Patient love (Paris-Le Domaine de la Loge)

”Two sips of whiskey in my flask but I’m not going to drink it,
I swear I’ll make it last
till we are drinking out of the same glass again.”

What can I say to you Paris, city of love.
You are not the same without him. Definitely.
But it’s just impossible not to love you, or not to miss you.
The biggest flaws disappear under your lights and you make the impossible possible, making me love every single decision I took here. To let him go, even though that wasn’t my call, but a part of me still had to choose. To leave myself as well, and take him with me wherever I’d feel home, because home is people, and he is welcome home no matter on which hemisphere I am.

After a wonderful week I leave, happy to know what will be awaiting me on my way back.
The house of the rising sun.
The house of blues <3.

——————————–

My bus leaves Paris around midnight, after a necessary week.
I needed to come back, but it was time to leave again.
I’ll only say one thing: chaussons aux pommes <3.
(Cherche dans le congélateur 😉 )
I met again some friends and gave my first conference, Travelling to Inspire, which was a success and encouraged me to organize more when I come back.

I couldn’t help grabbing my guitar and recording material to make a new cover.
Click here to listen it!

Well, and I tried for the first time a group conversation Germany-Spain-France. My family is a great team!

My bus leaves Paris on Saturday the 12th December right before midnight. A 9 hours trip takes me to Saint Etienne, a town south in France. The price makes it hard to resist: 1’50€.

I leave without really believing it, feeling that thing in my stomach. This is where I realize I love travelling. No matter hoy many times I pack, I still get nervous and excited about it. The feeling of being in front of a big thing and being on time for turning my back and running away… but still staying, taking the step and making the best out of it, because if you never try then you’ll never know.
My best decisions came after fighting fear.

I am in that bus, eating a raclette cheese sandwich in silence, sharing that huge bus with only 10 people more. The driver says before leaving:
– Hi everyone. Just let me know if you need to go to the toilet on the way and I’ll stop ;).

At 6h30 we have to change bus. It’s 1°C outside. The new driver asks for instructions on the street:
– How do we get out of town? Right or left?
Which really makes me feel comfortable…

One hour late, but we make it to Saint Etienne. From here I just have to hitchhike to Le Domaine de la Loge, 50km.

I start hitchhiking at 8h30, without knowing much about the place, since I don’t have a map in my phone this time. The choice of travelling light pays off again. I left my mattress, summer clothes and books in Paris and I filled my bag with warm winter clothes and some other tempting stuff… But I have to force myself to remember that I’ll be back in 3 weeks. I shouldn’t need that much. So I leave my computer and extra clothes as well, and trust my smartphone and all the layers I’m wearing to keep me warm.

I can feel it.
My bag is lighter than ever before, and this allows me to walk longer distances. I can fly again!

My first ride arrives rather fast.
Salem is from Algeria, in his late 30s. Before dropping me at the right exit in Saint Etienne, all through town, he tells me that he loves his job (though I don’t understand what it is). He says:
“I you don’t love your job, you have to change it! Like women!” 😉

After a short wait, Michael pulls over. He’s a car-ambulance driver and is early for work so he takes me somewhat further and after 10 minutes and a lovely conversation he has to turn around or he’ll be late. His car indicates -3°C and everything is beautifully frozen outside.

With Florina, who pulls over for a few km, I find out that public transport doesn’t work very well in the area, that’s why people hitchhike a lot and drivers take hitchhikers very often as well. She’s the first person who says to me that it’s normal to see hitchhikers, instead of what the rest of the drivers say: that there were a lot in the 80s but nowadays it’s rare to spot one.
France is the country where most women have pulled over for me.

André is an experienced traveller, now in his 40s. He believes travelling is important, it’s a way to learn, to pick up little bits from every culture and decide how you want to live. His passion for Africa catches my attention, since I’ve been dreaming for years of going there. He encourages me to go and suggests me Senegal as a first country. He says:
– In Africa there’s a proverb: “Les étrangers sont sacrés” (Foreigners are sacred). No matter what, you’ll never sleep on the street, someone will invite you at their place, that’s the culture. We should take example from them, he says.

That feeds my African flame, but for now it won’t be possible. I just note it down in order to accomplish this dream further on. It will happen.

I find myself walking on the side of the road. I know I’m not far, but I don’t know if it’s still 1 or 5km, and I don’t know how many cars pass by this road… Finally, my last ride, a small car with a couple who search my exact destination on their GPS and drop me there, which I really appreciate.
Thanks to them, I complete the 50km between St Etienne and Le Domain de la Loge, covered in 2 hours (it’s much longer time than usual, but it’s a very remote area in the countryside).

Juliette welcomes me, after overcoming the surprise of an unexpected car stopping at her door and a young lady with a guitarlele coming out of it ;).
I’m staying here for a few days, helping her around the house before hitting the road towards the south.
Don’t expect too much news, internet is very limited.
And I love that :).
Back to simple living!