Bonjour

I wrote this journal on the day of while I didn't have internet.  I'm just transcribing whatever it is that I wrote:

"Tiring" is the word of the day.  Last night I said sad goodbyes to everyone.  It was such a bittersweet moment because I was also very excited to move to a new environment.  I hung out with Hao, Alex, and Tom playing Wii Sports.  I also talked a bit with Sacha and Laurenda one last time in our flat's hallway.

    I went to bed at around 2330 but took a long time to actually fall asleep.  I had to wake up at 0330 to be at London-Waterloo train station at 0500 for the 0530 Eurostar train.  Hao told me to call him so he could help me out of the Great Dover Street (GDS) apartments, what a guy!  He took one suitcase while I had another and my Berghaus rucksack (bought with Kirsty at Black's).

    The walk from GDS was tiring.  Because I only had two hrs of sleep my body felt terrible.  It was odd to see the streets of London empty.  It was also odd to see the sunrise!  I was very glad that my luggage did not break.  The fact that I could roll them helped immensely.  I arrived at the station as planned.  I found my train and seat easily.  It was nice that there were no luggage restrictions.  I got barely any sleep on the 2 hr 50 minute train to Paris because the seats weren't comfortable and the bright sun poured through the cab.

    We arrived at Paris Gare de Nord.  The train to Nancy left from Gare de l'Est.  I had to walk a couple of blocks between stations.  I got directions from a Frenchman and only understood "left".  It was really funny, but enough for me to get to the correct place.  I bought a soggy chicken sandwich at the Gare de l"est and a Coke.  Now, I really don't like soda.  It's too strong for my throat, that's a good thing I suppose.

    The train from Paris to Nancy was crazy.  So many people were packing into the train.  It was confusing because some coaches had reserved seats while others didn't.  I got on a cab that had reserved seats though I didn't have a reservation.  I bought 2nd class and the lady at the desk said that the seating was "closed" meaning that you could sit anywhere.  I rode for about 1/2 an hr standing up.  Another passenger found unreserved seats 4 cabs away.  I had to carry, not roll, my luggage and was absolutely exhausted.  There I was able to get sleep on and off but the seat was again too upright to properly sleep.

    I arrived in Nancy at 1330.  I sent a recent picture to Professor Eric Favre so he would know what I looked like.  There were many exits so I went to the one that I thought was the main one.  Within 10 minutes he found me and we went to his car in the car park.

    His Renault was interesting because he had no key.  He carried a credit-card-sized device which would unlock the doors by proximity.  It also plugged into the dashboard and the car started with a push button!  Reminds me of the Honda S2000.

    Anyway, he took me around the town and gave me a quick tour of the small city (population 100,000).  We walked through to Place Stanislas, built by a duke during the enlightenment period.  It was beautiful with iron gates decorated in gold accents.  We popped into a restaurant that looked really classy.  I ordered a ham & cheese sandwich and water.  Professor Favre and I chatted for a while about membranes (apparently there's a huge membrane conference at the Waikiki Hotel soon!), outdoor activities, traveling in France, and Professor Lape!  Afterwards he showed me the locally famous glass art by Daum, made exclusively in Nancy.  I thought I might buy a piece to bring back as a souvenir but none were cheaper than 100 euros!

    He dropped me off at my Appart'Nancy where I unpacked and settled in for a bit.  I was too excited to stay put so I went downstairs to talk to the reception desk.  I found out that laundry facilities were not available.  It cost 5.95 euros for a 2.5 kg load and then 0.90 euros for 15 minutes in the drier!  Geez, just when I thought laundry couldn't get more expensive than at the GDS apartments!  On the upside, my kitchen is fully stocked with cookingware and eating utensils.  My be d is pretty comfortable though I find it difficult to fall asleep on.  And I have a television with many channels including CNN.

    I set out to explore Nancy.  As I crossed the nearby river Muerthe [I later learned that it is not the river Muerthe but merely a canal that stems from it] I wanted to take a picture.  I found out that my camera isn't working!  I'm getting fed up with this camera and its breakdowns.  There are few camera stores in the town so I couldn't find a repairshop.  Also, cameras appear very expensive here.  It might be a dead battery but I can't charge it because I bought the wrong plug adapter.  Traveling has its annoyances.  I'm thinking of buying another but can't decide if I should buy a cheapo or a quality one.

    I found dinner at a hole-in-the-wall called "Made in France" where I had a bleu burger with onions, lettuce, and tomatoes.  I also had some fries.  It was very tasty for 7.50 euros.  I ate at  the center of the Place Stanislas and enjoyed the bright sun.

    I was so tired so I walked home, had a bath, and fell asleep at 0930.  I awoke again at 0230 and then back to sleep at 0430.

More to come and pictures once I get back to the apartment!