myblagh: In search of Amelie Poulain

So this weekend I took my first lone wolf trip in Europe and met up with Cath and the girls in Paris. A night bus trip of 8 hours followed by 2 metro's got me to our first hostel. The girls spent their first night in agony and digust so we went on to find greener pastures and the 'Aloha' hostel. After our immediate transfer to the better option (for an extra 10 euro per night), we took to the streets.

Like a walking cliché I shambled down the streets of Paris humming the Amelie theme song to myself and I often burst out singing the tune from ‘Champs Elysees’ by Joe Dassin. Give it a listen and tell me that you wouldn’t do the same? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA4KihbsISU

Fun fact #1: Parisians do grunt! At first I thought it was just me hearing myself grunt (which I did to add to the atmosphere) but they actually do a guttural “AUW!” when you pass them. It’s absolutely fabulous. But not quite as fabulous as the way these natives dress. The Champs Elysees is a live catwalk show. Cath and I were dumbfounded by the beautiful waif-like figures parading up and down the streets. Feeling and looking sufficiently less glamorous than the natives, we trudged back to our beloved ‘Aloha’ hostel and binged on digestive biscuits and Jaffa cakes, Cath’s discovery. They were able to lift our spirits when we felt like giving up on our burned out limbs. Thank goodness you can’t find these tasty treats of delight in Amsterdam; otherwise we would soon more be rolling than strolling down the streets.

When we got to the supermarket (which was equally as overpriced and overwhelming as the rest of the city) I couldn’t stop myself from reciting bits and bobs of ‘Foux Du Fafa’ by Flight of the Concords as I cruised the isles in search of cheap dinner. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5hrUGFhsXo

To say the least, I was not disillusioned and disappointed like some Japanese visitors. Check the link. It’s called ‘Paris Syndrome’, a psychological disorder which mostly affects Japanese tourists who visit Paris and get severely disappointed by the city itself when compared to the media hype that puts it on such a high pedestal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_syndrome (I know you can't always trust wikipedia, but it's well worth a laugh)

Two days of marathon walking was not enough to really get in touch with the city or come to terms that I was actually in Paris. But we did see the Arc de Triomphe, visit the Notre Dame, got lost in the Louvre, hiked up to the Sacre Coeur, climbed the Eiffel (which was well worth the queue, my nausea in the lift and fear of heights) and ate MacDonald’s like real (copout) tourists. Here are some photos of what we did, what we saw and what we awkwardly posed in front of, like real tourists.

The 9 hour bus ride home was a bit much. I couldn’t climb stairs or walk properly for that matter, my legs conked in with every second step. This was exhaustion to taken to a super saiyan level. My arrival at the flat was as rewarding as I thought when I collapsed face down on my bed. Paris was satisfying. What a dream.

Gerard Depardieu

Jacques Cousteau

Auw hauw hauw