Had to Share

Lost: my beautiful jumper. This will be missed on the road for the next 2 weeks.

After landing in Paris at about 10:30, I spent the next ten odd hours walking the streets trying to arrange tickets home (successfully) and find a bike and a map to cycle to Geneva with. At around 9, I checked into a hostel, went immediately to my room, kicked off my shoes and, ignoring the folded sheets at the foot of my bed, lay down. Pausing only to sigh in relief very slightly, I fell immediately to sleep. Not five minutes later my phone (procured a few hours earlier) rang and my (slightly groggy) side of the conversation sounded like this:

"Bonjour? Comment-tu t'appelles?... Matilde?... What the fuck are you doing in Paris?... Charles de Gaulle-Etoille? On the Champs Elysees? Got it. I'll be there in half an hour."

I sat up and began pulling my shoes back on, but the Canadian sitting on the bed opposite me interjected:

"Dude, stop. You're literally the coolest guy I've ever seen."

Two points here: first is that I now have a phone number (for all of you coming to Europe) - 06 241 501 74
Secondly, it turns out that at Charles de Gaulle-Etoille, there's a huge fucker called Arc de Triomphe. Wasn't expecting that one. Saw it in all magnificence upon coming out of the metro, there with the Eiffel Tower twinkling in the background.

Going unplanned has it's drawbacks, but it does foster some nice moments along the way.