End of The Road
Blog: Send The Bugger Back - 8 November 2009
By: Dan Bowen
When I awoke this morning the Chinese guy in the bunk opposite asked me if I minded if he made a call on Skype which of course I didn’t.
Anyway he didn’t use a headset so I could here it all, though oddly him and the other guy didn’t speak to each other that much but typed messages while being able to see each other on video.
The really funny bit though was that the guy he was speaking (of sorts) to had some loud cheesy pop ballads in English playing and was singing along to them happily. It was most difficult not to waz myself laughing.
My plan for today is to SSS and then head into town to see if I can sort my bus ticket to Zaragoza for tomorrow night. It’s an 18 hour journey, gulp. Then I’ll check if there’s somewhere I can store my bag tomorrow day in the station as I think I might do a little day trip to Monaco, it’s only a half hour away. After that I’ll have a butchers round Nice and maybe take in the Chelsea vs Rags match. I’ve got 3 Chelsea in my fantasy team you see.
To get a feel for the city I walked the hour or so to the bus station (via the train station). The feeling I got was dog crap, right under my left Converse Allstar. I spent the next half hour scrubbing and digging canine doodoo out of crevices with a pen I’ve had since Lake Ohrid. Not a pleasant task.
After that I was very much on the lookout to prevent a repeat occurrence. I must have dodged twenty turds, it was everywhere. Bloody French.
I discovered lockers at the station are €4 so if I go to Monaco for a few hours tomorrow morning that will do for my bag, it will be easier than having to go all the way back to the hostel. I also discovered that the ticket office at the bus station must shut pretty early on Sunday. Bloody French.
So the first thing I will do in the morning is get a tram back down to the station and get the ticket straight away. I’m a bit anxious as I’ve only checked on a website all in French, that the bus I think I’m getting actually exists. If it doesn’t the butterfly effect won’t be pretty.
I’m just watching the match now in Mc Mahon’s Irish bar, after that I’ll go and have a proper look round the old town and on the main promenade.
Erm, well, I suppose nice is okay. I didn’t feel obliged to walk around for very long though. Maybe it’s better in the summer.
I finished ‘The Road’ a little over 24 hours after starting it. It’s a proper page turner but quite depressing really. I reckon the film will be really good, I think John Hillcoat is an excellent choice as director as the stark no nonsense style of ‘The Proposition’ is just what’s needed.
As I edit this I’m just in the process of applying for my New Zealand working visa. Then it will be time to start looking for flights, if anyone know’s of budget one to those parts from the UK then please get in touch.
A special prize is on offer today readers, the author of the first comment to be added to this post will find themselves receiving a lovely genuine Macedonian pen. This is a straight up offer, no $hit.
The pic is from, well, you probably know where it’s from. No nice pictures taken today you see.
Posted in France, Italy
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