60 Days in Europe…#37 Strasbourg…

There was a slightly iffy moment when getting on the metro at Ménilmontant to get to Gare d’Est.The train did that thing where it sat there for five minutes with various announcements and of course me not having a scooby what was happening.Plenty of sighs from the locals,a few getting off but the majority staying.I figured possession is nine tenths of the law and stayed put having had this plenty of times on the tube…sure enough the lights flickered a couple of times,the doors slammed shut & open three times and we were off.Things like this on public transport is why I always give myself plenty of time…I don’t know,first full day of a Labour government and the metro trains are defective…

Anyway had my usual two coffees at the friendly cafe/hotel.Turns out all those dodgy blokes on mobiles in ill fitting suits are taxi drivers! Haha who knew? Not me obviously…the boss asked where I was going and when I said Strasbourg one fella said “Petite Allemagne”So clearly the Parisians don’t hold it in great regard.I’d best steer clear of such topics whilst there…

Six days in Paris is probably just about enough.I know it gets a lot of stick from people,as does France itself but I love them both and I will be back and will definitely be staying in the District 20 area of Ménilmontant.Besides i still have about six tickets left on my Paris oyster(not oyster) card and I don’t want to waste those.It’s called a Navigo card by the way…looking at the Strasbourg app it appears they have a similar thing going so I might get one.Whereas some have a collection of credit cards I will have a collection of transport cards all with about €1-39 on them…

Safely on the train,a nice double decker and I presume a pretty nifty one at that,it’s about 500km ( 310 miles) and takes 1 hour 46 mins so I expect us to be going full blast for a fair bit of that,think it’s straight through too…at Gare du L’est they also give you plenty of time to get on the train and sort yourself out,about 20/25 minutes.Perfect for someone like me who hates being rushed…

My last time in Strasbourg I found the hotel no problem but it was sunny & lovely.This time it’s pissing down and I had to find the hotel via several drying out stops in bars on the way.Eventually got there looking like a drowned rat and the young receptionist looked at me like I was,well,a drowned rat…all good though.It’s a wonderful hotel.Think it’s originally a 14th century building in Petite France.Ye olde worlde part of the city.My weather app assures me after today things will become summery again.Not doing this for the weather but it helps when it’s good…

The transport app won’t recognise my email (I think this may have happened last year) so it’s gonna be a case of going old school and buying an actual daily ticket.There’s tram stops at the top of the street with ticket machines so nice and easy.Think I’ll be staying local tonight anyway.S’pose I’d better check out the football situation for later and I also have a hankering for a curry at some point too…

Anyway the journey was great.Over 300 miles in about 1 hour 40 mins.Incredible…this made up for the shitty day I had a week ago without doubt.Actually think we might of pulled in a bit early too…

The curry never happened but i ended up in a bar watching the games with an American brother & sister and a woman who I later found out was French Algerian but supported England.Apparently she lived for ten years in Bristol and the English left a bit of an impression on her…

In a while crocodile…

60 Days in Europe…#36 Paris…Strasbourg

Last full day in Paris.Been excellent.Got an early(ish) train tomorrow to Strasbourg which has put me in a bit of a quandary.France play Portugal tonight at 9pm local time.Last game was a monday and the bar I use was full and it was a 6pm kick off.However it’s late Friday evening and I imagine it will be packed as everyone will also be primed for the weekend,and they’ll all be celebrating Jacob Rees Mogg losing his seat too of course…I could struggle to get in.We will see…

So Strasbourg tomorrow? The train is just under two hours with no change so I think it’ll be a nice passage.Been there before,indeed I am staying in the same hotel as last time so have a good idea where it is and also still have the transport app on my phone and will reset it up once there…Strasbourg is still a bustling big city but will feel pretty sedate after a week in Paris…

