Arc de triumphe and Louvre!

This is from across the street. Good thing there is an underground walkway

Entrance to the Louvre.

Eiffel tower

Very difficult to fit it all in one shot!

Catacombs photos

Bastian emailed me the photos from his phone.

This at the entry to the ossuary of the catacombes.

Squirrels paying their respects.

Perspective shot of one of the hirer stacks of bones. It was eerie to walk among so many.

Early

5am is early in any country or Tim zone! I couldn't sleep anymore anyways. Was able to Skype face to face with mom and dad last night. I must admit that was very awesome. If you want to send me a Skype message me there the Nam is fuzzinut squixen. Wifi is stodgy but stable when I stay still. Departure today is after breakfast which is at 6:30am! Still working on the photo issue. Wrote out some postcards but it is Sunday.

Travel day.

Made it to St. Jean pied de Port and the start of the long walk across Spain El Camino de Santiago! We luckily got beds in a hostel. Our room has 7 beds it is very full! We got one of the last beds in the whole building. Met a nice American girl who has been travelling the world for the last 2 years. Her name is Debbie and she is a teacher most recently she was teaching English in Japan! She is walking the Camino as one final escape from technology before returning to the states. She is great fun to hang around even carries a stuffed animal sloth like I carry Bonnie my squirrel! I an at the foothills of the French Pyrenees the lush green hills and mountains are gorgeous. Though tomorrow I get to start my walk over them! 1400 elevation and 27km I am ready!

Paris - A walking tour

We awoke at 6am Having slept about ten hours. We decided to walk about Paris instead of taking the train. It was a pleasant walk maybe 4-5 miles from our hotel near Montparnasse to Eiffel tower to arc de triumphs than the louvre! We hoped the train to go over to Notre Dame and lastly the catacombs! It was nice to really see Paris. Lots of wrought iron and tiny outcroppings like balconies but no space for a chair. Every restaurant has an outdoor seating patio with the chairs all facing the street. This is a town set up for people watching! We had the best croissants with chocolate for breakfast. The Louvre is HUGE we do not have time to fully explore it. The line for the catacombs was 3hrs all standing outside on concrete and well worth it! In line met a couple of gals studying at st Louis university PT program. They are studying abroad in Madrid and decided to get to Europe a week early to see some sights. We bonded over similar career choice and travel. Lastly we patroned McDonalds which was tasty! Large portions and good quality less greasy too. Now we regroup and wait for a crepe dinner! I got a little confused - needing to use the bathroom I saw a door marked 'privey' I thought oh Toilet! Went into (and quickly back out of) the McDonald's kitchen. Some Parisian guy witnessed it and was laughing so hard he was almost crying. He directed me to the Toilettes and afterward hugged me and gave me the traditions French kiss the cheeks greeting he seemed so amused by the silly American. I'm sure he will tell this tale for many years.

Last photo?

Tho may be my last photo uploaded here. My camera phone is no longer turning on again and I can't seem to get it to work . Please keep reading as I will keep blogging.

Bah flying!

The flight was uneventful. Very crowded but we got two seats together window and aisle. The people in front of us reclined ALL the way back making it hard to see the TV or eat. Luckily they moved forward when they were eating. I slept a little.

We landed and searched for a post office to mail package to England for after the Camino sadly it closed about an hour before we got there. Eventually we found the train and Paris and an open post office! May the package arrive safe as England has some LONG addresses and it didn't exactly all fit. We wrote it on the box too and the guy said it was fine. Attempted to pick up sim card for phone only good in Paris so we will keep looking. Found our hotel - Hotel Innova free wifi and a lovely view. The tall black building is montparnasse which is known for its view maybe we go there next!

Relaxing for a moment and regrouping before attempting to find sim card and food. Than photos. I'm determined to reset my clock so no sleeping until 9pm (it is abt 3pm now). Interesting encounter - on the train there was this group panicking about when to get off they spoke Russian and a little English. Another passenger who spoke German and English was trying to help them (she had a map). It was the true moment for me of - you are not in Ohio anymore. Next journey awaits!

Leaving on a jet plane...

Seriously, this is a big plane. We had just enough time to eat a little before boarding. Now I'm all comfy. I hope to get some sleep... Take-off t-minus 30 min!!!

Pilgrimage

A pilgrimage is - any long journey, especially one undertaken as a quest.

Today I begin my pilgrimage. An excursion that begins on my back porch. I don't know what adventures are waiting for me. There is no book to tell me the right and wrong way to continue. From today onward I am responsible for me. I plan the next step. I close and lock the door behind me but I open the world before me. Today I welcome the unknown. Whatever may come I embrace the twist, the turns, the lessons the universe has for me. I am not alone. All my friends and family past and present walk with me. Today I begin.

One wrong turn after another

Tho is likely the last photo I will be able to add to my blog :(

Shortly after taking tho photo my camera phone decided to say good bye again. I don't think I can fix it on the road so no photos unless I finagle something. It has been one of the days. However the view from Montparnasse is spectacular. We spent an hour admiring it. Then afterward we ate at a little cafe called la forge and people/city watched from the patio. Now relaxing in the hotel with the balcony door open. Great breeze sun slowly sets. The sights and sounds of city life here are familiar yet very different. Like the sound of a passing ambulance siren. People talking. All familiar but not. It is nice to just sit and soak it in. We tried to tour the city but had difficulty eut train tickets so ) Tomorrow we tour the city! Now I relax maybe sleep some.

One wrong turn after another

Tried to visit the catacombs but my credit card was declined by the automatic kiosk and it didn't take anything but coins. So we decided to walk to Montparnasse instead (where my card was accepted). My camera phone stopped working after this photo was taken -

The view is spectacular! We spent an hour just looking out over the city. I wish i had grabbed my other camera but alas it was in the hotel. I plan to blog but I likely won't have photos to upload. This makes me beyond sad but I do have my standard camera. Tho isn't tragic just frustrating. After the view it was 5pn we wanted to sit and eat but most places were closed? We found a nice little cafe called La forge with a coveted patio. So we ate deliscious salad and thin crust bread while we sipped lemonade and watched everything. It rained briefly making the city smells more potent. It is odd hoe different things smell here. Oh and yes the food is fabulous! There is this little crepe place we want to try tomorrow morning. Currently I sit in my small hotel room looking out at all the people and buildings, listening to the sounds of cars and random construction definitely in a different land. However, Now I think I will sleep and worry about photos and cleaning clothes tomorrow!

Packed and ready!

Less than 2 weeks before I embark on my next journey. This time I'll be living out of my backpack as I trek across Spain. El Camino de Santiago will be as much a physical as a spiritual journey for me. I have no idea what expect I'm just along for the ride, experience life on the way. Kind of makes me think of that Dr. Seuss book - Oh the places you'll go...

12 mile hike

My first long hike. It went well. My pack is full at 17#. I got a bit sun burned but overall fared well. 21 days until the big trip!