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Published: June 16th 2005
Cliche Shot of the Day
I haven't decided yet whether I like Westminster or Parliament Hill better.This will be brief, one because I'm working on a French keyboard, and two, because this entry is backdated (I couldn't get internet access last night).
A note on the hostel I stayed at: in general, it's good value. However, the showers are of the variety that you have to keep pusching a nob to get water, and the sinks all have 2 taps - freezing cold and boiling hot. I didn't really mind that. What I did mind was experiencing a level of snoring I didn't think humanly possible. Suffice it to say that my alarm was not needed since I was awake at 5am.
The day then started with pouring rain. I was kind of embarrased: me, the consumate Vancouverite, lacking an umbrella in a place who's weather is described as identical. An umbrella (reasonably priced one - 15 pound ones were everywhere) was actually quite hard to find. I endured the trip to Waterloo station to check my main backpack before I found a cheap one.
Anyways, I was the stereotypical tourist again today. The itinerary consisted of Westminster, Westminster Abbey (for a church, a hell of a lot of people are buried in there),
Buckingham Palace
Or at least the statue of Victoria in front of it. Buckingham Palace (doesn't really look all that impressive from the outside), lunch off Piccadilly Circus, then a visit to the British Museam.
The British Museam I could spend days in, starting with the fact that it's free! I guess the fact that a large portion of their collection was acquired...free of charge per say helps in that regard. I know I saw a few items from China that I know probably weren't handed over in friendship. Anyways, 3 hours definitely wasn't enough.
Being the law student that I am, I went off the beaten track a bit and visited the Middle and Inner Temples. There are a LOT of barristers squeezed in those buildings, as well as one of the finest collection of luxury cars I've ever seen. You name it (from Aston Martin to Porch 911's), it's there.
On my way to the South Bank, my camera chose to die. So far, I have no real complaints about my new digital camera (Canon SD300), but I'm
not impressed by the battery life. I rectified the battery station at Waterloo Station by "borrowing" an England-North American adapter. A 20 minute boost was enough to get me to
Grand Courtyard of the British Museam
The architect knew what he was doing with this one. Paris.
Eurostar was a bit of a disappointment. Was it fast? Hell yes, 2 hours, 35 minutes almost to the second. Ambience though? I wasn't expecting lavish surroundings in 2nd class, but given that I paid $100, I was expecting a bit more luxury than what I got. Given that it got me to Paris early enough for a late dinner though, I'm hardly going to complain.
Navigating Paris proved to be a bit harder than expected, starting with a couple of people trying to scam me at Gare du Nord. Ten euros for a one way Metro ticket? What do you take me for? (A Carte Orange valid for a week of unlimited travel is 14.50 euros). All in all, it took me 40 minutes to get to the hotel. Now that I know the area a bit better, I can walk the distance in 15 mins. I'm raving about the hotel room though (see below). There are 3 beds, but so far, I'm all alone in the room. We're talking 25 euros a night here. If I open my windows, I get a view of the street below (Boulevard Rochechuart), as well as the Sacre-Coeur on
Hot Dogs?
Hot Dogs Eh? These look more like breakfast sausages to me. Butte Montmartre (see also below).
Because of the time difference, I didn't feel like sleeping, so I wandered a bit. The immediate area around the hotel has a very quaint feeling, but has a lot of people. I soon discovered that this is due to the fact that there's a district of the nocturnal variety three blocks west. Voila below the famous Moulin Rouge. Amusingly, the Moulin Rouge is about the only establishment in the area which doesn't solicit, and let me tell you, those guys are persistent.
My late night dinner was in this semi-fast food joint. It was cheap, and did the job. So far, language has not been much of a problem. I don't exactly look like a local, and even when the other guy doesn't assume I'm foreign, that's recified in short order when I open my mouth. I can get the message across, but I have a feeling my accent leaves something (alright, a
lot) to be desired.
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Jon L
From Your Friend...
Hi Andrew... I have joined travelblog and will now following your trip every day! Looks like you have a lot of success with finding internet access, good for you! Your London hostel is really a bargain, the last time I was in London I paid 40 pounds a night near St. Pancras Train station. Sorry to hear that you are not get enough "juice" from your camera, I hope have better luck... Regarding the Eurostar: 2nd class is pretty utilitarian nowadays. Only the 1st class train travel in Europe would give you so bit of "luxury" .heehee. I don't know if you notice it or not -- the rail on the British side is as well maintained as the french side so that the Eurostar travels faster after the Channel.