There and Back Again

Pondering: A man never knows how to say goodbye; a woman never knows when to say it. (Helen Rowland)
Listening: River (Travis)

We left Paris this morning. My heart was heavy but at the same time I was looking forward to returning to London, even for just one day. It was sad to say au revoir to our room in Hotel Villa Montparnasse; to the market stalls in Rue Daguerre and the Chinese Restaurants that have been our savior during evenings when we get home, tired from sight seeing and short on patience for figuring out what the French menu means; to the Paris Metro which wasn’t quite as fussy and chaotic as London’s Underground but just as convenient and efficient; to the lovely Parisians who chuckle every time we attempt a French conversation but who are appreciative of the effort; and to the beauty and memories of Paris as a whole. I must say I had the most fun despite having difficulty understanding almost everything.

We got back here in London around 1:30 PM. We checked in at the Rubens at the Palace Hotel (near Buckingham Palace) but since our room wasn’t ready yet, we made a dash for last minute shopping at Oxford Circus. We went to Virgin Records in search of some Keane items you can’t download in iTunes. I found an import Hopes and Fears CD that has more songs than the US release but these are songs I already have. I still bought it because it has a DVD of the This Is The Last Time music video - the one that has Tom walking/running around singing instead of the one featuring nature shots with snippets of the band. I also bought a Travis CD and a DVD of Trauma starring the lovely Colin Firth. Then we stopped by TopShop and headed home.

The ride home was hilarious! It was rush hour and the tube has been experiencing delays all day. The stations were packed and when we did get into the train, there was no space - literally - between you and the next person. We were packed tight, like sardines. Thankfully, we got off after 2 stops to make room for hundreds more trying to get home.

In the evening we ordered room service as we packed our bags - with a heavy heart I may add. Tomorrow we head back to SF on an 11 AM flight. Another vacation for the books. Sad to see it end, as usual…