Monday, July 11, 2011

Not Running With the Bulls


Everything in the past two days happened so fast and unexpectedly that I really don’t know where to start this.  I mentioned how the train and hostel were booked at the last possible second.  The Amsterdam train station might as well have been a labyrinth lined with hedgerows, but luckily I got there with plenty of time to spare and caught the train no problem.  The hostel was a complete wild card.  Having booked it just hours before checking in, I had no idea what to expect other than that it could sleep over 300 and that I booked the last bed available for both nights I was there.  With a wild card, you win some and you lose some; I won in a big way.  The rooms were without question the cleanest ones I had seen yet, the staff was friendly, and there was a cheap café / lounge in the main lobby.  Not only that, but it also happened to be where Shanti and Sterling (friends from the Sevilla program, who I had no idea were even in Paris at the time) were staying for the next 2 nights too. 
Because I did not get in until late afternoon, I only had time to go to the Louvre the first day (which we sped through in record time) and went out by the Moulin Rouge area at night.  The next day, though, we made it to most of the other big sites: the Muse d’Orsay, Notre Dame (saw the service / communion too), Jardin des Tuleries, lock bridge, and the Eiffel Tower at night.  Some of the sights I remember seeing with Mom, Dad and Caldwell many years go - Mona Lisa still hasn’t decided if she wants to smile or not, Quasimodo still does not reside in Notre Dame, and the Eiffel tower still stands as the most spectacular building in the world that serves no relevant purpose.  It was still a lot of fun to see everything again though; its like watching a good movie for the second or third time – you know what’s about to happen but no entertainment value is lost.
The real highlight was catching up with everyone that was there.  It sounds like Florence was just as rewarding an experience for Derek / John / Abby / Becca as Sevilla was for me.  Also, if there was one gripe I’d have with the Sevilla program, it’s that the group was so big that it was impossible to get to know and hang out with everyone.  I really did not get to know Shanti or Sterling until the last few days in Sevilla (and we were supposed to meet up with them our first day in Amsterdam, but we were never able to coordinate that), but enjoyed touring Paris with them yesterday and hearing about their European travels. 
Overall, the crepes were as good as always, the nightlife was pretty wild and the city was spectacular.  I didn’t want to / plan on traveling to Paris because I wanted to only go to places I’ve never been before, but I’m definitely glad I made the trip here.
Well, my trip to Florence was planned as haphazardly as the Paris one was (train booked yesterday, hostel booked this morning); I can only hope it turns out as well.  On a 13 hour overnight train as we speak and arrive at 7:15.  Kind of unrelated side note – apparently I can pass for an Australian.  In the train station, I met two girls from UC – Davis who are taking summer wine-tasting classes in S. France (what was I doing studying Spanish Art / Grammar?).  When they asked where I was from, I said, “Atlanta” (knowing they were American… Atlanta is a big city, figured it didn’t need explanation).  Given their quizzical look, I had to finish with “……Georgia.”  I guess 8 weeks away from home and I’ve lost whatever southern accent I once had (and have adopted an Australian one?)  I don’t know, you can be the judge when I get home I guess; I just think they’re crazy.
That’s about all I got.  Cheers.

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