return to my europe journal: the final chapter

In case you're not aware of this form of flashback torture I put my readers through :)...







You can learn about me:


*dancing all night in a Paris disco


*turning 18 in a foreign country


*finding and losing love with Lars the German


Now let's read about an 18 year old Idaho girl's first impression of Paris.....(c'mon--you KNOW you want to!)









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6/17/93 ---(this is just how it appeared in my journal:)



Miriam and I caught our Ikarus Reisen tour bus in Karlsruhe at 6:30 am and were on our way. Took about 7 hours to get here, but it was worth it as we pulled into the beautiful (though heavily trafficked!) Paris streets.



With smiles on our faces, we entered the Hotel Chateau Rouge in the Rue de Jean market place. Our smiles quickly faded, however, when we climbed 98 spiraling stairs to the dumpiest room I've ever seen! The bed (only one!) was lumpy, we had one sink and a bidet---and the only toilet and shower were to be shared with the entire hotel floor--women AND men. Guess I'll be washing my hair in a bidet for the next 2 weeks! If that wasn't enough, our view of Paris is of the backside of a rundown apartment building. AAAAUGH! Miriam and I almost cried! What Harlem is to New York, Rue de Jean is to Paris!




(yeah....I know I need a scanner! But here's a picture I took of a picture of myself outside our hotel!--I'm the one with that crazy long hair! )



We got unpacked and decided to head out and see what we could see. I began to notice right away guys looking at us---and not just "looking", but LOOKING! Soon the looks turned into lunging men saying "ooh-la-la" (yes! they really say that!) and making kissing sounds. I knew Paris was the 'city of love', but it seemed more to me like the 'city of perverts'.


Other things I notices about Paris:

~ garbage EVERYWHERE! ~little dogs EVERYWHERE! ~Hoards of clothing shops all selling the same things. ~Women running around in very little. One lady was even stripped down to her bra and underwear.... dancing in a fountain.... with a jar of olives. That was interesting! ~Public toilets you have to pay to use. Between those and the one toilet for a whole floor at our hotel, I don't think I'm going to ever get to pee in Paris!


We bought some postcards and headed to Le Sacre Couer. We climbed the BILLION stairs to the top and arrived huffing and puffing--but it was worth it when we turned around and looked out over the HUGE sprawling city of Paris. I've never seen anything so BIG in my life! It was breathtaking! On our way down, we stopped and listened to a man play the guitar and sing. And I just sat there looking out at all the lights and listening to the French music, and it was really, really peaceful. I never thought a girl like me would ever make it to Paris---especially not on her own!
(this photo only shows the top most flight of stairs. If you look to the left-hand you can see the very top of another building and get an idea of how high up this church was!) ~~~~~~~~~~





And that's all there is. Au Revoir :)!





p.s. yes--I really washed my hair in a bidet for 2 weeks--except for the two times I used that tiny multi-user bathroom's shower....at 3 am! It was an adventure!