
Day one, trip to Paris!
After a not so well sleep, (as usual before a trip) I got up at 4:00 am and did the things I needed to do. I got another few things ready and wake up slowly. I couldn't get my sleep last night, ofcourse there where the usual nerves before the trip to Paris, but I heard aswell several fireworks in the neighborhood. I went to bed at 10:00 pm, I think fell asleep at 0:30 am. Three hours of sleep, oh well, I'm used to it. I think I even slept more then I usually do before a trip. "I will be fine today", I thought. The few things I had to do before my leaving weren't that much, but it kept me busy. In the last minute I had to rush things, darn! Lock the doors, heating off, lights off, check everything twice, etc, etc. At 6:05 am I took off, five minutes later then planned, ,lol. I wasn't worried, I'm a fast walker. I really licked my little suitcase on wheels, so smooth it went over the pavements.
 |
| My gift from work, a perfect little suitcase on wheels. Perfect for my trip to Paris. |
I was nicely on time at the train station, here I will be picked up at 6:40 am with the bus. It was 6:15 am, nice! A few passengers were already at the station waiting for the bus, I spoke to them, and the time past fast. The bus arrived actually 10 minutes earlier, wow! It surprised me that I wasn't even nervous while waiting for the bus, but I guess the bus being on time made the nerves disappear. More passengers were coming aswell, when the bus took of it was pretty full I must say, all heading on a vacation. The double decker bus took of and I sat down stairs with a nice bunch of people, we were laughing and talking. And what'a ya know, there was a guy who sat in front of me who I met last year aswell in the same bus at the same time, wow. We both recognized each other and shook hands, he's a nice guy, and lives near by in another village.
 |
| Meeting point Didam, all the suitcases out of the bus. |
Funny enough, he just got back from Barcelona a day ago, and now he's heading to Berlin to celebrate New Year's there, crazy! The bus was on his way to the meeting point in Didam, just like always. While were on our way the bus picked up other passengers up aswell in other cities and villages. When we arrive at the meeting point we will meet six more busses, aswell packed with passengers. Each bus will get a number, and each bus will have a different location to travel to. Berlin, London, Prague and ofcource France, Paris. Arrived at our meeting point we all had a coffee and a biscuit first, the bus drivers will unload the bus, (getting every suitcase out) and stall them at the bus where they came out. After our coffee everyone grabbed their own suitcase and went to their bus, the bus what will take them to their destination. I had bus number 405, the bus to Paris.
 |
| Our first stop in Belgium, wee wee and snack time. |
This time I sat in the back up high in the bus, I have to be able to stretch my legs, long legs you know. I had a better view aswell. I sat next to a young teenage (gay) couple, one of them had even longer legs then me, lol. Friendly guys, I looked around in the bus while sitting, and I saw a mix of young people and old people. Actually this time there were just a bit more youngsters, let's see how that goes. It gave a bit of a awkward feeling, I was used to have people of my age or older during the trip. As a surprise we had to pick up even more people on our way to Paris, we went to two cities more to pick them up. After that the bus was packed, a whole double decker full with passengers. I couldn't stretch my legs anymore, but oh well. I had a German very young couple sitting next to me. Thank God for the two stops we had before Paris, my legs and bum were numb.
 |
| Half way, but we were already in France. |
I really needed a wee wee. that's one of the things I don't like, sitting that long ans aswell holding my bathroom visit. It was such a long drive, it reminded me of the ride to Berlin, aswell a long, long straight road. I felt tired and sleepy, I closed my eyes many times for a little nap. After ten long hours we finally arrived Paris, Before arriving we past two borders, Belgium and France. Paris what can I say when we entered the big city, it looked a bit like last time entering Berlin. Grey buildings, factories and grafity. It gives aswell a bit of a special feeling being in another country, I don't know, it just does. The bus driver took us first to a area called Boulevard de Clichy for a snack and a look around. It was already in the evening. Boulevard de Clichy is a famous street in Paris, though this area is not that a pleasant area. Thieves and robbers are everywhere warned our bus driver.
 |
| Boulevard de Clichy, Moulin de Rouge. |
"Watch out for that," he told us. Beggers are here aswell, it gave me just a bit of a un-pleasant feeling walking here, but it went all okay, I had actually fun. I took pictures and ated a huge pizza in a local brasserie. The French language is a huge barrier, I have no clue what they talk about when they talk. Aswell in the brasserie, they French waitress started to talk French and I had no clue, I talked back in English, and surprisingly he talked English with a bit of a French dialect back. We could spend at Boulevard de Clichy three hours, then we will head of to our hotel. Paris is expensive, the pizza costed me 12 Euro, though it was huge. Searching for the brasserie was not easy aswell, this area is a dangerous area, so I really looked inside this brasserie for decent people and decent waitresses, it looked good and then I went in. After the huge pizza I spent a bit more time on the boulevard.
 |
| La pizza, look at that size! |
When it started to rain I went back to the bus, it was nearly time to leave aswell. More passengers cam aswell, the rain was not that pleasant. I spoke a bit to the bus driver ans then went back to my seat again. After 15 minutes we took of to our hotel, I could tell we left this
area cause on our way to our hotel I saw nicer and more decent buildings and area's. Our hotel is just 12 km's from Boulevard de Clichy, the hotel is called campinula. When we arrived I saw that the hotel was just a plane hotel, not much luxury, just the things you need, simple. The bus driver checked us in and we grabbed our suitcase, or key and went to our rooms. I had room number 405, fourth floor. I checked my room and yes, no luxery, just plane and simple, it's all good. I went to bed early, tomorrow will be a long day aswell. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's breakfast, that's always good, I'm sure. "Night!"