The Paris Metro is obviously a lot like The London Tube but with marked differences.For one you do a lot more walking and step climbing,so much so your Apple device might think a dog has stolen it…yes it’s easy to get lost but I still get lost on the Tube occasionally and I’ve been using it nearly 40 years.Today I was at a station and went to find another line and ended up walking into Gare du Nord,which was not my intention at all but handy as I needed the toilet…most of the trains are pretty modern but there’s one line(10 I think) with old fashioned trains you need to pull a lever to open the doors and gloriously they open as the train is slowing down! I never did quite master the best positions for seat grabbing.Those more used to the ways of the metro knew where to stand and when to strike hard…

Thought I’d check out a bar I ended up in on my first day in Paris alone last year.It’s a cool little place and they made me feel very welcome.I knew it was opposite a dog grooming shop(it’s Paris after all) so found it easily via Google maps.It’s called Le Royal Bar and it’s close to that big tower thing…the place is still cool & friendly i’m glad to say…

My Interrail stats readout has gone a bit nuts I think.It’s showing that I have already done over 10,500 km which I don’t think I have.I think that mental Sunday going through France has sent it over the top.The French bit of the map looks like a two year old has been let loose with the crayons and gone doolally…once I’m done I’ll post it on social media…

Nearly done with the course of anti histamine tablets and everything seems fine thankfully.No more bites & no more itching.I’m not actually sure if I was supposed to take them as a course or just if and when I needed to take one.Ah well too late now,take last one tomorrow morning.Maybe I’ll turn into Jeff Goldblumb in The Fly…

I was expecting to see far more PSG shirts being worn around the place than I have.Probably only seen five being in a week.You see more Wolves tops at a funeral in the Black Country…oddly enough I have seen more English football tops,the usual suspects of course.Don’t know if they were locals or tourists.Did see one Wolves top but that was just my reflection as I walked past a shop…

Problem solved with the football.The only bar I know round here that’s showing the game(really can’t be arsed hunting round for another) is very small & already packed to the rafters so I’m over the road drinking Portuguese lager instead.Figured it was a forlorn hope.Would be conflicted anyway about the game what with Wolves Portuguese connections and wouldn’t want to cause an international incident in any way so discretion is the better part of valour and all that…

In a while crocodile…

So the game is on in the bar I’m in after all.I was very inattentive earlier…This is what being a smoker and getting table service does for you,fail to notice the bleeding obvious until that first toilet trip then it’s game over…

60 Days in Europe…#35 Paris…

Turns out the coffee shop that I thought was dodgy for all the comings & goings is also a hotel.The front is just a normal cafe and the rest of the building is hidden behind.So mystery solved.Nothing exciting I’m afraid…

Ticket sorted for Strasbourg on Saturday morning.A wonderfully grumpy young lady but she got the job done so I’m happy…but still not happy with having to shell out another €20.I have never bought a train ticket in France as I’ve always been on Interrail so have no idea of the prices but if every inter city seat requires an additional €20 they are raking it in like nobody’s business.What’s the average price in the UK? A couple of quid maybe? Man alive…nice quick trains though…

Currently at the base of Montmare having a coffee(naturally) will probably have another before braving the 200 steep steps.Nah only kidding,gonna find the Funicular and go to the top as God,and my legs,intended…

Montmare is a cool spot,unfortunately because I dicked around a bit this morning I got there in the middle of the tourist rush,the trick is to try to get to these places before the hotel breakfast ends and thus minimising the crowds…apart from the views of course there’s a thriving “ village” at the top.Plenty of cafe bars and artists with their equipment set up.It’s all very pleasant but packed & expensive…at the top of the Funicular there’s a cafe with a sign for toilets chalked on their board charging €2,I had to go( as many were) so sucked it up & paid but decided to have a coffee too and consequently got my €2 back as I was now a paying customer! Hardly anyone in there and I reckon for every customer they’re getting ten only using  the toilets! Fair play to them…

Many of the tourists seem to be French.I suppose Paris is much like London in that many that live outside constantly rag on about hating the place but love to visit…anyway because I didn’t walk up the mountain of steps I will walk down as I’m feeling fit and of course it’s a damn site easier…

Just worked out how to put money on my Paris oyster(not oyster) card via the app on my phone.It’s not easy and it did take a while messing around trying to scan the card etc.Meanwhile it also turned on my Spotify and it wasn’t even to what I was playing last! Very bizarre…now that’s sorted gonna finish my drink here and head down to the Latin Quarter for a mooch about…

