I'M IN LEEDS!!! ;(

Before i start I'd just like to make an amendment to yesterdays blog. I didn't mean that £200 was cheap. I just meant that I understand the value of money even more since traveling. Right on with the last blog.

Well today's the day!

I had set my alarm for 8:30am. I woke at 8:20 though. This may not be possible, but I'm sure it was due to the smell of my own breath. I'm blaming it on the rancid omelette I had last night.

I went down stairs to the bar and had some breakfast. Then upstairs for a shower. This may be a bit gross, but in the drain of the shower there was some long black hair floating about, probably about 100mm (that's 10cm for normal folk). Now there was a queue for the shower, so I saw a few people go in and out. Noone had hair that long. Can pubes really grow that long? Even if it is possible, is it allowed? Are you allowed to have pubes longer than your own hair?

I then packed my bag. It took a while. I obviously didn't want to go. I just kept walking about the room, looking out the window and basically anything that would stall me from packing.

Checkout was 10am. I was out on time but my eurostar train back to London wasn't until 4:15pm so I had time to kill. I could have gone for a walk but It was boiling again and I would have my pack with me so decided to just chill in the bar til about 1pm, then head to the station and hang about there because I had to be there an hour before departure.

I took a walk to the supermarket at one point, just to waste some time and get my food for the day. Here's the hostel. Not a great pic.


At one point I sat outside. I like the French attitude towards things. They just like a nice relaxed life and the odd riot or two. The bridge across the canal was up and a guy on a 50cc scooter came right to the front. He had a loud sports exhaust on it. I mean really loud. And high pitched, even when just ticking over. The French sat outside the bar didn't like this at all. They started hurling stuff at him until he finally gave in and turned his engine off. I quite enjoyed that. Although I still demand they change there plug sockets!!!


I hung around a bit longer and then decided to leave. Just as I was leaving I spotted a couple of girls that were in my hostel in Rome. Very random. We had a little chat and then I left, but not before using the toilet.


Now, I see myself as quite a relaxed sort of person. The kind that would rather defuse a situation rather than letting it esculate. Basically I'm a lover, not a fighter. But every person has a line. Whilst traveling you can't help but be stopped at least 10 times a day by either a gypsy begging or a street seller trying to sell you a fake prada bag or make you a bracelet. I don't actually mind being asked, I'll just say no and move on. But in Rome there was one guy who over stepped the line. He wouldn't let it drop. Even to the point of grabbing me. We had a very heated exchange of words and I even treatened to give him a slap. I was even close to doing it, but there was a guy dressed as a gladiator near by and I didn't want to start a war with an underworld alliance of gladiators and string sellers so swiftly moved on.

Today it happened again. I was asked for money by a gyspy in the station. They were hanging about asking people who were getting off the eurostar from London, with a note written in English saying something like - please give me money, my family is dying and my sisters a goat - the usual sort of thing. I just said no and walked on. But then I saw her eyes lock onto an old couple that had just got of the train. She was straight over with the puppy dog eyes. I didnt like the look of this so waited around. She handed the old lady the note. The woman was about 90 and tryed to say no, but the gypsy girl grabbed her arm until the old woman started to get her purse out. Wrong move gypsy! Before I'd even thought about it, I was straight over to send the lass packing. Jog on love! She gave the old woman a look like butter wouldn't melt. As if she was going to go hungry and her goat sister wouldn't get any feed. The old woman managed to walk off. The gypsy could soon speak very good English as well as bad French. Its safe to say I got a torrent of abuse.

I sat around the Häagen-Dazs cafe feeling very tempted. I only had €10 left and that was to change back to sterling when I got back so I had some bus fare. I had to move. I was hanging around the station for ages.

I kept my eye on the departures board. It still didn't say what platform and it was nearly 4pm. I walked upto the board and in tiny letters - even hard to see when close up - It said "1st floor". What the hell does that mean? I asked at the info desk. "You need to be on the first floor" - I'd gathered that, but that's all he'd say. After over a week in France, why was it now that someone decided to act all french. I had a run about and found some stairs. There was the whole bloody checkin routine to go through. Passport check by the French. Then the English, then the metal detectors. I was literally the last person on the train. I was like Indiana jones.

