May 26

One reason many people I've met while backpacking through Europe prefer to travel alone is because some people just aren't as good at traveling, and it kinda drags everyone down. With my sister, I spend far more and see/do far less than I did while traveling alone. I write less but I also have a more luxurious time and get to stop thinking about myself. I'm also no longer so concerned with companionship and have the chance to long for romantic companionship instead, which had been a thought seldom thunk in the last season or two of my life.

We're currently in the Champagne region of France, in the city of Reims, which is where my sister wanted to visit most. The next week or so will be rough but rewarding. We'll be going from here to Avignon in Southern France to meet with my mother, and from there to Frankfurt (two night trains in a row, which will suck). My sister will fly out the following day and I will fly the day after that to London, then (the next day) to Cork. From there, I will tour Ireland until I fly out of Dublin the following week, ending my trip in the best of all possible ways.

In less than two weeks, I'll be back in the States. I don't plan to return to my job this summer because (and this was a surprise to me) I get to have a summer! I thought I was done with that long ago. Just babysitting (my sister is a nanny, so she can get me work), online writing work, and odd jobs here and there. Better to be poor and in good company than rich and always working.

May 22

I left Amsterdam without having partaken of any drugs during my time there. This is called a victory for my convictions. The red light district was a sad thing to see, and because it was in a central part of town, I did see it many times. The women standing in their undies, just trying to look attractive enough to get someone to pay to sleep with them. What made matters worse was the church in the middle of it. Both the church and the whorehouses were built at the same time, for similar reasons: to make money. The women sold their bodies and the church sold indulgences. So sad. Judging by its history, Amsterdam really seems like a city built on a love of money. Aside from the pretty Scottish girls we met there and the kebabs I found for €2.50, it wasn't my favorite. Good internet though. 

So now I'm on the train to Cologne (Köln), Germany. My boxers are torn from dancing at a bar and the rest of my clothes are kinda desperately in need of laundering, so I'm very much hoping to find such services in Cologne. 

I've only got 2 1/2 weeks left of travel in Europe, which is honestly just crazy. I've been on the road/train/ferry/plane for so long that I dunno how it's gonna be when I get back. I just hope that spending my last week in Ireland will bring me back to a good place. 

May 19

On the train from Brussels to Amsterdam today. In Brussels, we didn’t do too much besides sample beers. I went to a brewery where they brew with the olde traditional method, exposing the beer to the yeast in the Belgian air rather than putting a certain type of yeast in it to ferment it.

Belgian beer once again amazes me. I didn’t like beer until my first trip to Brussels, and I remain convinced that it’s the best in the world. Really too good for my palate to take in or understand.

We just got caught changing the dates of our Eurail passes and were fined 100 euros. This is because a certain sister of mine filled in the travel details for the one journey that she changed the dates for and ONLY for that one journey.

I stand by my policy, even if it is dishonest, because I’ve been cheated out of trains that I paid for when they decided to be on strike. But try explaining that to the guy on the train. Kidding, don’t. Just pay the stupid fine.

I’m just kinda looking forward to getting to Ireland where everyone is kind and simple. And also to home and friends.

There is another moral dilemma coming up. I don’t do drugs, but I have said that I do enjoy eating brownies, and if I was tricked into eating pot brownies, well, there are worse things in the world. But I really think I should avoid the possibility altogether. I don’t wanna turn into all that.

Update: I didn't do drugs.

May 15

Getting frustrated that the sister does not want to hear my travel advice. She's already missed out on some big sights in Paris because she didn't feel like it when we were right there, or she'd insist that she'd do it some other time or wake up early and go without me. We are incredibly privileged to be in Europe, and unlike me, she only has a precious few days in each place. Every day she decides to "take it easy" and be on her computer all day is a day that she doesn't get to see the world. It's the little things too. She doesn't care about the view on the train, which is kinda the point of getting a Eurail pass. She said that flying would have been less expensive. I'm just like, yeah, but you don't get to see anything you're passing through.

We also don't agree on travel methods. This trip tested me (and continues to do so) in that I wasn't allowed to plan ahead. I was kinda doing all of it day by day. And now we're trying to save money and go to new places, but she gets stressed with planning ahead, whereas I get stressed with not planning ahead, because I have learned what it's like to not have a place to sleep, and it not pleasant.

Lastly, she usually seems to be done for the day after being out for no more than three hours. I'm used to spending all day walking about with my laptop and such strapped to my back. 

May 12

Well, since the last update…

I visited Toulouse. Honestly, Albi was cooler. I think it’s just ‘cause everything was closer together in Albi. It formed a picturesque scene that I’ve not really seen before.

I was feeling pretty irritable, and I probably could have been a much better guest while CouchSurfing. I just was in the room they had for me and kinda stayed there on the internet, wishing I was home. The homesickness isn’t always predictable.

The next morning (Thursday, May 8), I went from Toulouse, France to Barcelona, Spain via blablacar.com. This ride wasn’t quite as comfy as the first one I went on. I had the passenger seat and my legs didn’t really have space. However, I made my way spending less time and money than I would have with a train ticket.

