Paris, Italy and a great train ride. Part three

So - been trying to find time to update my blog, seems that if I wake up early enough, I can finish it. So I left you at the Eiffel Tower I think... We got up early for this the last day that the students would be in Paris, and maybe the last day that I was in Paris - I wanted to walk along the Champs Elysee. But anyway - an early morning subway ride and we arrived at the tower. It is pretty big, but it is all about appearances because the rialto is not that much smaller, but it doesn't tower over the city like the Eiffel tower does with Paris. We saw the line, - maybe 50m long, and thought that we were a bit unlucky - we were there a bit over a hour before the opening time. Our thoughts were soon changed, what proceeded was nothing short of crazy. In the next 30 minutes, the line was 4 times as long, and when we started moving 1 hour later the line had grown to at least 2 hours I am sure. Good decision SP. :-) Like any big tower that you see, it isn't really that much different I think. 360 degree views of Paris, took some photos - people everywhere on top of tower. I mean hey, don't get me wrong, the views are awesome, but... maybe a little overrated. That being said, it was still pretty cool. We left and we had a little problem with Hawkers, brought me back to my Indonesian days, "no" no" no" "Go away" etc etc. Trying to sell us small Eiffel towers, and postcards etc. I think they must be illegal cause when the police came past on bikes, they all bolted away - about at least 20 of them, all jingling and struggling to run with all their merchandise. Obviously the government must know they are there, bit strange really. - We worked out that about 15,000 people must visit every day to the Eiffel tower - based on some lose calculations at the bottom. (it was crazy busy). So we left and walked down, had some expensive (tide over till lunch) food and went down to get on a cruise along the river. It was very informative, it was nothing because we had just been on a much more fun boat, but the commentary was excellent. The main thing about Paris is the crazy architecture that they have in the city - the bridges, the many buildings, it is a beautiful city. That being said - they did surrender it to the Germans..... After the boat ride we went to the Pantheon. Amazing building. Not so amazing contents. - well I didn't really think that it was that interesting. They have all the dead french people buried there, I didn't really know who they were, and all the info signs were in french, but I was one of the last people out of the building. So we then ate some baguettes, which I think was before we went to the pantheon, but meh, they were good, it's kinda like a subway shop, but the bread is so much nicer. Tick one for French food. We secured a restaurant for dinner for 7.30. We had a hour or two shopping, and then back to the hotel and got ready to go out for tea. When we go tback down to the lobby, I was heavily underdressed - me still having my boat clothes in my bag - not my going out in Paris clothes, but I didn't mind really. The food was excellent. I had the duck, and it was amazing. It was only a huge slap of mashed spuds, but they were good too. (must have been cream or butter or a combination) Flavor enhancer indeed.. Colin bought us snails - see picture below, which were good, but they were marinated alot, one does wonder if the French are just good at marinating things, or if snails do actually taste ok... 

Snails in Paris

We also had some v expensive french champagne to celebrate the trip - Colin generously bought this also, and it was very very nice. So we were at the restaurant for ages, and we went home - really tired. The next morning I decided that I was not going to stay another night - I was just too tired, I fare-welled the students and Nat robbo and colin, did a bit of research onto where I was going, and then went on my way to find Gare Du Nord - the Paris central station. On a side note - thanks so much to the guys for letting me hang around on their school camp.. Was really good to catch up with them, go and see things and the middle day when we were getting lost by our bus driver, they had a packed lunch, and I didn't have anything(thinking that they all would stop in a town and I could buy it) and they all chipped in food for me to the point that I had way too much, such a nice gesture - thanks guys :) :)

So I was on the subway train platform near the hotel, - looking at the strange wheels on the trains...  They seem to run on Tyres , and the other wheels that the sideways in the picture above run against the rails. The wheels that hold the train up run not on tracks, but on a sort of steel path for them - probably guided by the sideway wheels.. I found it quite interesting. So I made it through the maze to Paris central. And wow.... the metro underneath is HUGE. It took me a good 10-15 minutes to walk from one end to the other, to find the above ground train station, and I wasn't walking slow. So I came up the elevator - and this was one of those moments where you kinda reverse back on yourself (beep beep beep) because I came up the elevator and thought "Oh this is similar to spencer street" and then walked around the corner... Wow - I was so wrong. It has a airline board! 3 stories, and about 1000 platforms... ok, that is a lie, but it is huge, it took me a great deal of time to find out where to buy a ticket to Belgium. So i got the U26 fare by 'mistake' and sat down and waiting for the train to appear on the board so I could then find the platform. It was quite seemless after that - it was a little frustrating trying to find the ticket box ( I asked 4 people before I found it) I get on this train - I was in first class cause it was cheaper somehow. and wow... wow wow wow. I was very impressed. Meal, internet, quiet serenity in the train cabin. I felt out of place a little, similar to how I felt out of place being under dressed going out for tea the night before that, that quickly passed as I sat down and let comfort take over. Chatted to Jo on the train kinda showing off the fact that I was traveling 300kmph and eating and drinking while being on the internet. :-) The guy next to me was in a full business suit - I'm sure it was expensive, and I was in my tasmainia jacket and shorts. lol. We arrived in Brussels and seamlessly found my way to my platform and onto the empty train that would take me to northern belgium to where I would meet the guys who were picking me up - if you are interested the name of the town was Turnhout. We sat in the sun at a cafe - then went and had tea there which was very nice - but it was no French Duck. Very tired on the trip back home, and then Collapsed into bed - knowing that I had to work the next day (yep - you guessed it painting!) Over all it was nice to get away and actually travel and experience things, rather then live in boxmeer for awhile. But I also realized that traveling is expensive... 

well - bye for now, that was my 10 days of traveling.