The train to London was pretty good and quick. I decided to watch Borat on my phone. I had a power socket next to me so celebrated by turning the brightness on my phone upto 11. I'd forgotten my phone was even colour it had been that long.

I got into London at about 5:30pm and walked over to kings cross to get the 6:30 to Leeds. My carrage was the only one that didn't haves air con. I had to move or I was going to melt.

We've just pulled into Wakefield station and I'm gunna leave it here. I don't think anything exciting will happen before here and home. It turns out this train goes to bradford, so I'm gunna get off in Shipley and get the bus. I hope it's not raining because I'm gunna look a bit of a div walking down the high street in my flipflops.

Speak to you all later!

It's been emotional.

I'M IN DISNEY LAND!!!

(25/06/10)

Well here it is. The penultimate blog.

Even though I was in my bunk from about 9pm and knew I needed to get some kip, I still stayed up until about 1:30am. I was up at 7:15am. I was knackered.

I took advantage of the free breakfast downstairs in the bar first of all. I was then back upstairs to pick up my day bag. I'd been shopping earlier for food and prepacked it ready to shoot off like a good boy. I was out of the hostel by 8am. It took about an hour on the metro from where I was staying.

Back home I commute to work every day and on the bus or train I'll see a woman or two doing their makeup. They manage to get it all on perfectly, even the eye liner. Obviously being man, and more developed in the brain area, I should also be able to perform such a task with ease. I wasn't putting on makeup, but the much simpler task of applying suncream. It's went everywhere. It looked like I'd tried to white wash the inside of the train. I did the right thing and ran away.

The park was just opening when i got there so the queue for the ticket office wasn't too bad. I waited in line for maybe 10-15 minutes. At the last hostel before I left I asked the woman on reception how much the tickets for Disney land were. She said about €40. I didn't think that was too bad and that's why I decided to go. She must have just made a random guess. She was quite a bit out. They were €67! By total coinsidence, that's exactly the amount of cash I had left. It turned out that it was €67 for both parks (Disney land and disney studios). I decided to just get the ticket for Disney land. Mainly because I didn't want to draw anymore money out. It was €53. There's one thing i've learnt while traveling and that's how to save money where possible. i would have liked to have gone to both, but didn't mind too much. I've also realised on this holiday how cheep things can be. At home I could go out into Leeds on a Friday and Saturday night and easily spend over £200. With that same £200 I could have a weekend in Paris and go to Disney.




I went into the park and decided to head to the back and work my way forward doing the big rides first before it got busy with kids. Disney land is no place for kids. It paid off because I only had to wait 5 mins for the first couple of rides. I started off in adventure land after taking a little trip through fantasy land (it wasnt what I was hoping for).

Within the first 5 minutes of being in the park, the battery in my camera had gone flat. I had taken about 5 pics. I was gutted. It said I had full battery last night when I checked. I hadnt taken the spare one with me either. I'd only charged the spare one last night. I was so mad with myself! I had my phone with me, but the camera on it is not the best.

Here's a few pics of a couple of the rides. I can't review them all. Although I will say that I was a bit shaken up after space mountain. In felt like I was walking on spunges for a bit. i think I'm getting a bit old for those kind of rides now. Also after queueing for about 30 minutes for thunder mountain, it broke and they closed it. Luckely though when I went back it had just opened again and I got straight back to the same spot I left.








After doing all the rides, I had another walk round the park to do all the other stuff. I even did the 3D michael Jackson film from 1983. It was 80's tastic! It was like a cross between thriller, red dwarf and Peter Gabriel's sledghammer video.

On the way round I walked along the main street just as the campest show on earth was starting. It was ace! I wish I'd had my camera for that.














I finished with a walk round the maze and then headed out.


On the way out I had a look through the shops, they all just seamed to sell mugs. There was however a barbers with a cool mirror/advertisment outside where you could see what you would look like with a tash.


If you have a look again at the last pic, you will see that there was also a part at the bottom where you could see what you would look like with a merkin.

Once I got on the train I instantly fell asleep. I didn't realise how tired I was. Then when I got back to the hostel I fell asleep. I remembered to set my alarm though so I could do the blog. That's how much I love you. I deprive myself of sleep to write this bloody thing. I am glad I'm doing it though as I can't remember what I did yesterday, never mind what I did two weeks ago, so it should be fun to read when I get back.