I apparently had the dates confused because my sister and our friend Brittany had arrived in Barcelona hours before me, rather than the day after me, so I only had one hostel room reservation. It worked out alright though, and she got a hostel that night for a few dollars more than what I was paying. We didn’t do much that night beyond eat, and she was pretty sleepy the next day, but Friday night, we went out. The club we went to, Catwalk, was far too far away to walk, yet walk we did. Time flew by though as I rather determinedly flirted with some French girls. However, it was boring at the club (especially ‘cause I was actively flirting, which ruins my purpose at the club) and it was less than half an hour before my sister, in her boredom, drank too many shots and I, having taken a few half-shots of hers when she offered, had to drunkenly navigate back to our hostel through Barcelona. She wasn’t really able to walk on her own, and I wasn’t in the best shape either, but we got a taxi to Catalunya Plaza. Our hostel was a few blocks from there, but I found in my drunkenness that I could not navigate from there. So we had to get another taxi straight to our hostel’s address, and we made it back okay, just with significantly less money after the cost of drinks and taxi.

The next day (Saturday), neither of us wanted to do much. I was hungover and we were both irritable, tired of traveling and wanting to be back in the States. We tried to find a way to the castle on the hill overlooking Barcelona but gave up after a time. We went back to the dorm and had a night in eating Nutella with digestives and I just watched Netflix on my porcuter.

Sunday, we both woke up late, refreshed and not hating the world. We did laundry and went out with our friend Brittany to find the castle on the hill after a quick visit to the big church under construction. We accidentally went to the wrong castle, but we got some nice pictures. We then went to the Picasso Museum and it was as great (and free) as I remembered it three years previous. After that, my sister and I went to La Malandrina in the Barceloneta area, a South American steakhouse which was known for being inexpensive and really good. It was known for the right reasons. We each ordered sirloin steaks and a bottle of wine, and the portions were large, served with potatoes and bread and sauce, all of which were really good. They ended the meal with a free digestif, a shot of Hierbas, a 26% liqueur made in Ibiza.

On our way back, we enjoyed the street performers and got many a picture, then ended the night with karaoke at an Irish pub, which actually turned out to be a poor venue. I did two songs and my sister did three, but our hearts weren’t in it. We’re used to getting WAY more attention at karaoke.

This morning, we made friends with some Germans and then had to say goodbye to catch our train from Barcelona, Spain to Paris, France. This train left at 1:20 PM and is a high-speed one, so it’s only making a few stops in Southern France, then going straight up to Paris, set to arrive at 7:50 PM.

May 6

That car ride to Marseille went well. I made it to the city at dusk and easily found my hostel near the port. At the hostel, I met a Christian British girl. We discussed Christianity in Europe and how the faith has dwindled here. She said that any Brit who claims to be Christian most likely is one, because, unlike Texas, it's not smart to assume that everyone is Christian. She was Protestant as well, and I'm realizing just how few of us there are. The next morning, I reserved a seat on a train leaving for Toulouse at 13:24 (1:24 PM). This left me the rest of the morning to explore the city before I left. So I walked to Notre Dame de la Garde that overlooks the city (and didn't like how instead of a cross or crucifix, they had the Virgin Mary holding a baby Jesus) and another big church, then ended it with the fort that overlooks the port. As I walked back to the hostel to get my things, I realized that I had half an hour to get everything from the hostel three stories up and make it to the train station that was 25 minutes away, uphill. Very uphill. So I ended up running through the hot Marseille sun, up the vast train station staircase, making it to the train with a minute or two to spare and a sheen of sweat upon my body.

The reservation itself cost €30 even with the Eurail pass, which is €10 more than the most expensive one I've paid for (Paris to Vienna). The train ride was pleasant and uncrowded. And because it was what is called an "Intercity" train, it only made one stop on the way, at Montpellier. So I at least got to see the city for a few minutes. Then I switched from the train to the underground metro in Toulouse and went to the stop where my CouchSurfing host family had directed me. It was at this point that I realized I had put her number into my phone wrong, so I would have been stuck, exceeeeepppptttt..... AMERICAN CAPITALISM! There was a KFC next to the metro, so I used their Internet to message the family and they picked me up 20 minutes later.

Before dinner, they invited me to join them for aperitif, a pre-dinner drink (with some crackers). For dinner, we had a few things. Nuvee or something to that effect, which they told me was like mashed potatoes, but the consistency was more like custard. Then we had radishes, bread, and pork sausage from the local market. This was followed by bread and cheese (one semi-smelly cheap one that I've been feeding on that starts with a "c") and cannelés, which were tiny pastry things made from something like pancake batter but with more sugar, and vanilla in the middle. We finished it all off with some pudding cups (though some were more of an apple sauce but with a fruit other than apple). 

Today, I was planning on going into town to make reservations for a train to Barcelona, but then I remembered blablacar.com and checked the listings. I have officially reserved a spot in a car leaving for Barcelona at 10 AM (or maybe 9; the text was confusing) on Thursday.

