London to Paris

      I hadn’t seen the white cliffs of Dover until the ferry was halfway to France and from that distance the formation was still quite impressive. It seemed as if the chalk cliffs were the only spit of land separating the blue of the sky from the blue of the sea. And I turned towards Calais and I could see the Tricolore fluttering in the breeze. Loneliness quickly overcame the elation I had felt at the sight of the English and French coastlines. Thoughts of Ophelia had been for the most part suppressed, but at that moment I had wished she was with me to witness this sight. She may have crossed the channel already, via the Chunnel I’m sure. She wouldn’t take a bus, it is so pedestrian. I hope she is being more frugal than that, otherwise she’ll have to head home before we planned to. Then again, she’ll probably have her dad dump some money into her account and he’ll do it willingly as long as it keeps us apart. Well enough about that bullshit. I don’t care. This is my chance to contemplate my life and choices. Ophelia is just as free to do the same and I will not hinder this adventure with thoughts of what she might be doing. Good luck with that.
      The bus arrived in Paris roundabout eleven p.m. Made it to Young and Happy Hostel just before midnight. It is located in the Latin Quarter in the 5^th arrondissement. The hostel is on rue Mouffetard which led to Rome in the days of the empire. The Pantheon, Notre Dame, the Botanical Gardens and Luxembourg Garden are all just ten minutes away by foot. The hostel is decent. The staff is great. The price for two nights in the mixed, ten bed dorm is steep…sixty-six bucks American. Didn’t hang too long the first night. Went to a bar. Surprisingly, it was difficult finding one, after all this is a student neighborhood. It was an Irish pub, small and crowded. Had a few pints of Guinness. Staggered back to the hostel and crashed almost immediately. Woke about ten in the morning still feeling buzzed from the beer and jetlag. Haven’t experienced much these last few days, but I will try to recap some of the more interesting things. To be continued…