"i am on an overnight train to paris, france. i am sad to leave spain, i was comfortable there and entranced by the culture- but i am looking forward to the lively parisian streets that i grew up wanting to be a part of; paris symbolizes all that i long to be- an artist embraced in romance. the train ride is interesting, in that males and females can not travel together in the overnight cars- rick and i are having to spend our first night separate (which is a welcomed adventure). i am sharing this tiny cabin with 5 other women (bunked 3 high on each side), all from various countries. i particularly like a french girl, katya; she is moving back to france after a few years in spain. she has turned us into a ring of outlaws as we smuggle her cat across the border (thankfully even my allergies were on board for the assignment)."
sidenote: rick and i planned our adventure over the course of 3 nights from the safety of his U.S. home, under the influence of wine/tequila/beer. i'm assuming our reservation to our parisian hostel was made at the end of one of these nights when we were too "lazy" to either a) read the ratings or b) take the ratings seriously. he and i were definitely looking for adventure at a low rate, but this was bad!"the short walk from the train to our hostel was frightening; i had never clenched a man's hand so tight. rick was just as nervous for me- the men that frequented these streets were immigrants that seemingly survived off selling cigarettes and stolen goods; my partner and i were outnumbered by dirty, old, poor men and they knew it. they quickly surrounded us and hovered, even as rick and i sped forward. they were crude with their comments toward me and caressed my face and hair with their disgustingly dirty and seemingly oversized paws.
"we made it to our hostel with all intact. rick had me take a quick vow that i would not leave the entrance doors without him- there was no reluctance in my new need for dependence.
"we shook it all off with the corking of a bottle of champagne that we had bought freshly off our train from spain (not thinking we'd have to lug an extra couple of pounds for miles). we cheered and welcomed our new experiences in france.
"we stored our belongings and i changed from my beloved barely-there attire, that i loved so much in spain, to a more modest look. and then, quick as that, we were on our feet again, determined to conquer another city in just a few days.
"we shook it all off with the corking of a bottle of champagne that we had bought freshly off our train from spain (not thinking we'd have to lug an extra couple of pounds for miles). we cheered and welcomed our new experiences in france.
"we stored our belongings and i changed from my beloved barely-there attire, that i loved so much in spain, to a more modest look. and then, quick as that, we were on our feet again, determined to conquer another city in just a few days.
"we walked the city and frequented many cathedrals (that dated back as far as the 1400's). we had tea as we listened to accordions and we took in the sights that the painters successfully captured. the city was just as beautiful as the movies depict and the stories friends tell. it was a bit harder to maneuver around due to our vast language barrier; the french aren't pleased with my blasphemous attempt at their native tongue (it was often butchered with a crude spanish accent), and it seemed that it is their lack of confidence in the english, that they do know, that might be interpreted as "rude".
"the cathedrals have become very important to us; they give us a destination, a story about history and culture, a lesson in religion and faith, and a place for meditation. rick is much more religious than i- i know it's important for him to come and hang his head. fortunately, these places have an extended invitation to all; i find the sanctuary a fantastic place to sort myself out.
"it is surreal to be amongst works of art that pre-date modern tools- men would spend their whole lives dedicated to seeing a cathedral through. the amount of energy that has filled these monuments for centuries is sometimes overpowering and at times i envy the passion these humans possessed to erect these places of worship (as non-christian as that is). i really cannot begin to explain the attention to detail that is worked out in stone. every inch is beautiful. however, it is the most modest of shrines that truly hold the most significance [for me]. the hard-working man that gave all he could to provide a world welcome to all- it's awe inspiring (for lack of better words)."
photos: cassondra carper & ricardo novelo
