the little prince

lazy morning: calling mum and Blake, listening to music in our room. Nash went for a run, Joel and I went for a walk. we all reunited with Alex later in the afternoon, walking through a pretty park to another gallery.

the exhibition showcased the works of Joan Mitchell and Claude Monet, presenting the paintings as engaging in some sort of dialogue. we wandered through for an hour or so before heading out to get dinner.

Brighton tomorrow. feeling as though the time has sprung up on us all of a sudden, despite waiting for this for so long. a little nervous, but grateful to not be returning alone. excited to reunite with my friends, and return to a place that has meant so much to me. I hope to be present for this precious time. <<

Louvre etc.

Joel’s birthday: a big night in Brighton three years ago, a big day in Paris today.

after breakfast we went for a stroll around Montmartre. I showed Joel and Nash the Moulin Rouge, outside which they bought crepes. we walked to Sacre Cour before catching the metro into the city, stopping at Shakespeare and Co on our way to the Louvre. the bookshop means a lot to me, and thought the resident cat was away on their holiday, it was lovely to be back, listening to visitors tinker away at the piano upstairs.

the Louvre was lovely - always a total treat, never losing its novelty. I returned to the winged victory and the lovers (Psyche and Cupid), both of which now sit among my favourite pieces I’ve seen with my own eyes.

dinner with Alex - who hasn’t changed since we said goodbye in Brighton nearly three years ago. pizza for dinner and lots of laughs. commuting to another part of the city, we met up with some of Alex’s friends, joining them for rounds of pool and drinks. exhausted by the time we returned to our hosrel, though grateful for a lovely day with my friends.

called Isaiah this morning - still manages to be a highlight of my week with everything going on. Brighton in less than two days now. I haven’t stopped to process this amidst the distractions with which I’ve been filling my days. a lot of nostalgia even in Paris. unsure where the next week will take me. moving gently where I can. <<

Paris

we arrived at 11:30pm last night to our shoebox in Montmartre. Nash managed to book us a three bed room, meaning we have a space to ourselves which is lovely. before sleeping we walked to Sacre-Cour to show Joel the view of the city.

a good sleep, with breakfast supplied by the hostel. a lot of walking today, showing Joel the tower and the arch, stopping for photos and crepes along the way.

special memories in this city with friends I miss. it’s strange to be back after so long, so many tourists despite it being near winter. it’s still the same place, though so much has happened in my life since my time here.

it’s a pretty place, and I feel lucky to share it with more people that mean a lot to me. we celebrated the clock striking midnight for Joel’s (Australian) birthday on the lawn facing the tower.

I liked this. contemporary art installations leading us from the gardens between Musee D’Orsay and the Louvre.

tired and uncertain about where I’m going. England in three days. everything moves quickly. trying to be present and appreciate my good fortune. <<

Berlin to Paris(?)

a chaotic travel day. leaving the hosrel at 7:50, boarding the first train according to schedule, with it arriving 40 minutes late - to miss our connecting train to Brussels by just 3 minutes. this delay in turn meant that we would miss our bus from Brussels to Paris, forcing us to book a new one. silly silly silly.

our unwanted stopover in Cologne was spent at the foot of the cathedral, which wasn’t the worst view to enjoy as we waiting for the next train.

I drew Joel’s blind portrait as we waited, sharing snacks we’d bought at the supermarket in the early morning.

our train to Brussels was packed, with Joel and I sitting in the foyer of one of the carriages for the first hour or so. we found our new bus in time, and if all goes to plan we’ll arrive in Paris by 10:40pm. still need to figure how we’ll make it to our accomodation, but I’m sure we’ll be fine.

journalled on the train today, and started working on some things for my future. scary commitments. a lot to digest. I’m another year older in under two months. many goals I would have liked to have accomplished years ago remain unfulfilled. this upsets me sometimes and I feel disappointed in myself. I also struggle with the idea of getting older - if you’ve been reading this for a while, you’d have known this ages ago. reminding myself it’s important to enjoy the time I have here. excited to shower and sleep. <<

Berlining

Nash and I started the day with a run. trailing along the river we stumbled into what seemed to be some gathering area of significance from Soviet days. the size of the monument was as stunning as the silence.

after breakfast (fruit and fresh pastries from the supermarket), we took the train into town, where we showed Joel landmarks - from the Brandenburg gate to the Jewish memorial. in the park we stopped to appreciate the falling autumn leaves. I called Blake - I’ve been missing him a great deal, moreso each day.

we stopped at checkpoint Charlie for some fries, before making our way to a photo gallery Nash wanted to check out. a lovely afternoon.

we packed bags for tomorrow’s journey, and after our final kebabs in Germany, bought some drinks, which we enjoyed by the water behind the east side gallery of the Berlin wall. 

the city has been kind to us, and I feel lucky to have spent such precious time here. a big day of travel tomorrow. excited for crepes. <<

‘wander round yonder’

a beautiful day with my friends. after realising some of our roommates had studied at the University of Sussex during the time of our exchange (a funny coincidence), we spent the morning making our way to the east side gallery - a colourful segment of the Berlin Wall covered in graffiti. the boys had not been there before, and it was nice to see them enjoying it as much as I did.

under Jan’s recommendation we made our way to Berlin Tempelhof - an abandoned airstrip and airport now used for recreational purposes. here we spent most of our afternoon, enjoying pastries and smoothies from a nearby ALDI.

whilst our clothes were washing back at the hostel I went for a short run. I’ve been worried about the future more, and thinking about the people I love, so the momentary distraction felt necessary. kebabs for dinner before drinks in the park, debriefing how we’ve really been managing since being together in Lewes. I think we’ve all had rough patches, and it’s nice to know that Joel and Nash still feel comfortable to be so honest with me. a special evening.

more exploring tomorrow. the company feels so much more precious than where I am, though I’m excited to experience new places with my friends. <<

Hamburg to Berlin

an early morning train to Berlin. was greeted by Nash at the station by 10 am. surreal to be in the same timezone again. we warded off his jet lag with sugar (pepernoten from Fieke’s parents still serving us well) and walking through the city. stopping in a park, Nash enjoyed a brief nap. the autumn colours were glorious.

after visiting part of the wall, we commuted to the hostel for checkin, napping until Joel arrived. a very happy reunion of hugs and ridiculous inside jokes resurrected. kebabs for dinner (with halloumi tonight), before enjoying cheap beer as we walked and sat in parks, witnessing a first kiss from afar (backlit silhouettes in the fifth floor window of an apartment block).

overjoyed to be with my friends again, and so happy for them to finally be together after so long. <<