The light fantastic (Lyon Part 1)

I wanted to squeeze in what I could into the last bit of travelling I had, so I thought Geneva was the place to go via Lyon. From the moment of arriving I had my fun and obstacles.
You know the scariest way to fall in skateboarding? Stairs? Vert ramp? Centimetre talk rock? Yep it's the third one. There's something about it, the way it will fling you off a board, on that particular angle guaranteed that you are going to either hit the ground with you face, or get the skin of your palms replaced. It was the first one, this particular incident also involving a sixteen kilo bag coming from behind to join the party. A concussion has always been an interesting way to start the day.

So with a lack of planning and double vision, I set out for somewhere to put my bag down and when it was time sleep the night. No where could I find a room except the Ibis at over 100€, reluctantly I took it after several hours of futile search. The good and bad timing responsible for the premium charge for a bed, was the annual light festival in Lyon, apparently it was the opening night.

By the evening I had recovered enough to surf the town. Viewing a few of the instillations, trying to get the most out of my stay. Like always there was a castle, on top of a hill, light up like the focal piece for the whole city, a hike but always worth it for the view. Sitting back from the top, provided the best landscape look of all that was going on, watching a silent movie projected on a screen in the centre of the ferris wheel, until the fireworks went off.

Time to go back and the second skateboarding escapade, the fastest way down is roll. This has got to be both the scariest and most fun snake rides I've done. The gradient is nothing to vicious, but the light rain fall on the tar meant that for breaking does something to regulate speed, rather than give any practical option of stopping. I won this time.

 

Something I passed on the winding walk up the hill.

 

The view from the castle

A Day in the park (Versailles)

Time for another day trip. Part of the hostel lifestyle is of course, running with people on the same page. And of the places to in the area, a girl I met Annabel and I thought 'Versailles had got itself a pretty good rap'. Centre of political power, gilded apartments and 230 acres of gardens; as Billy Connolly said about the Albert Hall "Some size for a folk club?" So off we went.

If you want opulence, the palace of Versailles is the right place to come to. Pick your flavor, when Louis was asked which colour he liked in the Dullux catalog I think he must of said 'All of them', because each of  the rooms, the 300 or so not particularly special ones has its own colour, then set of particularly crafted furniture to match. That before where the money really went, like the ball[in!] room, 20 crystal chandeliers should do it.

I'd love to tell you more about the history, little anecdotes, and trivier. But honestly I didn't do the research for it.

So on we sauntered through the grounds, giving names to the abundant farm animals and particularly ugly fish that we passed. OK they were all called Louise, but it still became a joke of our adventure. The simple advice for anyone going to take a look, is get up early, there is a lot of grounds to cover, but no shortage of what to look at on your way.

OK this is the point where it should become blatantly obvious that we're both Australian. The raw excitement, both of us had realising that one of the water features we were looking at had frozen over. It's something special, it's unusual, it means winter is coming and cold is about to start operating on a different scale then we're used to. If you don't relate, it's just our version for "it's only 28 degrees".

My camera had been dead all day so Annabel had the photos. To say that Versailles was worth a few shots wasn't justice. 500 well that might take a while to go through.

Eat some cheese have some sex (Paris part 2)

So what do you do in Paris near Christmas time? Everything. How it starts is mould wine, friendship, ice skating, some kind of epic rachlette sandwich filled with ham, potato and cheese (look at the photo, it's had its own private rant) and then moves into more artery clogging adventures, soaking up the ambiance of a city in the full bloom of festival and everything those pretty lights offer. Do your thing, wake up in somebody else's bed. Coffee at whichever artisan café happens to close by. Repeat.

That's it.

OK you should probably do the Louvre, I went there three times. And there are a dozen other attractions to do before you're bored enough to go to Disney Land, and that's not a statement hatin'. But point being, enjoy some lifestyle, the Eiffel tower is a check box. New rule, if it's not a story worth digression, is not one worth telling.

 

But what the heck, I was motivated to do it all and have little regret for time poorly spent. Buy something on the Champs Ellipse, see the city from the tallest building of its time, under no circumstances talk to a Parisian about how it is an architectural wonder unless you want a two hour argument of why you're wrong (still haven't figured that one out). Go have a look at the ossuary, Notre Dame and Sacre Coure. All of these have a place in a photo album and deserving in writing, but when it comes to ambiance, this city has got it and don't miss it.

 

Sorry, I didn't get a pick of it on the end of my finger.

 

Best Sandwich ever

 

Notre Dame. Top 5

Catching up with a friend (Paris 1)

There's nothing like catching up with a friend. Rolling with the random occurrences, minus one book, several hours of sleep and any ability to think beyond the rational. When the sight of the spot light on top of the Eiffel tower sweeping across the city comes in to view, it's a reassurance that the world is fun place, and better the less negative care you carry.

Battered and semi contious, I contorted through the metro yoga that is the ritual and privilege of anyone traveling through a major city. Checked in, sent Alex a message and went for dinner. Placing my order in a very broken french, the response given in exceptionally fluent English, oh well, points for trying. It wasn't a late night, but it was a long sleep.