I‘m not a driver,never had any interest and being in Paris has in no way whatsoever made me regret that decision.It’s mayhem! They talk about the Italians but they drive like Miss Daisy‘s in the back seat compared to this lot and man do they love their horns…I would never cycle here that’s for sure.Cycled in London,which I’m used to so no problem and Berlin which I was a bit nervous about but the Germans respect the cyclist even in Berlin, but Paris? Not a hope in hell…

Think I got to The Latin Quarter but maybe took a wrong turn and ended up by Notre Dame instead.Maybe that is in the same area but I was expecting small independent bookshops & bars with chin stroking blokes dissecting 19th century philosophy…I really should research more instead doing most things on instinct.Maybe I will check it out again tomorrow as I don’t want to waste a good beard stroking opportunity…

Surprised by Notre Dame.Thought it would be a lot further along in the restoration after the fire but it looks a good few years off,certainly nowhere near Olympic standard…suppose you can’t rush these things and if you do it could ruin it forever…

In a while crocodile…

Found The Latin Quarter when looking for the metro.Pretty much as I pictured it…

60 Days in Europe…#34 Paris…

Laundry all done,and by all i mean all,My hold-all didn’t hold anything else clean…after the fella helped me he did his thing and left,I grabbed a quick coffee,went back(it was two doors away) and was alone then a fella walked in,no washing,closed the doors and proceeded to walk around the place like you see deranged tigers do at the zoo.I was getting a bit concerned to be honest.Anyway eventually he stopped in front of me and as I was as far away from the door as possible flight wasn’t an option…he said something,I indicated I didn’t speak French “ ah Anglais?” And we became firm friends but I have never shoved my clothes into my bag quicker,they can be sorted out in the hotel behind a securely locked door…these places do attract potentially dangerous types and you can never be sure when someone could turn…

Went to Pere Lachaise the famous cemetery that rivals London’s Highgate cemetery and it’s mind bogglingly big and impressive.Most people enjoy a mooch around a graveyard be it small & unkempt or grandiose and coiffured like this one(in most parts) I started off with the great plan of checking out all the famous dead people’s graves but quickly got lost both literally and figuratively,even though I had a map I was happy just ambling around…didn’t want the guided tour as I like to take my own time.I only got to see two famous gravestones but in reality I was’nt really looking.The first was Oscar Wilde and to be honest that one is a bit sad.It’s a bit crappy anyway but that just my opinion but it’s surrounded by glass with a note asking for people to show respect and not deface it.There’s a few dead flowers dotted around…

Of course I sought out Jim Morrison’s grave especially as it’s the anniversary of his death 53 years ago.There’s a barrier surrounding it but it looks well kept,there were also a few people around including a Californian couple telling tales from the old days.Can’t vouch for the legitimacy but hey ho.Currently in a bar surrounded by Doors fans of different nationalities who clearly meet up here on this date annually…anyway Pere Lachaise is a great place,well worth a visit…Highgate Cemetery £14 Pere Lachaise Free.Just saying…

Popped back to the original cafe I went to when first getting to the area and it’s cool,the owner has been great but there’s a lot of dodgy looking geezers in ill fitting suits on mobile phones coming & going constantly.Now I’m not saying anything iffy is afoot but if anyone gets a strange phone call at 3am it’s probably cos’ I have been caught up in a huge police raid…

Have seen a few people walking around sporting natty berets.Maybe it’s like a bit of French revisionist fashion like we had in the UK with the whole Peaky Blinders thing and flat caps…no strings of onions round the neck yet though…

There are certain things you notice about some places that stand out.They do to me anyway.Little things like in this area in the space of a couple of miles I have seen about ten Lyca mobile phone shops.I just find that kind of thing odd.How much demand can there be? Or am i being a bit naive or thick( or both)  and missing something obvious? 

