Bonjour, les Francophones!

I'm in Belgium! A longer post will be forthcoming about France, but it was fantastic. After spending a week in Bognor Regis, I, in the company of Laura, a friend from England, traveled to Paris via, of all things, coach. This 9-hour trip included rude employees, a ferry ride, and some very strange smells.

After getting us lost in Paris for an hour or two (this would prove to become a pattern), I finally found our hotel in Levallois, a suburban city just northwest of Paris. The Parisian metro is wonderful, so it didn't prevent us from accessing the city center without delay. The next four days were spent at the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Versailles, eating snails and visiting all the other wonderful sites of the beautiful French capital.

Rennes, a city in northern France, was the next stop. We intended to see Mont Saint Michel which, unfortunately, didn't happen due to a combination of bad weather and poor planning by me. The city itself was worth the journey, however. We braved the cramped uncomfortableness of my tent and saved loads of money by camping out at Rennes's beautiful Gayuelles park. I saw more rabbits than I'd ever seen in my LIFE...they're everywhere, like squirrels back home. Rennes also has a fantastic system called VeloSTAR, a municipal bicycle service allowing residents or travelers to rent bikes for less than a euro per day. Cycling around the laid-back town was a great contrast to the bustle of Paris.

I will post more (and post photos!) when I get a chance. But right now, the land of mussels, beer and chocolate beckons. Au revoir!