(typed out on the train from Paris to London... posted on Tuesday night, midnight London time)
Sunday:
The Sunday phenomenon had its victim in me as well. I woke up much later than usual, at 8am! It was a nice and slow morning. I made myself some eggs and had em with bread and butter, wrote my blog (which was the last-to-last post!) and generally did a check on my finances, how much I'd spent, how much I had remaining etc. etc.
By the time I left the house, it was past 2pm, I think!! I had a kind of a sinking feeling, coz I knew it was my last real day in Paris, as I had planned to leave for London the next day, and most of that time would go off in packing & just leaving. But I was looking forward to a nice walk around the Jewish area of town with Alice & Jeanne, and also meeting Amy, who had just come back from a holiday in her hometown, Nice. We started off by sitting in a centrally located garden, (I forget the name, as usual), where we just relaxed, had chocolate cake (thanks to Jeanne) and generally caught up on each others' lives... The Jewish area is dotted with expensive eateries and other outlets. Falafels are the most famous dish around, and although I didn't have one, I was told they are highly recommended.
After that I headed to Jeanne's place for a nice home-cooked dinner. This was my first true French dinner after I'd arrived and I enjoyed it thoroughly. A cucumber chutney-like sauce, veggie-stuffed pasta and some olive paste (I think), combined with a glass of sweet-tasting wine made for a scrumptious meal.
I got my tickets to London booked, thanks to Jeanne, and it was time for the rather difficult goodbyes.
It had been a long, and yet, short day. I would have liked it to last longer... Paris had successfully woven its spell around me. Its very much a city like Bombay. You just like it, you can't really say why; it just feels like home. One might argue that it was the company of great friends, or the Bombay-trains-like metro, and I wont be able to say much against either, but at the end of the day, Paris is a happy memory.
Day 5:
Monday. It was a morning I had earmarked for shopping. I headed over to the Grands Magazins (close to Haussmann Saint-Lazare). Sadly, I didn't find anything uniquely Parisien. There were the usual Eiffel Tower keyrings and plates and mirrors, but I just cringed at their overtly-touristy sight!
Then I had a nice lunch with Amy, pizza & sandwiches, by the Eiffel Tower.
It got over quicker than either of us would've liked, but it was a working day for her, and there was only so much lunch-time.
Only after I got back home and packed all my stuff did it hit me that I was actually leaving. With a heavy heart, but also the excitement of the impending meeting with my cousins in London & further trip to Spain, I reached the Gare-du-Nord for my train to Saint Pancras (London).
To my utter delight, I had booked myself in business class (150 euros for a 2h15min journey!), but it was totally worth it. I felt like a king, being pampered by champagne and rich food. The train itself sounded like a vacuum cleaner in full-flow, but not very loud.. :P
As I write this offline on my laptop, I'm about to arrive in about 1/2 an hour. London beckons!!
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