Well here we are last night and all, and overall I am happy with the way the trip has turned out. There were a few days back there where I felt: overwhelmed, frustrated, happy, lonely, scared, hungry, footsore, tired and many others. I've done a lot of milage, both assisted and on foot. I've avoided being robbed, maimed, mugged, arrested, deported and/or obliterated, so that's good. I do still wonder where I lost my Capri cap – oh well, I'll have to go back and get another one time.

The bag is once again packed and ready. A little earlier I did wonder exactly where all this stuff I'd accumulated would go – bit it all seeems to fit at a squeeze. All i have left out is a few books, this diary and my new camera.

That could be a problem. If customs stamp my paper it will be fine. If they don't (because I bought it in Italy) then I will have a problem. You see, the fellow who sold it to me gave me particular instructions, which I followed to the letter, only later realising that I only needed to do them if I wanted to get a tax refund on good with VAT in Italy, which I don't particularly care about. In highsight it would have been better not to worry, so not I'm supposed to present an unused item before I can get the stamp before I can get the refund. But (and here's the problem), I already have the refund. I didn't want it straight up, but now I have it and I should have done something about it in Italy but I forgot all about it – it's only been going through everything tonight that's reminded me of it. Well, tomorrow will decide how to fix this. Best to think of it then.

To get to the airport I take a direct bus. The train takes and hour and a bit from where I am, and to get the bus I take the train to a station not far down the line and pay on the bus.

I found all this out this morning before going into the sewer.. but more on that in a minute. Singapore Airlines is over near the Arc de Triumph, so I got a metro to the area and walked around for ½ an hour looking for the office. Naturally, the office had moved – back to just near the hotel! Argh! Anyway, from there I confirmed the flights – I thought I had 9 hours to kill in Singapore, I have 1.5 hours. Good to know. They also told me about the bus and which gate the plane will take off from – nice!

So, sewers? Well there's this tour I've heard about where yougo down under the streets into tunnels lined with pipes and watch the brown stinky water flow past. Who could resis that? It cost a whopping €3.50 – most meuseums cost €7.50 to €10.00 so this was a bargain. Lots of pipes. Lots of drippy water. Interesting stuff, really! I was surprised my the (still working) pneumatic mail system. Wow, they do really exist!

I took the train to a few places marked on the map as “attractions” that are a bit out of the loopy as far as tourism is concerned – and now that I've been to them I can see why. Went to Notre Dame, but it was packed. There was some major event going on and for some odd reason just about everyone had the same red bag. Everyone except me and an old drunk shouting at the church sculptures, I think. Anyway, apart from the cool gargoyles, I thought it was just another church. I'm a bit churched out after Italy, I'm afraid.

Well, it's been great to write these entries every day. It's a chore to do, but I'll be able to go back and remember everything I want to remember about the trip – mostly how I feel about things more than the places themselves – I have photos for that.

Not all the photos have been developed. There's still about 9 rolls to develop! Oh how I've been sloppy with the camera – photos of everything! Oh well, over time I'm sure they'll be developed. I hope they survive they airport machines...

Things to do. Pack this stuff away, and the bathroom stuff. And then maybe listen to a CD or just the noise of Paris around me. Mad taxis, busses, bicycles, scooters, planes, trains, rollerblades, drunks, birds, people over the road, the chilly wind through the window gaps, the guy in the next door with the TV up too loud... it's enough to put you to sleep at night... aaaahh...

2005-02-01T21:47:58