Describing Gare du Nord as an armpit is a disservice to clean armpits that do not reek of body odor (BO). That is because Gare du Nord smells worse than the foulest of armpits that have not had any deodorant and antiperspirant applied. And that person chose to then walk for twenty miles in the jungle. And then that person chose to take a dive into a compost pile that had an ample mixture of manure in it. And then that person rolled around in the compost pile. After *all* of that, the person gets out and gives you a big hug.
That is how this Paris train station makes you feel. But, wait! I bet your thinking, "No big deal, Chris. You aren't staying in the train station, right?" And no, I'm not staying in Gare du Nord. That isn't enough though. The smell of the sewer has permeated multiple blocks all around the station. Forget the City of Light. This is the City of Stink.
I persevere in my determination to pretend it doesn't exist as I sit and write this in St. Christopher's Inn (just down the street). The hostel itself is great. Attached bar. Good prices. Clean all the way around. No axe-wielding psychos (refer to my post on why hostels are not like the movie Hostel for clarification). I've got three Spaniards, an Algerian, and someone that I suppose could be mute or just antisocial. This should be an interesting three nights.
The train trip in was great. No problems out of Groningen and I caught the high-speed Thalys direct from Amsterdam Central to Paris. Looking forward to the next couple of days. Probably tucking in a day at Disney, since it's been 15+ years since I was there last. Plus, I get in free. So, I've got that going for me. I've done a lot of the museums, Notre Dame, and many of the other "required" cultural stops. That leaves me with a bit of free time.
I'll probably just go to the top of the Eiffel Tower and hit on chicks. Maybe the breeze will keep the smell of desperation away.
That is how this Paris train station makes you feel. But, wait! I bet your thinking, "No big deal, Chris. You aren't staying in the train station, right?" And no, I'm not staying in Gare du Nord. That isn't enough though. The smell of the sewer has permeated multiple blocks all around the station. Forget the City of Light. This is the City of Stink.
I persevere in my determination to pretend it doesn't exist as I sit and write this in St. Christopher's Inn (just down the street). The hostel itself is great. Attached bar. Good prices. Clean all the way around. No axe-wielding psychos (refer to my post on why hostels are not like the movie Hostel for clarification). I've got three Spaniards, an Algerian, and someone that I suppose could be mute or just antisocial. This should be an interesting three nights.
The train trip in was great. No problems out of Groningen and I caught the high-speed Thalys direct from Amsterdam Central to Paris. Looking forward to the next couple of days. Probably tucking in a day at Disney, since it's been 15+ years since I was there last. Plus, I get in free. So, I've got that going for me. I've done a lot of the museums, Notre Dame, and many of the other "required" cultural stops. That leaves me with a bit of free time.
I'll probably just go to the top of the Eiffel Tower and hit on chicks. Maybe the breeze will keep the smell of desperation away.
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| Image courtesy of Warner Bros. |
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