So another barely ligit pic......i think i have crossed this river a bunch of times so i guess that counts.......well last i left i had parted ways with krissi my to her dismay but it needed to be done for my sanity......after a bit of a journey i made it to paris's only camping grounds......it is about 4 euro cheaper then any hostel i am gonna find so that's cool.....i booked it for the night and walk outside and the skys open up......why me what did i do to deserve this.....it was like every time i walked outside it began to rain.....not a light rain you can deal with either.....it was hardcore get you soaking wet make setting up your tent misrible kinda rain......so as to avoid the rain i figured it was time for a splurge.....yup i was gonna do it.....mom woulda and since i am her son i figured i should just do as i was told......so i went to the conveniently located bar/restaurant on the campgrounds.....i didnt have high hopes for it but it did have a need for a nice hot meal that i didnt need to cook in some sketchy hostel kitchen or over my stove......well the table setter guuy greats me with you all alone in his broken english......thanks dude i am......but all went well i had a great meal and didnt waste a scrap....i was supposed to get this vegtible chicken dinner deal but instead it was chicken and pasta with a mushroom sauce......it was good so it worked for me.....and as an apitizer i had this crazy good tomatoe goat cheese and honey deal......at the amiens house i had a tomatoe basal and cheese which was similar tot his and became a quick favorite......so had food rain subsided and time to set up the tent......there was this other older solo guy across the way that noded to me as i walked to where i was gonna set up the tent......it was like some backpackers union thing......so i set up the tent with relitive ease except for the staking......dutkos words were haunting me in saying i should have a free standing tent......i had no hammer and the rocks i found just crumbled at the look of my stakes.....then i found a communal rock that seemed to be the staking rock as it had a huge bored hole from where people had used it........got it fairly well staked and sleep was to be had.....i wanted my pack with me and found a way to keep it under the poor excuse for a vestibule.....so all was good and the first night of sleeping outside in my amazing sleeping bag......well as amazing as it is i think i am just one of those 'cold' sleepers cause i woke up a bunch of times with some cold feet as my sleeping pad does not span the length of the bag........but it could have been that i was getting a cold or the coldness caused the cold.....all i know is i was beat and fell asleep around 12 and woke up (for the day after many false wake ups) at about 1030...with a cold......i could feel the post nasal drip thing goin on......i felt like crap but dragged my butt out of bed......to the showers that were a luke warm at best......and they are anoying cause u have to keep pressing this button to keep them going or else they shut off after 20 seconds...litterally....so showered and ready to go (oh and it is raining out)......so instead of taking the tent down in the rain i decided to stay 2 more nights as weekedn hostels are not happening in paris (ie full) and the price was good and i was already there......So after a really long wait in line ( only 2 people serving all of the people on a sat morning in vacation season for the only campground in paris).....well it took time needless to say.....i was rushed in and out as i was small beans to the campers paying i dont know how much.....a lot i am sure....so aight into town.....i needed a new journal, tape to put things in the journal, and some groceries.......well about halfway into the sub system i realise they never gave me back my CC.......AHHHHHH......so i get to the end of where i am going asap and try to find a pay phone just to make sure they had it......well in paris they dont have pay phones.....you have to buy a card.....i think it is a cruel tourist thing......so for 7.50 i get a 50 minute card (cause yeh i have no clue how to use my own phone cards over here).....call the campgrounds and they have it.....sigh...ok good.....i got the above items.....and then decided to have a nice cup of hot chocolate and bit to eat.....again still raining.....so i find a suitable place after much looking.....paris is like any other city lots of go go go and i was looking for food while everyone else was so everywhere was full.......by the time i found a spot everyone else was fed and i just had to pick a place to eat......but i got my own booth and was not greet with oh your alone......i got the entree of the day as it was the cheapest and came with the most food.....apatizer and cheese dessert......so i write a letter while eating a fairly bland meal but it was not bad and warm......spinch, ham, quish thingy, cheese....pretty good....just needed more flavor.....wrote a letter and hit up the post office.....by then i was beat....it was 4...i had walked a lot for what i had acomplished (little)......i remember emmett explaining how in the winter he gets cranky and just feels crappy cause he cannot be outside riding.....i flet like that kinda but because of the rain......couldnt do anything cause of the rain......which was prolly the cause of the cold who knows but i have been keeping warm....just been going and going and not used to sleeping in so many crazy places.....Suppose it is more draining then i realise.....so i decide i am heading back to the campgrounds.....i sat down in the bar restuarant deal and worked on the journal for about 3 hrs......it is really cool.....collected all the ticket stubs and such and did a little explaining....then i am gonna add these pages in between and it is gonna be excellant.....so that was nice and look the rain had stopped i could start cooking dinner......pesto pasta ......i walk outside the skys open up.....it was not my day.....dinner in the resturant again......i had just been there for 3 hrs (they were technically closed so it was ok for me to do my arts and crafts) so i walk in and the guy like he doesnt remember me from 5 minutes ago let alone last nigth and he says oh all alone this evening.....same broken english.....but this time he adds a oh no date or girlfriend.......thanks dude as if i want to be alone in on a friday night in the city know for romance......it wasnt worth it though i am sure us tourists anoy them in every other way.....i had another nice meal with wine even.....so by the time i was done the rain had let up and i could go check on the status oh my tent.....it was there with all it' contents but one of the stakes came undone so one side was a lil wet......on the plus side though all this camping the tent is amazing.....it has kept me and it's contents completly dry.......nothing no condensation or anything.......so i was determined to find a rock.....not something that was gonna break apart in my hand......not one with some bored out hole, but a real rock....and i did after some searching and i was gonna stake everythign down really well as the winds had picked up and rain was prolly gonna keep going......so i started slaming away with this monstrsity and the german gents across the way offer up a hammer.....now my rock was working just fine but i figured i would give the hammer a shot......in 5 minutes that tent was staked perfectly to drain all water......i climbed in and the germans came over amazed at the size and dryness of my tent......as they were all soaked as i am sure there tent was as well.....so i went to bed with some ajustments to keep warm and for the most part it worked.......work up with still a sore throat after a full and fairly decent 11 hrs sleep....it was sunny out and the owls and pigeons living in the above trees were having words.....as well as screeting bodily fluid on my tent......grrr.....but i had a shower....slightly warm.....and tookt he bus into town.....i had no clothes and needed clean ones now and with no way of drying them i decided a proper cleaning was due anyway......hit up the grocery store for lunch and detergent......amazing how rough it is to find detergent in french......i hope i didnt was with fabric softener.......all went well and i used the hostel i stayed in a few nights ago as i knew no one would use em on a nice sat day.....made lunch and finished up the journal working.....clothes are clean so i smell nice and fresh......well the ones in my pack do.....the ones on me are hand wash ones so who knows maybe i smell........then i needed to make something of the day.....went to the pantheon.....and there was a student discount so 4.50 seemed reasonable.....besides they had brouchures in english so i was happy......before this trip i wouldnt even be able to tell you where the panteon was....rome maybe.....now i know who is burried there as it acts as a crypt.....so that was cool.....only 5 minutes left so i am off......