The plan tomorrow is to sort out my Strasbourg ticket.Think I will just try to get another train and will go to Gare du Nord instead of Gare du l’Est,where I have been twice with varying degrees of success.Also I want to get to the top of Montmare.Don’t know why I didn’t do it last time I was here especially as I was staying close by…not sure I will be fit enough to climb up though,it’s a long old hike up them steps so think I’ll have to pay for the funicular up the top.Apparently top class views of Paris…

In a while crocodile…

60 Days in Europe…#33 Paris…

In the same jazzy cafe bar I was in last night having early morning coffee.As can be imagined it was rammed last night for the French game.I fully expected it to empty out soon after but if anything the placed filled up even more…the clientele was mostly the young,hip & sexy of Menilmontant and I have to admit I felt a bit out of place.I wasn’t made to feel that way it was just my own insecurity poking through…indeed had a good chat with a couple of blokes in their mid 40’s…needless to say I will remain coming here.Blonde Biere at €3-50? What’s not to like? 

Managed to find one clean t-shirt,socks & pants at the bottom of my bag so the laundry is now waiting until tomorrow.Luckily it’s a cool overcast day too! Also getting low on deodorant so shopping is also on the menu.They have a market day opposite where I am and passed a few stalls that have big bottles of designer cologne for €5.Might give that a miss.Like I said definitely Hackney like…there’s also plenty of police sirens doing the rounds to reinforce the Hackney vibes…

Jumped on the metro without much of an idea where to go and ended up getting off at Les Halles and that’s one muthaflipping huge metro station…somehow found my way to Westfield shopping centre but didn’t want to buy any Lego and thankfully there isn’t a West Ham ground attached to this one…had a walk outside and I’m close to the Pompidou Centre with all the art and stuff.Grabbed a chicken curry baguette which frankly looked a lot better than it tasted,although it was as messy as you can imagine.The beard took some hammer…currently in a fancy(ish) restaurant round the back of Hotel de Ville having an expensive lager & an even more expensive cheesecake.Which was magnificent…

Toiletries bought.You know the hoary old cliche about the French being a bit smelly well the cheapest roll on deodorant was €5 and frankly I’d happily smell like Worzel Gummidge after a strenuous roll in the hay with Aunt Sally at those prices…

Sometimes when you’re feeling smug it quickly comes back to bite you on your arse.Was having a bit of a smug moment earlier when bragging about the beer being €3-50.Just sat down in an unremarkable place called Le Bastille,ordered a Kronenburg and it’s €11-50! ( that is not a typo by the way) This is pre Olympics price too.Thank god this place isn’t my local!

Suddenly gone humid,big grey clouds above.I think I know what’s coming…right on cue.Luckily I’m under cover having a cheap drink…

Yesterday got my reservation ticket to Strasbourg for Saturday.Now it’s on a slow train and was dirt cheap so of course I was in but didn’t really check it properly till later and it turns out the train isn’t on my Interrail app.Went back to Gare L’est today and the lady assured me it would be fine but seemed befuddled as to what was going on…not what to do yet.Might just change my train altogether or just risk it…at this rate I’ll be getting flashbacks like a Vietnam Vet…

Now Wednesday morning and finally made it to the laundrette.It’s called The Speed Queen which I think was The Who’s follow up to Quadraphenia…anyway it’s much needed.A fella in here helped me out but in truth I would have worked it all out if I were here on my own.Strangely I still feel intimidated if other people are here and it’s obvious I don’t have a Scooby what I’m doing…at least having a cafe next door means I can have a coffee while the deed is done.Four of us in here all having a good old Smokey cough!

Later on I’m going to Pere Lachaise,the large cemetery where Jim Morrison is buried,amongst others of course,it’s only one stop up from here too.I am reliably informed by my mate Phil,who knows of these things,that it’s the anniversary of Morrison’s death and that there’s normally a gathering of some sort there so we will see…

In a while crocodile…

60 Days in Europe…#32 Paris…

Sitting outside a small cafe barely 50 yards from the hotel.Already made the proprietor guffaw with my laughable French so this is my coffee stop and an added bonus is the Metro is right in front of me…it’s 9am and I’m watching Parisians going to work.Life is good again…

Got a few things to sort out today not least of which is my seat reservation for Strasbourg in six days( not getting caught out like that again) If Interrail could get together with the French rail companies so one can order these things from outside France it would solve a lot of problems…anyway in future will just have to box clever.