Right. I'm gunna go to sleep now because it the long trip home tomorrow.

Au revoir

Ps - for my tea I had a tortilla (Spanish omelette) that had been in my bay for over 24 hours. If I'm dead in the morning, that's probably why. Peace!

I'M IN LA LOUVRE!!!

(24/06/10)

I wasn't going to do a blog tonight because I got some shitty new from home, but I've done them everyday for nearly 3 weeks and there's only 2 more to go so thought I better man up and do it.

I'll start with the weird guy in the room last night. I heard some really heavy footsteps coming up 4 flights of stairs towards the room. A fat Chinese lad bursts in with a suitcase panting his arse off. Then a couple of seconds later he was followed in by his grandma. Now this was a mans only room so figured she wouldn't be staying. They both disappeared after about 2 mins, but he left his case. He'd be back. I was right, About 3 hours later he came back in panting again. No granny. He said (in broken English) "I walk around in my sleep at about 4am, and get up to stuff, so be aware!". O......K.... that wasn't creepy at all. I was a bit worried to go to sleep just incase I woke to find he had no clothes on and one of his fingers in my ear and another up his bum. Unlikely I know, but I've Learnt to expect the unexpected. Anyway when I did wake he had gone.

I was up early as I was going to the Louvre. I went and had the breakfast (which was free and not great) and then got a shower etc. I checked out and headed for the Louvre.


I got there about 9:50am and had to queue because it didn't open till 10am. The queue was long, but soon went down when it opened. I headed staight for the Mona Lisa as I knew it would get busy quickly. I had to push a few grannies out of the way and knee a few kids in the face en route, but it's ok, they were Americans.

There was a bit of a crowd, but people were constatly coming and goin so I got pleanty of time to look. Most people were just there to get a quick snap and leave. You might need to zoom in or something. This is a close as I was aloud to get.


Although I did want to see the Mona Lisa, I also wanted to see St John the babtist. I am actually quite scared by this painting and wondered if it was just as creepy in real life. It is.


I should have got one of those media guides for the way round really. There was so much to see and loads I wanted to know plus all of the text at the side of the paintings were in French. That didn't put me off looking though. It was nice to see that the Louvre didn't discriminate against disabled people in art and had a sculpture of a gladiator in a wheelchair.


Nearly all my holiday (especially since visiting Venice) I've wanted to do some sketching. I haven't drawn in about 4 years but I've decided I'm gunna start again when I get home and teach myself how to paint. I need a hobby.

I walked and walked and walked around. The place was vast. Even with about 25% of the place closed I didn't see all of it. I would walk round a corner thinking it was the exit and there'd be another mile of stuff to look at. It had everything from paintings, to pots, to mummys and even the remains of the original castle. There was even one wing that was as it was when it was a palace.


I had to leave in the end because I just couldn't go on. I want back to the hostel to collect my bag and go check into the one I was booked in for (the hip one from yesterday).

On the way a couple of things caught my attention. One was this table in an antique shop. Guess how much.


Nope. Nope. Higher. Higher. I'll tell you...€85,000!!! I also saw this....


I know I said I might go to Disney land, but if I was staying a bit longer, this would have really been the best way to finish a great holiday.

I eventually got to the hostel after going about a mile in the wrong direction. Someone had twisted a road sign round to face in the opposite direction. I followed it and ended up in a really dodgy part of town. It must have been a ploy to try and get backpacker going the wrong way so they could be robbed of their funds. To be fair, it's quite simple but cleaver and seemed to work well. Although I wasn't mugged, because as we've already astablished, I look as hard as nails.

I checked into the "hip hostel" and am pleased with it. Like I said in the last blog. It's purpose built and in a trendy part of town. The bunk is pretty cool too. It's a bit like sleeping in a tour bus compartment but with a full size bed and it has a light, 2 plug sockets and free wifi. This may sound pretty crap to some people, but my hostel in Rome only had 1 socket between 10 people and that had been taken over by the Chinese spies.


