rocky beginnings

6/1/2006
Paris, France to Milano, Italy

To Milano! We're on a TGV train heading from Paris, France to Milano, Italy. Yesterday morning I arrived in London by way of Heathrow Airport. Chris met me, we took the tube downtown, & walked around (exciting so far, huh?). We saw Shakespeare's Globe Theater, which looked just like all the pictures I've seen. No surprise there. Then we found Waterloo Station, from which we'd be taking a train into Paris later that day, then found a little café nearby for breakfast.

I feel it's important to mention that at this point I had been awake since 7:50 am Albuquerque time. Monday. I literally was beginning to hallucinate. It felt good to get some bacon, eggs, beans, sausage & coffee in me. Oh, & toast. That nice, warm feeling lasted for, oh, maybe around 20 minutes or so, at which point it all began to fall apart.

Sitting in Waterloo, waiting at a café to board our train, I began to feel a tad queasy. I figured it was due to the extreme fatigue combined with all of the illegal drugs I had been taking¹. Wouldn't you know it, I was wrong. Once on the train it got worse & worse, & I started breaking out in a cold sweat. I endured this for most of the 3 hour trip, until finally I ended up on my knees in the teeny-weeny train bathroom. It was decidedly less than pretty. I felt slightly better afterwards, but my stomach now was cramping from the evil British food poisoning & I was still exhausted. Once we arrived in Paris I said screw finding a hostel & just splurged on a cheap hotel near the train station (Gare du Nord). It was miserable; I could barely stand. I got to our room, took a shower, & passed out.

The next morning, this morning, I awoke stiff but worlds better! My stomach still was not happy, but it was on the mend. Chris & I walked around a bit before finally settling down at a corner café, buying a baguette & drinking some espresso. This was on our way to the Gare d'Lyon (another train station).

And now here we sit! I'm still getting used to the pack so my shoulders are a bit sore, but otherwise I am feeling 100% better. Only about 5 more hours until we are in Milano, Italy!