paris, je t'aime

today was basically insane. i almost overslept. my train left bruges at 6.26am. i was rushing out of the hostel at 5.55am. to catch the bus to take me to the train. as a result, i'm not a pretty sight. i didn't straighten my hair last night, so my bangs are kinda crazy. i have bugbites on my face (and a zit), and barely any mascara. and i've worn this same shirt like 4 times. which could explain why i've been sweating so much because i think old clothes makes you sweat more. now that i've adequately grossed you out, i will continue.

i arrived at the gare du nord at 9am. i was at my hostel by 10. then i walked. all day. i also went to the picasso museum. i ate one sandwich. by 2pm my legs couldn't carry me any longer, so i went to see the sex and the city movie. more on that at another time. after the movie, i started walking again. and i stumbled across a giant crowd watching the semi-finals of the french open in front of the hotel de ville. i joined them for about half an hour before i went to au lys d'argent, a teeny restaurant on the l'ile st. louis that my mom had recommended. it was good. i had a salad with toast and smoked salmon, then a crepe with fromage, tomato, and creme fraiche, then a chocolate cake with creme anglais. i drank a glass of muscatelle with dinner and an espresso with my dessert. i sat and ate it all alone, with no one else in the restaurant. because i'm in paris and was clearly eating too early. afterwards i made my way to the eiffel tower and read. now i'm at an internet cafe. soon i will go to sleep.

i'm not sure how i feel about travelling alone. part of me likes it because i don't have to bend what i do to someone else's needs. and i can get started early, as is my style. but there's this part of me that gets kind of melancholy. maybe it's really like that because being in paris reminds me of the last time i was in paris. and so much has changed since then.

here's hoping that no one has stolen my suitcase. since it's been sitting around in the hostel for 12 hours.