I've decided I am going to go to see mickey and minnie tommorow and just try to ignore the email I got. It's my last full day of what's been an amazing experience (this is my xfaxtor speach) and nothing is going to spoil it. Plus my super cousin is sorting some stuff out for me because she's brill. Cheers Vicky :D

Right, I'm going to finish eating my couscous with my room key and bid you fairwell. I know it's not exactly hygenic, but I don't have a spoon and I couldn't give a shit.

Toodles

I'M IN PARIS!!!

(23/06/10)

I woke up this morning on Paris at 7:30am. The smelly couple smelt even worse so I left the train with haste.

As it was early and nothing would be open, I decided to take the metro to the north station as I knew it would be bigger and have somewhere to sit/sleep and waste some time.


As I expected, there was a mcdonalds near by so I went in to "borrow some WIFI". I needed to send an email to my hostel to try get a bed for tonight. I'd tried sending them an email from Barcelona, but my emails weren't working for some reason. It sent this time, but no reply.

It was about 9:30 and the hostel was about 30 minutes away so I set off walking. On the way I saw a gadget and DVD shop. The guy said they had a discount just for me.


I got to te hostel and it was pretty cool. It was part of a newly developed area on a marina (but quite a bit out of the centre). There was a "hip" Internet cafe and bar downstairs with "funky" chairs and "cool looking" people dotted about - you know the sort of place - I'd fit in. They didn't have any beds for tonight. They put me in touch with another hostel that did have one. The new hostel was more central than the other and is right next to the louvre. Which was perfect and fit right in with my plan. Today: see the sites. Tomorrow: go to the louvre. Friday: maybe visit mickey and minnie.... If the funds are right. I had estimated that I may need to draw out an extra €150 near the end of the trip and I've only drawn out €40 so far. That was in Amsterdam due to not been able to cash some travelers cheques because I'd left my passport with the bike hire people. I think I'll buy a ticket with the money I won in monte carlo and call it my birthday present. Although I've already uses that excuse for my new camera, and the holiday itself.

I went to the new hostel, paid, had a quick wash in a sink the size and shape of a bar of dairy milk (I didn't have a room yet and it wasn't time to check in) and then left. Then I went straight back in to get my England shirt because the match started at 3. The lady on the desk said all the matches were been shown on a big screen at the Eiffel tower. That sounded cool so aimed to be there for then.

I did notre dame first and then the panthion


Most sights in Paris are free if you are 25 and under, so I tried blagging my way into the viewing platform at notre dame and into the panthion itself, but they weren't having any of it.


I went in notre dame, but only saw the panthion from outside.


I then took the metro to the eiffel tower. It was about 2:45 when I got there and blisteringly hot. I started to queue to go up the tower as I thought I would make it back down again for the football. I was wrong. It was bigger and had more lifts than I had expected. It was 4 minutes to kick off and I was stuck at the top in a queue to get the lift back down.


I got out at about 4:20pm and started to run to where the football was being shown. I was like superman when he runs off and pulls open his shirt to reveal the superman symbol. Apart from I was like a crap version. Running across a busy square in flip flops, in 30 degrees + heat with a limp from a sore foot and a dicky knee, and rather than ripping my shirt open I was pulling off my tshirt to put on my England top, but got my head stuck in it and nearly got run over.

I got there just in time to see the confetti cannons going off and the music playing. England had just scored and I missed it. I sat and watched the rest of the match with my other tshirt on my head like a true Brit at the seaside with a knotted hankie. It took me about 10 minutes to realise we were playing in red.


Oh, and guess who was sat next to me. That's right, you've guessed it. The one, the only, chocolate biscuit salesman extraordinaire..... Gareth - P P P P Pick up a penguin - Gates. Not random at all!!

After the match I walked to the Arc de Triomphe


Then decided I was going to walk all the way back to my hostel down the Champs-Elysies. I needed energy first. I got a daim bar and hot caramel mcflurry, mmmmmmmm I've seen the future!!!

The street was packed full of Serbians and riot police. It was a nice walk though, with lots of good shops on the way. One was a peugeot one that had some concept cars in.


I walked all the way to the louvre and had a sit in the gardens on the way. I could have sat around there in that sunset all night. I know that's an oximoron, but you know what I mean.