One of my personal rules was to take as few taxis as possible on these trips & use plenty of public transport.On this trip I have had to break that several times however.I think part of my reticence was the fear of being ripped off,we have all heard the horror stories over the years but I have to say everyone I have used has been great.No problem whatsoever.But you still need to be careful and only get licensed cabs…last night at Gare du Lyon to get to the taxi rank proper you literally have to walk through about a dozen shysters offering “taxi” service.Ignore them,they’re not allowed on the official rank…the cab I got was a fair price.Only about €12 for a 3 mile trip after midnight…

I have now located the local laundromat,again not more than 30 seconds walk from the hotel next to a pretty cool,typical Paris jazz cafe…I think Menilmontant has just become my go to place to stay in this city…seems a cool area and this jazz cafe might become my second “ local” here…

After a stroll around some parts of Menilmontant (district 20) I get a Hackney vibe and that’s always my go to criteria about if I like a place.The more Hackney the more I like and it’s very Hackney( I would hazard a big guess it’s not a Le Pen voting area).Had a bit of a kerfuffle getting a metro ticket earlier and the fella behind the counter had to incorporate a translation device,then my sort of Oyster card ( but not quite) wouldn’t work so he let me through and as yet still don’t know if it’s gonna work later.The tension…still saw people jumping the barriers right in front of clerk’s office though.He sensibly ignored it.Not worth his trouble… 

As I was up Gare du Nord way I popped into a cafe I have used a few times and was refused just having a beer which has never happened before.Was going to say “ no wonder you’re empty with that attitude “ then remembered I was in Paris…so having a bevvy elsewhere.Didn’t have one yesterday and on reflection that’s probably a good thing…

I had forgotten how wonderfully mad Paris metro stations are compared to others I have been to.There’s walkways everywhere and some seem to go on for ever like it’s a Parisian practical joke on tourists or something.I’m sure it all makes sense to those using it but not to the rest of us.I would hate to be in a rush and try to negotiate my way around them…

If you’ve never lasciviously rubbed your ample stomach after cheeseburger,chips & a pint of lager in an American themed restaurant on Place de la Republique saying “ that filled a hole” to the very sexy and bemused French waitress can you even call yourself British?  I didn’t of course but damn the cheeseburger was ace…

Lots of police vans going past,maybe a dozen,then realised France are playing in an hour and half…might make my way back to Menilmontant to see if I can find a bar showing it.They have it on here but I’d rather go more “local”…The jazz bar is showing it and my oyster(non oyster) card worked so I guess that makes me a fully paid up Parisian…

Interesting chat with a couple of fellas named Mark & Kevin.Locals,Started with football talk naturally but quickly moved onto the elections in both countries.Luckily we were all on the same page politically…both were of the opinion that Le Pen will win and they’re probably right( they weren’t happy about it)

In a while crocodile…

60 Days in Europe…#31 Paris…

This might well be a blow by blow account of my long train journey from Genoa to Paris.If it is sorry in advance…

Got to the station for the 5-22 train which doesn’t exist so the next one is at 6-07,which I’m sitting on now waiting to depart.A few chatty workmen & women dotted about for the docks down the line.Already had a couple of people scrounging a smoke and a couple of lads wanting to know where to buy tickets…itching for a coffee I tried the platform vending machine.Normally vending machine coffee is pretty rank but this was fine,or would have been if I hadn’t misjudged the sugar and put way too much in.At least I got a bit of a sugar rush at 5-30am…

Looked at the train times and got time for a proper coffee in Ventimiglia,then it’s just over an hour to Nice ,hopefully get a reservation seat ticket for the Paris leg(doubtful) and get into Gare du Lyon about 6pm.Luckily my hotel is in Menilmontant which is pretty close…

