1 JUNE 2006

Paris-Amsterdam: 9h-17h (I think)

11h00
Wancourt (?) autoroute A1: rest stop
20 min.
where is my return ticket?
missed yesterday night's bus. took metro back to Paris, called Paul and Lucas, no answer. I didn't know what else to do, so I called Gavin, who lives in the same building as Faisal did. he saved my life by letting me sleep on the floor. it was awesome, I appreciate it so much. I was so upset. I reserved a bed for tonight in one of the christian hostels in amsterdam. why not? If I want to party tonight I will go find one; meet people there. I guess I am wary of the ridiculous party hostel scene.
NOTE: locate storage locker @ bus or centraal station so I don't have to drag my crap around all day demain after I leave the hostel.

13h
suddenly all the text I see outside is completely unintelligible. must be in Belgium.

13h30
Brussels is a very cute city.
there is a very shiny, glass/steel, modern downtown financial/government district. strange architecture, ample greenspace, still very formal; with weird modern sculptures scattered around. off.
Then there's the quaint and picturesque downtown
THEN there's the industrial areas. best are the junkyards (along river/canal?) and the empty, abandoned old brick buildings we passed before getting to the Bruxelles Midi stop.

14h
leaving Brussels, finally. It's raining, still.
now there's the brooklyn part: rundown but still (to me) appealing buildings (apartments) with some shady/discount stores and restaurants. this is just in front of the Laeken Church, for future reference if I ever want to come live here.
seems like things are pretty cheap - - food in the old downtown area at least.
ooh, also, a park. apartments here are probably cheap.
signs in the city are in dutch, english, french.. I like it. maybe I should learn dutch.
now - the park - I think it's Laeken Park? some small cute fancy churchy looking thing in it .. tall and pointy.. (my year in architecture school has taught me nothing)
ok. on the road again, I believe.
3 hrs til Amsterdam......

15h30: Netherlands:
my first windmill! also, my first weird, compact, modern, minimalistic housing development, right across the street.
oh my god all of these buildings are so weird! also, a crazy sculpture, of a huge red person laying on his back on a hill with an orange funnel in his mouth... WEIRD
rockin tunes on the radio -- "you sexy thing" followed by "summer of '69"
and furthermore, the sky is blue up ahead! and there are forests on either side!

16h
a beautiful country. flat and green, for some reason very charming and appealing.
I will only have the rest of today, and all of tomorrow here. should I stay longer? maybe I will hang around the city today & tonight, and rent a bike and leave the city demain, and return to drink coffee and hang out.
also: my first non-stationary windmill!

20h
I am nervous about tomorrow night! I want to call Nick but I don't want to tell him that I don't have a place to stay because he will freak out. etc. um. I have to go up to the Centraal station and see: 1) if there are lockers, and 1a) how much they cost, and 2) what the hours are that I could access it. I am in a coffee shop. There are 2 other people up here also, on the 2nd floor, and they are making out like crazy, and there is a guy downstairs SHOUTING in some other language. dutch? I think he might be on the phone, but he's loud and sounds crazy. but not in a scary way.
Anyway I'm leaving, going to figure out where I am so I can head to the station. will probably eat along the way. okay.
Also, look for a post office.

01h10 (friday)
what an exhausting day (though much of it was spent sitting down, on a bus)
walked all over the place. learned that there are lockers at the station (Centraal) but they're only accessible from 7h to 22h or something. and 7 is cutting it a little close, as my bus leaves at 7h30.....
I wanted to stay up later but I think I might fall asleep.. I can take a nap in the sun tomorrow............