The daughter of the CouchSurfing family I'm with had an appointment to interview to shadow a psychologist in Albi, which is about 40 miles away from Toulouse. I went with them to Albi rather than going into Toulouse and I am so glad that I did. Like the rest of the region, Albi is decorated in a rose-colored brick. It has a church, but the inside was built over such a long period of time that its styles reflect different artistic periods. The bridges and the river and everything were so perfect to look at, I wish I could have stayed there to explore for a couple days.  

May 4

Well, it has been quite the week in Nice. On Monday, I was excited to finally sleep after a few days on the road. Hostels are a wondrous place to meet fellow travelers. You might be minding your own business, watching shows on your laptop, but then people will go right up to your bunk and introduce themselves with a handshake. It's an incredible thing. So if you stay in hostels or CouchSurf or any other money-saving method (besides sleeping in a train station), you are never really traveling alone. There are always people to meet and the vast majority of them are worth meeting because, like you, they are becoming better people by traveling.

Old Town was nice. There are bars and restaurants galore, though all of them are unfortunately overpriced. The cheapest pint you get get is at a place called Akathor near the beach, and that is still 5.50 euros. Most drinks will be more in the 8 euro range. This would be expensive in dollars, but euros are currently 1.4x the dollar amount. 

This is why, in my six days in Nice, I never bought a drink at a bar. I went out a few times, but I just stayed with those who were drinking and shared a lil' with them. It takes a lot for drinks to affect me anyway, so I'm not about to pay for one.

I have also eaten baguettes and cheese for almost every meal while I've been here. I pick up a piece of fruit from markets when I walk by, but most of my sustenance still comes from bread and cheese. 

Anyway, after the Canadians left, a girl from Texas who was a French student went with me to a chateau where they made their own wine. It was very much a bucket list experience and I couldn't get over it the whole time we were there. It had the most well-preserved Roman cellars complete with Roman arches and casks of wine that we weren't to touch because even a slight temperature change could disturb the delicate flavors of the wine. We also saw how the wine was made and got to taste the white, red, and rosé as our guide described the flavors and which particular blend of which particular grapes were responsible for which particular flavors. Truly a wonderful experience, and it only cost €15. In addition to all of that, we hitchhiked to the bus stop on the way back. It was only like 3/4 mile on a winding road, but it was awesome. 

That evening, we went to Monaco to meet up with the Scottish girl (she, like many, was looking for work on a yacht). Monaco is an untaxed city, kinda like the Vatican in that it's a bit of a country on its own. So rich people go there, and if you aren't rich (like me), it's actually quite boring. I wen to the fancy casino and lost €.20 on the slot machines and then called it a day. 

The next day, the three of us went to Antibes and laid out on the beach there. A foolish mistake for my skin, as I have now had the pleasure of nursing it back to health ever since. However, the view (which was of a distant Nice) was great and it is one beach I wouldn't mind going back to, however small it may have been.

Then the group dissipated as I changed rooms and I suddenly had a new group to hang out with. That night, I just stayed in and watched NetFlix (made possible by a Chrome add-on that makes it look like you're watching from the US). The next evening, however, I hung out with a Slovakian, two Texans, and a German. We all went out, my one semester of French wowing the Texans, and one of them bought most of a drink for me (so I did finally have my own drink at the bar). The downside was that I learned from these Texans why Europeans (particularly the French) don't like Americans/Texans. The convention is to say "bonjour" when entering a bar, restaurant, or shop because it's like entering an extension of the owner's home. However, when I explained this to my Texan companion, his reply was "f*** that". And they also weren't sarcastic when talking about living out the stereotype of loud Americans. Also, it was all about getting drunk. Drinking for taste is apparently only for the French (and me).

Once they left, it was just me, so I went to Cannes by myself on Saturday. They are having a film festival later this month that they are famous for. It wasn't as pretty a place (relatively speaking), but there were a few lil' carnival rides and nice beaches around. I returned because the hostel had spread rumors of a free champagne night. However, these rumors appeared to be unfounded, for I was left with nothing to quell my rage. Or my apathy. Or whatever. Today, I checked out of the hostel for the second and last time and went to catch a train to Toulouse, since I'd received an invitation to visit there via CouchSurfing. However, all the trains for the day were booked. I was hesitant to use a day of my Eurail pass anyway, so I opted to try using blablacar.com instead. It's a rideshare website where you pitch in for petrol money to get a ride somewhere. So since I would have had to find a connecting train in Marseille to get to Toulouse anyway, I am currently in a car to Marseille. I wanted to see the city anyway, so it's a nice thing. It's something like €11 for the ride, I believe, which is well worth it when compared to the €30 train or bus ride which would take longer. 

April 30

Soon after arriving in Nice, I made friends with all the other people in my hostel room. Two Canadian guys, a fellow Texan, and a Scot. We all bought pasta, beer, and wine, and had a nice dinner followed by drinks at the beach at night.

The next day, most of us slept in past noon. I had been traveling for a few days straight, so I was glad to do so. Then we went off to Old Town, Villa Veielle or something like that, and walked through the shops and things. We then visited the beach and Castle Hill with the man-made waterfall, then walked back.