Back in $$$London$$$

Checked into a hotel down the street from the one I stayed at when I got here. The room was cheaper. Nice room.... Then I logged on to get a one day pass for the Internet.

$60.00 dollars a frigin day!!!!

So, I paid 6.00 for 30min and checked email and made my posts.

I can't wait to get the heck out of here....

Kel

Leaving Europe

I'm on the EuroStar on my way back to London for my last two days. I don't know how fast I'm going but I know I'm haling ass. So fast that you really can't see anything because it goes by so fast. I kinda like that. I'm really ready to leave Europe. I've learned that when you ask someone here in Paris if they speak English they will say no or "a little". What I've learned what "a little" means is this: Yes, I am very fluent in English. I will listen to you until I am board with you are pissed with you. Then I will pretend I don't understand you and walk away.

Having had my last bash at the French let me say a few more things about my observations.

The French are a very proud people. Their attitude of independence and confidence is very powerful. They have a very rich and ancient history that is reflected in thier art and architecture. They are a beautiful people. More than anything I love the sound of thier language. Of all the languages I've encountered here, French is the most wonderful to listen to. As much as I have complained about my frustration at not understanding it I am equally envious that I don't speak it. I have tired to say a few things and when I hear my own voice say the words it grimace at the sound of it. The French language most be spoken with the appreciation it deserves.

I think I would like to return to France some day. I might pass on Paris and spend some time in the South.

Before I left people had made comments about how this trip will change my life. Now that I'm coming to the end of it I'm trying to see how or if I've changed. I am different as I have blogged before but I'm not sure if that change would have occurred on it's own or was it as a result of being here? I didn't have a "Razor Edge" type of experience. Someone asked before I left if I was coming back. They were joking but I think maybe they also was serious. Did anything happen here that makes me want to stay? No. I have met some great people. People I want to see again. But my home is in California. My friends are in California. My family is in California.

It is time for me to come home to the people I love and the people who love me.

Kel

Paris Part 4

Feeling much better today. I went out with some friends and was able to vent also and talk about things. In the end I always end up being grateful. I mean my god, I'm in frigin Paris! How bad can things be? I guess out of 25 days, I'm going to have one bad one.

Kel

Paris Part 3

Sorry for this but I have to vent!

F#$% F%#$ F$%#!!!!

I have a bit of down time and would like to just relax and play a computer game or two right? NOT! My F'n hotel blocks the ports I need to get to the service to order the games. I came to Starbucks to pay for Internet to get unblocked ports and now my credit cards are declined when trying to pay for the games to download. France has an international ban on anything English including PC-Games. In the states when you get a game you have the option to select a language. Not in F'n France! France language Only! F%#$!

I've been trying to be patient and just let things go and go with the flow. But I'm really tired of this place and want to leave but I paid for the room in advance through a website. So I'm frigin stuck here till Thursday.

Sorry for the harsh language. I just needed to vent. I'm at Starbucks right now and just paid for an hour of Internet to have time I need to download a game and just found out I can't.

AAHHHH!!!!!

Normandy

I broke down and paid for a guided tour of the landing beaches of Normandy. I have always been a amature WWII history buff. I have watched The Longest Day about 500 times. Every time Carol would bust me watching it I would try to convince her it was a new WWII movie I had never seen. It worked about 5 times till she started to recognize some of the parts of the movie.

It started at 7am which meant I had to get up at 5am and find my way to the place. I got there about 6:45am. I tried to find a Starbucks but couldn't. Right across the street was a coffee shop. I stepped in and got a double espresso. When I got the bill I almost asked the guy to laugh out load in my face so I would feel better for being a foul for stepping into this place to get coffee. 4.70 Euros for two shots of espresso. that's almost $7.50.

On the bus and off we go. What can I say.... Well, I got to fulfill a life long dream to stand on the beach of Omaha. I took some great pictures and will never forget the feeling of awe and somber reflection of that day when 10,000 American men in their 20s died on this beach. To think about courage of the men left alive to continue on while their friends died around them.

I was going to write about the tour and some of the things that bugged me but when I was standing on sacred ground and reflect on the suffering and sacrifice all these men made, how bad could any day be for anyone? How easy it is to fall into trivial problems and make them more than they really are. To think all these great men died on the 6th of June 1944 so that I could have the freedom to ride on a bus and feel pissy about something.

It makes me think and ask if my freedom and my life been worth thier sacrifice? I think about the person Carol was and how she lived a life in-spite of knowing she was going to die any moment of any day. In-spite of her suffering, she still thought about me and how to make my life better. At the risk of getting hate mail from those who think differently, I think Carol and the men who died on that beach had a lot in common when it comes to character and courage. I think of my own character and courage and doubt that I could ever be a tenth of the person these men and Carol where.

I may not have known these men, but I knew who these men were.

kel

Paris Part 2

I'll start with my journey getting here. I had a general idea of where the hotel was and from my experience so far of traveling through London, Lisbon, Berlin, and Amsterdam thought I would be ok getting to my hotel in Paris. BZZZZZ!!!! Wrong! As it turns out, no one in the country of France speaks English and are more than willing to tell anyone that fact in French. My attempts to ask for help or direction resulted in several people shaking their heads and waving me off. I found a both where I assumed I could buy at ticket and was able to do so. While I put up the paper of the name of the town I needed to go to all I was able to get out of her reply was "E". I assumed it meant the letter E for the subway. So, off I went to the letter "E". When I saw all the stops on the subway line, none looked anything like what I was looking for. I figured I was supposed to take "E" to another place and then transfer to another train. Shit.

The brilliant mind that I have thought I should get a map. Feeling better I got one. One that did not have my town on it.... But I was able, somehow, to see where I was and guessed at the next station to get off at. To make a long story short, I somehow found my station to transfer to the train to the name of the town I needed to be at. Next was finding my hotel. I had the name of the street on a paper and you would think even if I don't speak French and No One speaks English I could simply show my street name on the paper and they could simply "point" to the direction I needed to go. BZZZZ!!!! Wrong! If they hear English they are trained in school to speak rude words to you in French and wave your hands and walk away. Somehow I found a map on a billboard on a street corner and found my street which resulted in finding my hotel. The receptionist at the hotel must be some kind of freakish outcast among the French people. I felt pity on him. He spoke English.

Kel

Paris Part 1

I have a lot to share about Paris so far but I need to get out of my room. Ever feel like you need a vacation while on a long vacation? I did. I got here Monday and met some friends Monday night. I was supposed to go out Tuesday but woke up with my back hurting. Not real bad but it was like it could get worse if I don't slow down and take it easy. I had been feeling up till then that I just need to take a few days and sit and relax. I think I've walked 30 to 40 miles so far in two weeks. I sleep great and dreamed a lot of very cool dreams. I had my dream of being recalled to active duty again. Strange I keep having that....

So I'm off to see Paris. I might get one of those City tour buses and get my direction of where everything is. On Friday I have a 14 hour Landing Beaches of Normandy tour. I had to do that. It was a bit expensive but I figured I may never have a chance to see it again.

That's all for now,

Kel