I've not really kept this up/Snapshots: Paris and Vagabondage Pt. 1

So it's been more than a month since I've updated this thing. Oops.

It was really hard to write in Paris. During my Vagabondage, it was easier. But then I lost my notebook.

Here are some random snapshots of what I've been up to:



On the Panthéon 19/04/2010
In 2000 years human beings or aliens will find the autel républican in the ruins of the Panthéon in an abandoned Paris, and will have forgotten the French language. A woman will uncover the Rosetta stone of what will become a resurgence in interest for old European languages and these beings of the future will read the block letters engraved on the autel, VIVRE LIBRE OU MOURIR. They will look into the decomposed and cracked and blank eyes of Marianne and they will see the unyielding gaze of a goddess holding a broad sword, a powerfully serious visage in the midst of ruins and they will ask themselves in reverence who the people were who worshiped at this alter of stone, and freedom.

Reflections on Paris 19/05/2010 (Afterthought)
Even though I think I was in Rennes for a longer period of time, Paris felt longer. We just did so much. Each day was filled with so many thorough and worthy things. Sometimes, it was two museums a day, and nearly all of it related to our class. I felt like there was never time to write, let alone space in that tiny apartment. Everyday from at least 10 to 5 was two museums, a park and a museum, a museum and class at the FIAP. It was just so much that when I got home at the end of the day there was nothing I could do but try to relax--not to mention that all the roommates were always home after our shit was done for the day and on most days someone from the class would show up at our apartment, because of its awesome central location, bird-calling up to our large open window, or others having come there so often that they knew the building code. I mean hell, I went running one time. Running shoes took up valuable suitcase space and I only went running ONCE. It also didn't help that we didn't have hot water for most of the time in the apartment, so the thought of coming home from a run to a freezing shower wasn't very appealing.

First day of my Vagabondage outside of Paris 15/05/2010
So this was the most interesting day in France so far! First of all I couldn't take my original train to Padirac at 8:55am this morning because I didn't have a seat reservation--for some reason I was thinking that it's not that far and I wouldn't need one for such a small train BUTTT what I didn't think of was that, duh, where I was getting off is not the terminus of the train and it was going all the way to Toulouse, i.e. it's a high speed train. So, after a moment of panic I just put up 60 euros to buy a regular ticket for the 2pm train that also had no more Rail Europe seat reservations. So, okay, I had to wait around in Paris for another 3 hours and buck up 8 euro for internet and another 7 to store my bags in a locker, but whatever, I chilled at the Jardin des Plantes for a few hours. About half way thru my train ride I get a call from the guy at the hotel in Padirac (whom I had called earlier to make later my arrival) saying he's made an error with my reservation and asking if it's cool if I stay somewhere else at a friend's place, just as nice blah blah. Cool. All is good, I make my transfer in Brive and end up missing my stop to get off at Padirac becuase the train stopped there for approximately 20 seconds and before I could get my bags together it left again. But whatever, I didn't have to show my rail pass, so now I have an extra day on it. So, I get off at the next station which is luckily like 10 minutes later and have no idea how to get to the hotel. I make a sort of ass of myself calling and asking the hotel if they knew of a taxi service, cause my now the desk at the "train station" (small building near some train tracks) is closed.

Monday 17 May (transcribed from old notebook)
Today, I lost my notebook. Or rather, last night, I think, at sometime between 11:50pm and 12:10am, I lost my notebook. It must have fallen out of my pocket when I was getting off the SNCF bus at the Tarascon-Sur-Ariège train station (I had it in my pocket for sure when I was putting on my coat) or when I was wandering the streets of this small Pyrénéean village, toting all my (too much) baggage--stunningly oblivious to the steep, rocky mountain peaks looming in the darkness on all sides of me--looking for my hotel. C'est pas complètement grave because it's only 2 weeks old--I can remember fairly well most of the important things: the cryptes of Notre Dame, the Munch exhibit (this will be harder, I wrote some complicated shit on it), not to mention my notes from the day before at le Gouffre de Padirac.
I spent most of my morning and early afternoon here practicing my best French phone call skills, talking to the woman who owns the hotel, the people at the SNCF station (twice), the SNCF lost and found office, what I think is the bus depot and the town mayor's office; as well as my best observational skills while retracing my steps from the night before and looking under every parked car and in every garbage can along the way!
The ironic part is that I held the thing so close yesterday, all day. It had my train itinerary for the day, my ramblings about the Gouffre--hell, it traveled with me into the earth on an underground river.
Wish me luck, someone.