Donde es el bano?

I did switch hostels and on the way I sang and bopped around to my iPod, fitting in with all the other crazies in Paris. I met two friends (which was appropriate because it was called the Friends hostel and I would have sued them for false advertisement if I ended up lonely). Amir from Iran and Aaron from Austin, TX. I also met a cool Aussie chick named Kylie, but that is where her story ends. Amir, Aaron, and I went to Versailles and it was gorgeous. Perfect weather. We rented a boat and had a terrible time trying to steer. By terrible I mean fantastically fun but with little success.

Then we had crepes (banana and nutella for the win) and headed to the Moulin Rouge. I had a coffee and attempted the out of tune, broken down piano in the Moulin Rouge. We kicked a girl out of there room when we got to the hostel so we could have a sleep over. Then the next morning, we went our seperate ways with plans of meeting Aaron in Seville with my mom so he could get us free drinks. And of him helping me move in to Austin and me putting him up on the beach in Destin for a weekend. A very important contact, that one.

Also, a couple days ago I decided to start going by my middle name, Healy (pronounced Hae-lee). It is something I had been planning on doing when I moved to Austin, but I figured why not start here. So I keep confusing myself and everyone I meet by introducing myself as one person and then referring to myself as another.

Yesterday I tried to get a train to San Sebastian, but they were booked up so I ended up on the night train. During the day I went to Pere-Lachaise, the huge cemetary where Jim Morrison was born, and met a lawyer who studied in Virgina but lives in Paris named Glen. He became my personal tour guide.

Then I went to the Bastille, too early for any of the artists to be set up along the river. Then I went to Sacre Coeur and saw Paris from above, which was something that needed to be done. Then I went to the Saint Ouen disctrict in hopes of wandering in the huge flea market, but everything was closed and I ended up in a sketchy ghost town. On my way back into Paris I saw a bunch of old men playing a game like horseshoes, but with balls. They threw a small rubber ball and then tried to toss their 700 gram metals balls as close to the rubber one as possible. I cannot explain this without it seeming like one big double entendre. They caught me looking and tried to explain the game in French and ended up having me feeling the weight of their balls (oh, be an adult, would you? hardee har har) and they posed for a group picture.

Then I went to a supermarket and bought all the boxes of sweets they had for under a euro. I am in a period of eating and my bank account can't handle that. Best idea of my life.

Caught the night train to San Sebastian, befriending a quartet of Canadian girls along the way. This time I did not reserve a couchette, but slept in a seat as penience for all the money I spent in Paris. I was very excited because it looked like my parter was not going to show up, but at the last minute he boarded the train. A creepy middle age man. Super. The car was hot and smelled like people stew. I went to go to the bathroom, but someone explained to me that the conductor had not unlocked them yet. I headed back to my seat and heard a guy inquiring about the bathroom and decided to share my wealth of knowledge. Turns out the voice belonged to Jordy, a guy from Texas who I had met in Danielle's new hostel in Amsterdam and had talked for about 15 minutes and we had become facebook friends. He and his friend Will (who I had also met in Amsterdam) were sitting in an area full of open seats! So I bid the Canadians adeiu and curled up with my Texas boys. (They play American football, but in Salzburg, Austria) How cool is that?

I arrived in San Sebastian and got to my hostel, which is someone's house that they are charging people to stay with them in. It's strange, but I think I like it. They don't speak English, so it is an adventure. I ahve my hostek booked for Lisbon but not for anywhere else. Tomorrow I will set up the hostels for my mom and I and then I will be staying with Jared in Naples, Jenn's uncle Stephan in Germany, and I am trying to hint heavily that Robert should ask his mom if I can sleep on their floor for a couple nights, but he doesn't seem to be picking up on it. What gives, Robert? ;-P

So now I have slept half the day away in Spain and I will head out for groceries and bikibi shopping and seeing the gorgeous landscape. Expect sunset pictures!