European Trip 1993
Berlin | Romania
Eastern Europe | Paris & England
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While skating around Paris, I saw this group. |
Paris & England
Saturday night I boarded the train to Paris. I spent Saturday seeing the sites there. I skated from Notre Dame Cathedral to the Eiffel tower and then I skated the slalom course. There were a few other skaters there even though it was very cold. It started to rain so I put the skates away and headed for the subway, but the ticket machines weren't working. I decided to follow some other Parisians and jump over the turnstyles. Were the hidden cameras recording my crime? Would I be carried off to the bastille? Fortunately, nothing interrupted my sightseeing. There wasn't even much time to eat. I passed by many places where I could have stepped in and had a bite to eat, but never felt comfortable with the restaurants there. Besides, there was so much to see and so little time. Once I got to the train station, I did find I had a little time. I saw a french burger joint across the street and got a quick snack. That was my only taste of french food.
The rain didn't stop the skaters. |
Slalom course and the Awful Tower in Paris. |
Sunday night I took the train to Calais, on the French coast. After arrival, the rain pelted me as I walked over into the station. I waited patiently for the bus I had read about which would take me to the hydrofoil dock. After a while I got nervous and asked the attendent who spoke little English, but I at least found out she didn't know the hours of the bus. Finally, I decided to grab a taxi. I arrived at the hydrofoil ticket station just as it was closing. According to my brochure from that company there should be another one leaving, but they said "their" schedule was wrong! My taxi had left so another one had to be called to take me over to the ferry station.
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The walled city of York, England. |
So, I took the ferry to Dover, England. I decided to finally have a real meal and went straight to the dining room. I started to eat at about the same time we headed out to sea - and the ship started it's wild ride. I could occasionally hear plates and glasses sliding off of tables and crashing to the floor. I stopped eating partly to use my hands to secure my food, but also because my stomach was churning and wanting to throw some food back at me. For almost all of the remainder of the journey I sat there trying to hold it in. The one hour ferry ride became three as this large ship was tossed around by the raging storm. In Dover, I missed the last train of the night into London and stayed in a Bed-and-breakfast. In the morning I went to London and then on to where my brother and his family live near York. I stayed there a few days, then on Friday I took the train down to London to do some site seeing. London was interesting but very crowded. I had dinner with Francesca, the same woman I had met in Budapest. She had travelled alone all the way from England to Romania and back without problems, but she was kidnapped and drugged on returning to England! Somehow she escaped and was later able to dine with me.
At the Tower of London. |
Lisa and Norrie. |
Saturday afternoon I took the train to Surrey. There I stayed with Norrie and Lisa, a couple I had met in the Philippines. We had Chinese food which we took back to their apartment to eat. What surprised me was that there was no rice. You had to order that extra. How can you eat Asian food without rice? I gave them a book filled with beautiful pictures of California. Early Sunday morning, they took me to the airport and I was on my way back to America.
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