Pour le Rémi d'Europe, vous êtes bien au bon endroit :D
------------------ Ah! et pour les photos: Mon Album ------------------
Hallo, hola, allo, hi
To make it easier and considering my ambitions of publishing my journal internationally (:P), the releases of Where-Is-Remi will be in Englische, Ingles, Anglais, English.
After 7 days and nights wandering in Europe, I finally take the time to slow down and give you some updates directly from the Zeeburg StayOkay (HI Hostel) in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
I had written something quickly few days ago but then I realized it was written in French, and would be pretty much incomprehensible even for my francophone friends... hum, I had to start over.
Jour 1 - Mercredi 13 Janvier 2010
The plan, if there ever was a plan, was to go to the airport and take a ticket, to wherever as long as I'd get across the Atlantic Ocean. The cheapest seemed to be Paris and I had already left many opportunities to buy cheap tickets and I now the deals where few hundreds above what I could have bought... not looking good. Anyway, I show up at the airport, not knowing where to go, and I wander around for a good 15 minutes until I and up to the broker.
Truly, I got lucky. I got a ticket at the cheapest I had seen and it was going to Paris (no suprise at).
Inside pour Phil et Bill: J'ai repris les tapis roulants dans l'aéroport en repensant à nos photos de délires et je suis allé jusqu'au fond de l'allée 61 où on avait joué au frisbee. J'avoue, j'ai eu un moment de nostalgie.
Jour 1 (encore) - Jeudi 14 Janvier 2010
So we land just outside Paris, at Charles-de-Gaulles and I have a vagues idea of where Daniel and Karine where and how to contact them. I don't have a phone and no Internet access for my new Ipod, yet. By chance, I see that a friend of mine from high school was in the same plane, she's coming to study in France and got the OFQJ deal.
What's the OFQJ deal? It's pretty much the same thing that Phil, Bill and I got when we came in Paris 2 years ago. The OFQJers get picked-up at the airport, sent directly to their hostel. They get a snack and then a quick guided tour of the central Paris. The day after, they have a trip in bus around the city to see the highlights just before leaving town for their next destination (which is their university in this case).
The best thing here, is that the guy picking up the group at the airport was the same than two years ago: Patrick. He tells me he can offer me a ride to Paris, I feel lucky. Once at the hostel, starving like I am, I look at that croissant on the shelf and it looks right back at me. After a silent duel of about 2-3 minutes, Patrick comes to me and says: "There's a guy missing, you can take his spot" (i.e. collation, tour, hostel, breakfast and bus-ride all-included). At the point, I say to myself: "Toé, t'es vraiment MARDEUX!" (please ask the closest Québécois next to you to translate).
After getting lost and walking for 7 hours in Paris by night, 3 things are now certains:
1) French people will always say "It's straight ahead" when you ask for directions. The thing though, is that there's no such thing as a straight street in Paris...
2) I don't want EVER to drive in Paris, it just doesn't make any sense.
3) A 7-hour walk, it's hard for the feet.
010: Montmarte, mon endroit préféré à Paris. G.-a.D: Olivier, moi et Keven
Pictures 030: moi avec steeltoe shoes, tuque trouée (bis), foulard du cirque du soleil et chemise a carreau rouge, mode automne-hiver.
024: Patrick, le guide
Jour 2 - Vendredi 15 Janvier 2010
Short and Sweet: Breakfast on-the-go, bus-ride on-the-go and great pictures (check out Facebook on a link that I will post soon here).
The first decision strikes: A guys leaves for Grenoble, two others for Strasbourg, some girls go down south. I couldn't get in touch with Ollie and Leonie in Aachen (Germany), but I know they only have this weekend free before their exams. The destinations spin in my head as we arrive at the Gare de l'Est (train station); all-right, it must be Aachen, I'll go down south later anyway. Grenoble has snow for still few months and Strasbourg, well, I could still go after Aachen...
The thing though, is that I need to be at the north train station (Gare du Nord) at 1pm and it is 12h30. Even worse, I think my train is at 3pm, I blame it on the french accent of the dude I bought the ticket from :P
Anyway, je me promène vraiment peinard dans les rues de Paris, tentant tant bien que mal à ne pas me faire écraser par les voitures et je prends même une petite photo de la gare du Nord avant d'y entrer. Check out the time on the clock of the train station... I start to pull my luck a bit here...
In the train, as the name of the cities become less and less francophone, I think of ways to get in touch with Ollie and Leo (O&L) when I'll get in Aachen. I have no clue where they live, I don't have a phone number, internet access ain't that easy to find and O&L might not even know I'll be in town in less than an hour, unless they check out the quick note I left on Facebook (FB). Have I pulled my luck too far?
You'll know in the next release!
Peace Out!
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