Paris part one...or like I like to call Why I shouldn't travel alone.

So my dear friends have been clamoring for updated blogs so here goes. This will take a few entries but I will start out with this short one.

Let's just get this out of the way.... I didn't pee on the plane going over. I was asleep most of the time thanks to a bottle of sparkling wine (baby size bottle don't get nervous mom). I was sitting next to this boy about the age of Will but not nice. He was all arms and legs. He leaned over onto my side of the chair and was actually touching me with his elbow for a long time and couldn't figure out why I kept moving away! YUCK!

So I go out to get the luggage (last one off the belt) and had a slight panic attack. My mind was flashing back to Greece!

I think I have an accent...I said ATM to the police man by the track. He said a what? CASH I said again OHHH and points me to a cash bank. The ticket person said I had plenty of time to get my cash as I had just missed the last train because I was trying to figure out the ticket machine. I go find the machine, get the cash and race back to the platform. The train is pulling up. What is their definition of "plenty"

I guess I have never been alone on a train platform before because standing here looking at the huge hole that the train goes in makes me think about those scary videos of people falling in! I can't even think I could jump back up if I fell in. I am too little!

Then I get on the train which is an express. There are like 3 people on the train so I sit far away (don't want to get abducted!) and read my book. I am not listening to the calls but I figure I will know when we get to Paddington station. We come to a station and the 3 people get off. I am thinking that well nothing here says Paddington so I will keep reading my book. About 5 minutes later the steward came by and asked me if there was a problem. I said no..no just waiting on Paddington... he said, this is Paddington. He says don't worry it happens all the time! Yea right! I hop up and run out the door. Crap I forgot my luggage! I had to run back in to get it!

So I am now just looking for a taxi to take me to the hotel. I saw a small sign pointing one direction so I try to follow it. I am looking up and around over and over to try to find another sign. I was like, where do I go, what the heck I can't find it. Craning my head around, I thought oh I must look just like a tourist. I look back down at my bag and notice on the floor of the station and see a huge line sort of like follow the yellow brick road that says TAXI written about every foot from the train to the taxi stand. DUH!

Now the taxi, I am super stressed by now and hoping to make it to the correct hotel! So I get into the taxi by now about an hour and a half after landing I am starting to get a little jet lag. Super stressed and now I need to pay the cabbie. He said the amount and then I gave him ten pounds. He gave me the change back but seriously I have no clue how to count the money. I have used pounds before but it was like I couldn't count any more. I just said keep the change. It was WAY too much but hell it looked like all the coins and I couldn't figure out which one was the 2 pound!

I go in take a bath, change the clothes etc and head out to eat SCONES! YUM! then off to the British museum. I need to see the Parthenon (Elgin as they call them) marbles. The ones that were stolen from the Greeks. Don't get me started!

I get into another cab and go all the way over there. It was like nine pounds and something and I try to again work the money! I can't even subtract to give the guy a tip. He says we are here and I look to the left. I said where??? He said there to the right. I look left again, he said.. THERE it is a little hard to miss! And he is right, it looks like the Parthenon HUGE I said oh crap! Sorry... then I try to work the money, he just looked at me and said, that is okay just get out of my car. Very pleasant but just get out none the less!

By this time I was getting worked up about the money issue. I needed to check my coat and to my surprise when I walked away the guy gave me the wrong change back. AHHhhhh I called Bill almost in tears. I can't work the MONEY. I am not stupid...he says that I am just tired.

YAWN.. this was just the beginning of my trip! Can you believe there is more!

CC