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Published: September 10th 2007
couchbed surfing
being a dork in NantesI AM ALIVE! lol
It again has been so long since I have made an update, where to begin...
Paris was amazing, as a tourist it is such a great place with many city centers and phenomenal sites to see. Beyond the touristic of things I had some wonderful Couch Surfing memories made there. I was not able to find a host, but the day after I last wrote some things came together. I went to Versailles where the gardens were amazing and I honestly would have been happy just in the gardens and skipping the museum/Chateau. I spent the whole day there, you need it and more to walk around the place. The lake in the center and maze of foliage are breathtaking. The best part is to all those that have not been, the garden was free entry (and take a picnic or something). I had seen a post on the CS Paris groups for a Pasta Party taking place at a girls house in Paris so I got back to the city in a hurry and I met up with 2 CS people, together we went to Champigny to the pasta night. We were a little
late and once there greeted by about 20 other CS people. The food was fantastic and the company even more. I went back near 1am. I had also received a message from Natalie, a CS from LA in a flat in Paris. We made a plan to meet the next day at the Musee DOrsay.
natalie and I hit it off like old friends, she is a great time waiting to happen. We walked around the museum and shared some over priced hot chocolate. I then joined her to meet with April and Arnaud in China town. April is also from LA and was going to stay with natalie that night. We all hung out and met up with Becca from Oz and another guy from USA. All these LA people found eachother in Paris. Hours later we went out to dinner at a yummy place and for Europe the prices were amazing (for Paris especially). Natalie and I are both veg so we ate a HUGE SALAD (finally some salad) and it was fantastic. At the end of the night I told Natalie that I was going to stay with her the next night, I basically invited myself.
chin face
Eric had never seen such a thing so i showed him and it was pretty funny lol She actually was house swapping with a couple so they are at her place in LA while she is in Paris. I checked out of my hostel the next morning and went to see Natalie and April. Nat and I went to the crazy Catacombs under the Paris streets, millions of bones are stacked in art formations under the ground. They check your bags when you leave to take back the stolen skulls. Yuck. We then roamed around seearching for a Paris Flea Market and Antiques. We finally found one in this ghetto neighborhood. the majority of the items there were baggy pants and stupid hip hop attire, not really what we were looking for. Other than that it was rastafarian. There was also some garage sale stuff, books, shampoo, shoes and crap. The antique stores were priced to the extreme and for a vintage dress it was about 200 dollars. An old chandlier ran about 5000. I had to go there for my mom really, I knew she would have wanted to go.
Natalie and I were exhausted so we journeyed back to her place. April had stayed and relaxed for the day and we were all
at le jardin
le jardin de plants... or something, in Nantes with Eric invited to a CS dinner with some Indian food. We went to an Italian girls flat and met some CS people and then to see Dhruv, a CS that houses swapped with a guy from Paris. He had prepared some Indian food to celebrate Ganesh and showed us a slideshow. There was a good 20 people there and it was a great bunch. Shortly after eating it was time to go to a club. The group cut down to about 8 and we ventured to a club with a DJ from Berlin, I felt like I was at a rave and we danced the night away... On the stage. it was fantastic to be dripping so much sweat. We walked all the way back as the metros had ended for the night, Natalie crashed first and then it was bed time for all. We were supposed to go to free museum Sunday but nobody felt up to it. Paris will have to welcome me again. There is much I did not see but I would not trade my experience for any of it. I did not even go up Eiffel, but I will wait to have a friend for that
on a manta ray
at the machine museum with some Oz guy 3 hour line to get up. lol
NANTES- Well the girls were so great and did not want me to leave but it was time to go on. I left Sunday night to go to nantes to stay with my host Eric, we had been talking through CS for a couple of months and I was soooo excited to finally meet him. I actually had butterflies in my stomach about it. Eric and his guest Lina greeted me at the train station and he drove us back to his place. He has a nice 2 br- flat very accessible by tram to the city center. Lina and Eric put some dinner together and we all ate and chatted. We went to bed shortly, we had all had a long weekend. On monday Lina and I walked around the city a bit together and I went back early to prepare a dinner for them. It took me ages to put together as I am so not experienced but it was great. We all watched Toy Story together, Lina had not seen it, the following day she left.
Eric met me at mid day for his lunch break on tuesday
and took me to the Castle to eat our lunch, afterwards he introduced me to a CS named Stefi that works at the castle and she was so lovely to let me in the museum for free. It had just opened in February and it was clean and well organized. The history of Nantes was told throughout the museum, much of it pertaining to the days that Nantes wasa huge sea port for the African Slave trade. The city also used to have more rivers and canals but they have since covered it up with roads and parks. That night Eric came home and 2 friends of his came over for dinner. Eric was so good trying to be creative with food to feed me, he topped it all off with chocolate fondue and tons of dippers. A way to a girls heart of course.
Wednesday Eric and I met again and we got a take out pasta in a chinese container, we took it to Le Jardin de Plantes (sp?). The garden park was absolutley beautiful, all of the plants and the well manicured lawns, the peaceful ponds and the lovely statues and artwork... It was the most
Gaudi stuff
love his wierdness beautiful place I saw in Nantes. I would have loved to find a little place to write or rest, but you can not walk on the grass and I did not care much to sit on benches with all the others. It was the type of place to be alone and reflect or with good company. We enjoyed walking around together. After Eric got off work we chowed on leftovers and then went to the center to meet up with Stefi and her friend at a bar. Stefi also brought her dog which is very typical in Europe. We then went to one called Le Maison Cafe, a bar that is all set up like a house (kitchen, living room) etc.. it is very atr deco/mod/vintage all in one. lol Can not really explain it but it is unique. On the tram ride home I had seen a guy speaking in sign language and I gathered some courage to attempt to speak with him. Some of the signs were the same, but he spoke French and so there was a bit of a language barrier, in more ways than one. Abdel loved getting to chat with us and I really
enjoyed it also. I hope he emails me or something. I wish I had longer to chat. ON Thursday Eric and I met for a veg kebab and took it to a little island with a Asian inspired garden. We walked around it and watched people feed the fish. I went to the Machine museum after where I got to ride on a 12 meter high elephant machine for 45 minutes. It was ridiculous but the machine was remarkable, especially when it spraed passers by with water from the trunk. We kept it low key that night and had fondue again as well as pizza and a movie. On Friday we got the same lunch and went back to the island, when Eric got home he took me to the train. It was sad to leave Nantes. I felt like Eric and I had known each other forever and I really enjoyed my time with him and his lovely city.
After 20 hours I got to Barcelona and I have been walking around discvering the unique architecure and artwork of Gaudi. He is a nut case. I have not gon to any clubs or the beach but I have
enjoyed it here. i am leaving tonight for Portugal and will arrive there tomorrow very late night. My time is up here on this comp. LOVE YA... To be continued
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