I took a pic of the louvre when I got there, but I didn't go in as I'm saving that for the morning.


I'm back at the hostel now and the rooms fine. Some weird people though but I explain more in the morning. I'm off to sleep now.

Night night.

Ps - I saw this guy on the way round. I think he must be a student.

I'M IN BARCELONA!!! (day)

(22/06/10)

I took the metro up to the station last night to try and sort a ticket for Paris. As soon as I got to the station, I remembered being there before. I don't know what made me remember it though.


The ticket office was closed, but the info point was open and the guy there was really helpful. He told me what I needed, but said I had to get there early in the morning though because the tickets for this train sold out quickly.

I took the metro back to La Rambla where my hostel was. Its the main street on a night and it's always busy. It was even busier though, due to Spain winning in the football. Barcelona isn't the safest place in the world and this was the first time I'd felt slightly uncomfortable. I met with Ludde and Maria for a fairwell drink and swap emails etc.

I left them about 11:30 and headed back to my cell. I got a text from him on the way back saying someone had tried to rob him, but he was fine.

I'm not usualy the sort to overly fussy about places being hygenic, but I slept in my clothes.

I was up early as I wanted to be at the station to secure a seat. I slept well as there was no natural light in my room.

I got to the station, but there wasn't any seats available. I had to get a bunk. The price for a seat was €1.50, a bunk €17.50. Still not bad though. I put my bag in left luggage and then set off fir a look around.


To be honest, I wasn't really bothered about loosing a day in Barcelona. I've been here a couple of times before and as Long as I saw the Gaudi cathedral, I'd be happy.

I found it and I wasn't going to go in at first, but I couldn't resist.


It's basically a building site inside, but it's still incredible. It's like walking into a giant forest with huge tree trunks towering up to the leaves at the top.


There was pleanty to look at. All the stonemaisons studios are on site. Plus there's a museum of the history and all that jazz. I sat down in a little cinema in the museum and watched the end of a documentary in French. It was gunna start in English after. Just as it started, the power went out in the museum. Bugger. So I queued for the lift to go to the top of the cathedral. It broke while I was in the queue. Just my luck.

I left and had to do a bit of Joey map to get my bearings. I was using a free map from the train station that was sponsored by mcdonalds, so basically it was a map where all the main points on it were theirs. Which wasn't that bad to be honest because I could stand outside and use the lonely planet app to find where all the best sites were. I walked to a couple more sites and then had a sit down. A couple of people were taking pictures over my shoulder. Then a couple more. I turned round and I was sat infront of the Gaudi museum. I don't know how I missed it.


It looked good, but the price didn't. I was nearly €20 so gave it a miss. I had about an hour left before I needed to be at the station so decided to go the the beach. By the time I'd got to the docks at the bottom of La Rambla I knew I wouldn't have time for the beach, so hung around there for a bit.

My Spanish was better than I thought and came in handy. I used the phrase "sorry, I don't speak Spanish" to great effect. Just like in my Spanish oral exam. Although it didn't pay off as well then as I got a big fat F.

I had to take a train to Cerbere to catch my night train to Paris. If I'd have gone direct from Barcelona it would have been about €80 just for a seat. Even with my europass. The first train was really uncomfy. Just molded plastic seats for 3 hours.

A little Korean girls latched onto me on the train once she found out I was going to Paris. I say little, she was 29. Her English wasn't great but much better than my Korean. She giggled after every sentance and I was expecting the obligatory peace sign at some poin....... And a mace like Gogo Yubari in kill bill. She was very nervous and she said she had twice caught people with their hands in her bag, so I can see why. I hadn't been troubled once and since I was now offering protection I could only assume I looked as hard as nails. I stayed with her until we got the Paris train to make sure she got the right train ok.



I was happy with my bunk and this time it came with a bottle of water and a little travel pack containing things like earplugs (which were crap) and a wet wipe which I used for a quick gentlemans wash before settling down. I was going to try and watch a film on my phone because there was a power socket just outside the door, but At the next station a family got on and came in my cabin. The parents absolutly stunk of BO. I decided to just put my earplugs in and try to go to sleep to try and avoid dealing with the smell.

Goodnight.

Ps - I saw a segway mobility cart in Barcelona. Awesome!