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Published: July 16th 2006
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Brugge
Lovely innit? Oo la la bonjour a la pompidou et mon reims de Citroen. Oui sacre bleu la petit pon du la coq sportif en de dogshit. C'est Paris est tres bien, avec le variou Musee et le Tour Eiffel, mon voyage en France est amusee. Parlez vous anglais? Oui monsieur, un petit pong. Ou allez vous? Je ne se ou sil vous plez.
Err, and now I'm in Loire, in a little village called Ferriere Larçon, staying with a random retired couple (David from France, and Pauline from Ireland) and their dog Shannon. Yes I'll admit it was an odd turn of events given my initial reluctance to tour de France, but here I am. It's a good spot to have a free bed, meals and help out with the house painting for a while. Actually I don't know why they decided to paint the place anyway - I've just seen a photo of the original pebbledash wall and it looks great. It fits in - you know, grey, crumbling, slightly mouldy. In a tres franc way.
Where was I last blog? Oh, Utrecht. Yes the guesthouse there had a bit of a hold on me. It reminded me alot
Gent
Just about as lovely as Brugge of some aspects of inner Melbourne, and there was a great lounge, courtyard, kitchen, nice staff and some interesting guests. It was where I watched my birthday tick by with some other guests, Grolsch, of course the football, and I admit a little homesickness.
I also engaged in some more intensive jobsearch at the time, one dubious contract coming up with an immediate (i.e; next day) start in Germany that sounded like it would have had me working 12 hr days for 3 months, initially illegally but with the option to use an immigration agent to help process the work permit, and an umbrella company based in Switzerland to handle payments and tax. It was all a little too big, so I passed, and went to Belgium.
Brugge really is a neat spot. I felt myself getting into the travel swing a bit more there and had a nice time just chatting with random travellers and wandering the medieval streets. I went for a huge bike ride by some nearby castles, did some laps in the council pool...
Gent, and again another lovely town (theme developing here. Maybe I should find a really shit town to hang
Bonjour monsieur!
Bienvenue a Paris out in) to while away a couple of days, one day with a witty Geelong girl. And thats something I was hoping might happen more often, spending the occasional day or 2 with another solo traveller. Don't worry, I am meeting people, but very rarely anyone going in the same direction. Sounds like I'm directionless anyway I know, but don't worry, there is some fuzzy logic to the Bertie adventure, I assure you eh he he eh he eh he he he : 6 Anyway, then a nice-sounding short contract came up in Stockholm, and again the work permit issue, and kaput.
Paris. Yes I bit the bullet, and am so glad I did. The most captivating city yet - most of you have been there so I'm sure I don't need to explain why. I spent only 5 days there, one with a head cold, so I'll have to go back for a little more - just too much to see in one visit.
I had lined up this homestay online a little while before and again I hadn't really kicked the urge to rest and be productive, so I made my way south to Tours on
Paris
Maybe this angle hasn't been captured yet.. Monday, Loches then Ferriére Larçon Tuesday. Its been baking hot, around 33-35 every day. The mornings have been cool enough to get my painting in though. The rest of the day just seems to pass really. Pauline was only here for the first couple of days; shes been at another town since looking after 5 poodles. With David at the stove, meals now have a very bachéloresque quality.
On Bastille day the Mayor of the village held a picnic in the council gardens. According to the 'locals' apparently it was the worst turnout in years. Some imperceivable tension and goings on within the town apparently had numbers down. I didn't care; more food and wine for me. I was busy stuffing my face but did manage some toffee conversation with the 'local' British community, and mostly just the courtesy 'pardon, je ne parl francais' with the peasants.
In the evening, everyone (30 or so people) wandered the streets with coloured lanterns before assembling at the football field. The team has been defunct for years sadly as insurers wouldn't cover a team of players older than 50. Then the fireworks, and I have to admit this was pretty special.
Paris night
From my window at Hotel Rivoli Picture a small community (about two hundred) together on a field surrounded by trees in the twilight on a balmy, breezy night. A handful of kids chasing eachother around, no traffic, just chatting, laughter, and a neat little fireworks display, kids calling out the colours before the crack - 'bleu! blanc!'.
Saturday night a couple of 'locals' had a bbq and boules on their acreage property nearby. It was all very noice, until the chicken burnt. I broke out the emergency wit and saved their marriage just in time. Later, their guest from Cambridge broke out the guitar and some renditions of Pink Floyd. It was time to call it a night. Today the village held the Fete de Tisserands. It really was nice - just crafts and some food stalls, all housed within cave-style dwellings off one of the main rues. Some folk even dressed up old-fashioned like.
I'm wasn't sure how long I'd be here; would you believe I'm restless after only 6 days? I want some stability and a break from travel and I want to travel. Someone slap me. Not sure what ails me at the moment, but I feel like I'm a bit
Pompidou centre
Housing the modern art museum over Europe right now. Four months on the go has left me feeling a bit stale. Maybe the best idea is to stay put here for a bit longer, get as bored as possible, then see a bit more before continent number 3. I must be crazy. Then again, I refreshed my memory about the trekking season in Peru, so I'll be leaving Europa next month anyhow, earlier than planned (now that I won't be working). So I should see as much more as possible? You can see my mind is in a bit of a knot. Do you worker sods care? No.
Well I think I'll head off tomorrow and see a bit more of France, then back to Paris for a few days, then .. London? Berlin? Morroco? hee hee.
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mammamia
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Uncle Andy five times!
There is a new baby Beetle, making you an Uncle for fifth time! Dear wee girl, Lily (or Lilli) 7lb 2 oz, is now in the world, and totally utterly gorgeous (of course). Tres Jolie, Lilli was born on Friday 21st of July. Jenni and baby doing well, and the rest of us are willing slaves to the new Princess. When we finally all get together to welcome her, we will raise a toast to her health and also to Uncle Andy's continuing good fortune on his amazing adventure.