It was a day of the practical, cigar investment and wandering, map collecting and working out what to do in Paris. Turns out quite a lot. A grey sky day, didn't make the highlights of the photo album, but the night lights, well that's something different, Christmas was only about six weeks away at this point and the city knows how to dress up for it.

Crouched down over a cup of mould wine, collar up and beenie down, was quite possibly the smartest person I know. Quite a funny look, but practicality trumps style when your against the cold. To cut a long conversation short, we both had our issues with the opposite sex and once we had both vented our parts, we agreed that in the perspective of things, the good and bad are just character building. A few laughs and a glass of wine later, the world once more was looking rosey.

 

Light fading early now

 

Champs Elysée

 

The city is at its best after the sun sets

I'd rather cry in Paris (The end of the east part 1)

We had a fight. We needed a fight, because we started talking more again after that. It when along the lines of, "What was the point of me coming back? I thought I had a reason, and led to believe I had one, but I would have gone to Turkey if I thought this was what I was coming back to."
"Because I could have made you fall in love if I wanted to." "I had already left, and just enjoying the now. So what you are saying is you were leading me on?" "No." "Then why am I back here?"


The last night we stayed up and talked till six in the morning, then slept for an hour before getting up. Then we talked all the way to the airport. I can't recall what was said. But I remember the feeling, enjoying the company, and letting go the feeling of betrayal. It's funny I new I was clinging, but it was mutual bidding war. I wanted to be caught up in a moment, and like the alcohol it only hurts after the fact.


My head a mess of too much to take in and process, looking to the forward, living in the moment, and trying to put some closer on the past. Waking to the rumbling sound of tires on tar mac as the the plain came into land. Then a blur of language, cigarette smoke and an update of currency. On the bus; the rush of a new city and being somewhere in the world that I've always wanted to be, and crying at the same time with the opposite of emotions. Replaying the last six weeks over though my head.


As the Eiffel tower came into view beaconing the city, the cleché became true “I’d rather feel shitty here”.

Flowers for a funeral (Wroclaw part 2)

I had about forty five minutes, and wasn't letting a second of it go to waist. Flowers, hotel check in, book a taxi, candles and petals around the bath tub, shower, shave, clean clothes. Taxi to where I was meeting Szilvi and still have five minutes to spare.

She was looking beautiful and hand in hand we walked while talking till we came to the center of town, and our hotel and restaurant. Small talk, miss you talk, antidotes, and travel notes, a lot said and a lot unsaid. Like that feeling you haven't been way from someone. We did the whole romantic dinner thing, wine, three causes, and up to the room, where we opened another bottle of wine and danced till we fell on the floor.


It was an early check out Szilvi had made plans with two of her friends to have a movie marathon, and we were cooking a feast to last the night. I had already agreed to it about a week before, though I wasn't expecting for us to eject ourselves so that we didn't even cuddle in the morning. I let her know that I was frustrated by this, 13 hours I had been back and I was playing number 2? If there was no 20 minutes of us in the morning, than it wasn't so long the question came, why?


Quickly 2pm came round and no one showed up, 4pm came round and no one showed up. At 6 pm we got word that no one was going to. We ate dinner, and watched movies, I was feeling bad for her, she was obviously looking forward to it. I understood that she felt let down, felt angry, but with all the long conversations we had, talking for 5 hours most nights, again I felt like a second priority. We had made plans that we would go to Zakopane for a few day, get a cheap hotel, go walking and hope for some really cold days. As we made plans there was always something, that made it not work, the room was too expensive, the bus didn't leave at the right time. Like we had to wait for the perfect opportunity, rather than make the best of what we got. We had one more day of this, no sex in the middle of the day for the fuck of it, we were support to be driven by lust and love and passion. A needle and a cushion had more passion then us.


It was day three, so much for another week together. I bought flowers, this time not for joy, but I'm sorry. Sorry I'm leaving. Sorry but we had something, and we both knew that it was never going to work, so we can't repair it. I'm heading to Gdansk, and am going to continue this next part of my adventure.


I would like to think I changed my mind. No, the plan got changed, that was all. I had a message, are you going to be in Paris this weekend? I was planing Monday, it was time I left the east behind and a couple of days forward wasn't a bad thing. And a good friend, you know when you need one.


And that was it, I booked my flight, I stayed a couple of days longer. One night we where having a smoke on the balcony, I give her a kiss with all of the passion I had, not because I was in the mood to, but from a reaction point of view. We had a fight.

Table for two (written in Budapest)

To my Dear Szilvi,

Come join me, for a romantic dinner for two.

Break this feeling of longing, that I have struggled with for the last two and a half weeks.

Take my hand as we wander, and share the stories of our time apart.

Dine with me so that we may hold each others gaze once more.

I will wait for you, at six pm;

on the night of Friday the fifteenth November,

So that I may give you the kiss we have yearned for.

Before we embark, to the Granary la suite hotel restaurant.

You needn't bring anything but your smile, nor worry about a thing,

and when dinner is done a room awaits us upstairs.

Your laugh, your smile, your body beckons me back

Please write your response soon.

Missing you still

Yours in longing,

-Duncan