I'm writing this post from Rhone-Alpes in France. Today I had the most amazing train ride on the TGV. The train started out slow when I left Paris, but it quickly got up to a top speed of 320kmph. This is one of the many things I have discovered on this journey, which started out 2 weeks ago in London. Since then I have been to Cork and Dublin in Ireland, and Paris in France.
London was great as always, spent a couple of days seeing some of the familiar sites and taking in some new ones as well. The absolute highlight was when Damien came down from Leicester, and Michael and Sam came from Kent and we all went to see Avenue Q in London's West End. I had been waiting to see this show for 4 years, and I always seemed to miss it somehow.
Next it was on to Cork, where from the moment I arrived and saw my old friends James and Martina, I felt like I was home, also the fact that everyone there kept asking me how long I was home for, might have added to the home feeling. Cork was so much fun, as I spent two days there in town during the days, and going out at night. The place is slowly changing every time I go back it looks more and more like a big city.
Then there was Dublin, and the first night there was a bit chaotic, especially trying to get everyone in the same place at the same time. In the end it was a good night, when we all went to the Dragon and the shots started flowing. The rest of the time in Dublin was somewhat quiet, just spent a few days relaxing with good friends for the last time perhaps for a long time. Daragh will be moving to Australia soon and Christina to New Zealand so it may be a few years before I see them all again.
Paris so far has been the real treat of the trip. When I arrived in Paris it looked different, than the last time. The sun was shining, many of the monuments had been renovated and looked bran new. I stayed in my friend Flavien's apartment in the Chatelet - Hotel De ville area of Paris, and perhaps that had something to do with the different feeling this time. Last time i stayed very far outside of Paris and had to take the train in everyday. This time I was very central with Notre Dame only a few streets away. Paris seemed amazing, the food was great, the cafes were filled with people, and I had a genuine Parisian as a tour guide. This time around a small part of me fell in love with the city.
Antoine went back to America today, and after seeing all of these places and experiencing something different for a change, I think he will have a new outlook on certain things back in the States. Every time I come to Europe it changes my opinion on things back in America as well, sometimes good and sometimes in a bad way.
I still have a week of traveling left, and as always when I come to Europe, I don't want to leave. Every city has something different to offer and I feel like I could spend a lifetime in each one and not see everything.  ¶ 11:33 AM