Kalene’s blog: January 3rd, 2011. Big things are happening here. We’ve been on the road for exactly 2 months and 2 days and it feels like a lifetime and a snap of the fingers all in one breath. People kept warning me I wouldn’t be the same person when I returned, and well I’m not back yet, but I’m also DEFINITELY not the same person.
This trip isn’t always roses the way it may have seemed in my last post. Of course there are snags and homesickness, and colds and rain and gloom. And DIRT. I’m not a prissy girl, not even close, I like to sweat, like the best of em, I can handle multiple days in a row without a shower, I can deal with poopy dipers and vomit when I need to. But the place we stayed in Strasburg France was absolutely disgusting. Vile. Putrid…. Why didn’t I leave after one night? Because I’m Canadian, and that would have been rude. I know Ken mentioned this but really, they had a ‘pet’ rat that I’m pretty sure just came and went on his own schedule. Shudder.
I must mention one HILARIOUS night we had in Strasbourg. Ken’s friend from high school invited us to come to the ‘chateau’ where he was living. I was totally confused and thought this was popular boy-speak for the flatshare he lived in. Nope, turns out it was actually a chateau. Big, beautiful and nice and warm. We got soaked getting to the castle, but upon arrival threw our stuff in the dryer and ate Mexican and drank beer. It was a FABULOUS night in amidst CANADIANS! YAY HOME! A special shout out to a drinking game much like horse racing. Too many beers later and an early morning train we headed out with big smiles on our faces, back to the filth and grime. Yup, I was cinda-fucking-rella for a night, back to a pumpkin at midnight.
Luxembourg was a lot of fun with Kasia. We made a snowman, toured the winding streets and quiet paths, went to the Grund, had a great night listening to some instrumental bands at a little bar in the downtown and then a nice night sitting around drinking too much and talking with some great jazz playing in the background. Luxembourg, was great fun. Again, THANK YOU KASIA!!!
Ken mentioned Nice and Monaco but he neglected to tell you that while in Nice we took our first afternoon apart. This was a much needed break from each other. Don’t get me wrong, we’re in love, but it was 6 weeks at this point with no more than 30 minutes apart. A girl needs to be one with her thoughts every now and again. I went to this little town called Eze Village where they make perfume and spent some nice solitary hours wandering around the tiniest streets you’ve ever seen and then hiking down to the port to catch the bus back. It’s funny but when we met that night and actually had something new to talk about. We were tripping on each other trying to get tell the details our of adventures. That night we sat on some rocks and had a bottle of Champagne and ate yummy pastries from a local pattiserie watching the sunset. The view was stellar. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Ken mentioned Marseille and I have to give a quick comment to our first hosts. Alex and Deb were really fun. They told us about this area called ‘Les Calanques’ we hiked around these limestone cliffs. Gorgeous. Also, the meals we shared were positively decadent. And Blokus.
As Ken mentioned again, the second host was a nightmare. This man is not mean or anything he just lives a completely different life than I’m used to. He smokes like a chimney. Indoors. I smelled like a tobacco plant by the time I left. And, yes he was completely irresponsible. He left us alone on the side of a road at midnight for 40 minutes and never turned up. WHO DOES THIS!?! Not Canadians. It baffled me. Then, we got tortured all night by a mouse running around our bags. Then, The 2nd night of our stay he just never came home at all. His roommates did though. They partied downstairs and got so drunk that one of them puked their guts out for hours, then clogged the toilet and flooded the flat. Awesome.
I actually kept my cool pretty well while it was all happening but this lead to a breakdown of magnanimous proportions later on. I got on the train to Paris, the leg of the trip I was looking forward to the most and started listening to the Vinyl Café Christmas special podcast. I looked out the window and cried almost the whole way to Paris. I was homesick, no denying.
As I said, I know I’m not the same person I was when I left. I think in some ways I can handle much more stress, but in other ways I am also figuring out my limits. Hell, I can laugh when my watch gets launched under a bus (yes, this did actually happen to me), but I CANNOT handle rotten food lying around and mice nibbling my toes. I can handle little sleep on lumpy beds, with not enough blankets, but I cannot handle being hungry. I’m very cranky on an empty stomach. I’m constantly playing with the balance of the image I have in my head for how this trip is ‘supposed’ to go. I try not to have pre-conceived ideas, but of course I do. I love to notice the little details of the people we meet and the places we see so I’m appreciating where I come from A LOT more. Anyway, I’ll leave it here but stay tuned. Paris was an adventure to say the least.
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