Nothing of note on the Genoa to Ventimiglia route.Stopped off everywhere,in the early part it was clubbers who’d been out to neighbourhood costal towns.Badly dressed boy gangsters and their barely dressed girlfriends…later on it was regular Joe Public…

It’s a nice run though along the coast from Genoa towards France.In general it sticks to the coast,at times being only feet away from the sea.You pass through plenty of heavily industrial areas which as you know warms my jets and then it’s the seaside towns,some posh,you know where locals wear their sailing club sweatshirts like capes,and some not so posh,where locals don’t have sailing club sweatshirts but if they did they’d wear them normally like normal people…if you do have a sweatshirt you may want to wear on the train as they crank up the air conditioning…

First thing I come across at Ventimiglia station is a 45yr old fella(ish) shouting out rap lyrics.There was a lot of “muthaflippers” going down…cafe over the road is still open thankfully…Like all border towns Ventimiglia has a slight identity crisis.It’s still obviously Italian but the cafe is mainlining brioche…sat on the train now waiting for the off,could have got an earlier one but that was only 5 mins after pulling in and I have no mind to be rushed…it’s a double decker too.

When on the train you know you’ve passed the French border as there’s a certain je ne sais quoi,a certain oh la la,a certain…nah EE told me,and about all the great roaming charges…

Welcome to Nice! And you’re welcome  to Nice.Last year it was my nemesis and this year it’s my nemesis +.So my nemesissisisis…thought I would rock up and take the fine on the train but they’ve changed the rules( The French and their silly little rules eh?)you now can’t even get on without a reservation.Asked the woman where I could get one.The shop at the end of the concourse but it doesn’t open till 12-15 she said with a smile.I was trying to get on the 12-03…ok try to keep cool.Only two “For fuck’s sakes” left my lips.There’s always the next train via Marseille in just over an hour…

Still with me? Went to get the ticket,that train is full.No can do.There’s one seat left on the last train that gets into Gare du Lyon at just past 11pm.No choice but to accept.The train means a change at Marseille,another change at Lyon then hopefully into Paris…oh and check in closes at 11pm.(have messaged the hotel,no response yet) So my long 11 hour trip has now been extended by 6 hours with no guarantee of a bed for tonight…thanks Nice,oh and thanks for making me €20 lighter.So far…

But you know it’s all part of the game,as I was coming out of getting my ticket I passed a young lass in a wheelchair breathing through a pipe and just thought “perspective Gareth,perspective “

However two valuable lessons learnt.1) avoid Nice like the plague as a changeover station.It really is horrible and not suitable for the traffic it gets..I will keep away from now on.2) Nah that’s it…

Anyway enough moaning.I wanted adventure even if it’s controlled toa large degree,should know by now things don’t always go as planned and occasionally embrace the chaos…if I don’t get a reply from the hotel I’ll turn up and see then if I can’t get in I’ll play it by ear…so for now I’m sitting on this packed train to Marseille losing myself in a bit of Ren’s music trying not to think…

Part 2 tomorrow.And the laundry? Yea that can wait…

In a while crocodile…

Good news is the hotel has replied and they will be open.Didn’t really wanna be down & out in Paris despite my previous bravado…

Not finished yet,train to Lyon was late so missed my connecting train to Paris and had to find the ticket office which is hard to locate in Lyon.Not an easy station to navigate.Managed to find it and now on train to Paris.It’s just after 10pm and I should have been there at 6…I’ll be honest this has totally disheartened me and I will probably give the blog a miss for a couple of days to get my head straight so if you don’t hear from me don’t worry…apart from all the dicking around with the trains( I mean it would have been 18 hours + by the time I get my head down) it also means I have missed half a day checking out the local area of Paris where I’m staying…

Sorry for being so down,I normally like to throw in a few jokes here and there but tonight I’m really not in the mood.I can’t fake it,you lot would suss that straight away.

Anyway this is definitely goodnight and I’m sure I’ll be fine once I’ve processed what today has been about…

Hello again! It’s now morning.I have had a sleep and looked at my ramblings ,especially the last bits and debated with myself about deleting anything and decided I won’t.That was how I was feeling at that particular time…the head’s in a far better place now.