Day 5 Cont'd

This is a continuation from the last posting.

We couldn't catch another train because the D line was suspended, but other lines were still going. It was very weird. We got out of the station and decided to walk to Gare de Lyon. It seemed like a very long walk. We got close and there was a street blocked off to traffic. That was the street we needed to go down to get to the station, so we walked down and we heard shouting and saw people walking and there was smoke in the air. We figured that was the strike, but we continued to Gare de Lyon still hoping to get a train. We found a train to Avignon, but the machine wouldn't take our credit cards, or anyone else's we discovered. It was very confusing because they were only making announcements in French, but even the French speakers didn't seem like they knew what was going on. Troy got in line to talk to a teller and I guess everyone's tickets and trains were being cancelled. It was almost 6pm and we were so incredibly tired after walking all day with our packs, that I didn't think I could move an inch. But we did.

We walked next to the Seine back toward Notre Dame. We took a break on a grassy area that Troy said might be a good place to sleep. then we walked on down the path by the river where people were beginning to gather. We headed to the latin quarter and found a pizza place to eat at. At around 10:15 pm we went to the internet cafe to catch up on our blog.

After that, we headed back up (or down) the Seine to the little grassy knoll we planned to sleep on. The Seine river at night is a party. There must have been hundreds of people hanging out along the bank drinking, talking, playing music.the music was amazing. We passed this group of 20 somethings playing Ska-like music with lots of horns and drums. Then we watched a group with violins and some weird instruments that neither Troy not I knew what they were, but people were doing some kind of ballroom-type dancing to it. It was so cool to see. We got some video of it that we'll try to post soon. Then it was getting late and we were tired so we moved on. We got back to where we were going to sleep and someone had taken our spot. We went to the other side, which was not as concealed and set up out bed near what Troy was convinced was a gun running boat. We got to sleep around 1AM and it was the first night we were going to get more than four hours consecutive sleep.

We got up at seven, again to joggers and walkers passing by, and packed up our stuff. The plan today (Friday) is to rest and do nothing. The free public showers opened at 8am, so we headed past the Notre Dame and back there. We showered and then had a breakfast of apples and crepes next to a fountain. Now we are at the park next to Shakespeare and Company resting, relaxing, writing, and listening to the bells of Notre Dame.