Did nothing the entire day but eat three meals, write two letters and read seven Reader's Digests. Immediately after breakfast I went down with Michael to the library and bank in Uckfield. Mr. and Mrs Simmonds went down to a large city on the south coast for Christmas Shopping.
After dinner, a friend picked up Mike and I in his minivan and we went down to Brighton on the sea for a night of bowling with some of Mike's scout friends. Met some exchange students from Boston there. I managed a score of 105 by the end of the second round. They were having problems with the pin-setting machinery.
Awoke at 8:30. Had breakfast with the family. Packed up, leaving my tent, sleeping bag and unnecessary clothing here. Left in a bad mist. Mr. Voller drove me out of town 10 miles. I started off through the wet, narrow, winding and hilly English country roads. At 2 pm I arrived in Uckfield. Went to Michael's house - he wasn't home. The people across the street took me in until Mrs Simmons came in. Had dinner, when Michael, his 15 year old sister and father came home. Went to Mike's Ranger Scout meeting a few miles out of town. Got to sleep late.
Mileage: Folkestone to Uckfield 80 km[At the 1967 World Jamboree in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, the scouts had a big "get acquainted" game. Each Scout had a card with one of the letters in "Friendship." Each scout took his card and matched up with other scouts to spell the word. Michael Simmonds was was the "D" on my card]
Michael Simmonds
4 Claremont Rise
Uckfield, Sussex
Slept late. First hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast, in five months. Went down to the post office to buy some aerogramms. Went back to write letters. AFter lunch I went downtown, bought a Reader's Digest and map of southeast England. On the way back, I darted out on a bicycle into a truck. I made it out of his way but his sudden stop casued the motor scooter following him to run into him and broke his headlight and windshield. I went to the police station an hour later and made a statement. Went out to Clair's far to pick er up where she was taking care of her pony. Dinner, washed and retired.
Haircut .50
Map .50
Reader's Digest .50
Slept late. At 9 am I started cleaning up the bike. At 11 am I went down to the docks. I couldn't get my French Francs turned into Pounds Sterling so I cashed a traveler's check in the English currency. Left at 1 pm to Dover, arrived at 2:30 pm. Cycled to Folkestone, and arrived at the Voller's at 4 pm. After dinner, Mr Voller took me with him to pick up Susan. Afterward we went to a pub by the sea. Had some fish and chips, returned home.
Andy Voller
58 Pavilion Road
Folkestone, Kent, England
Awoke in the still dark at 7:30. After breakfast I packed and left the Gasty's home. Went first to "Gare North," the train station for northbound departures. I locked up my luggage, bought my ticket, and checked my bicycle. Then I returned to Montemartre, strolled through the area, then took the subway to St Michel's. As I was preparing to return to the railway station, I notice my ticket was missing. Being the same small size as a subway ticket, I could have mistakenly thrown it away.
In a panic, I returned to the station, and frantically retraced my hundreds of steps, searching the ground through the thousands of discarded subway tickets. Thank God, I found it at the souvenir shop in front of Sacre Coeur. I left Paris at 2:27 and arrived in Boulogne at 5:45. Found the auto ferries closed so I hurriedly bought some food and found the youth hostel. After my delicious cold dinner I wrote and retired.
Train Ticket: Paris to Boulogne $6.00
After breakfast I set out on foot. Went first to St Michel's. Walked through the student quarter. Then by way of the Opera to Champs Elysee. Took the Metro to the de la Flechere's for lunch. After noon I saw more of the Opera area.
Returned to de la Flechere's for letters left there. Returned to Gasty's, walking through St Michel's, the City, the North Village, and Montemarte. Said goodbye to Paris and returned to Gasty's just in time for dinner. Retired after watching a 1949 American film.
Perfumes: 6.50
Canoe Cologne 5.00
Poster - Map 2.20
After breakfast took the Metro to the home of the de la Flechere's. Went to 11 am mass at Les Invalides, where Napoleon lies. Had lunch with the family and went to the Louvre. Spent three hours there, mostly in the art museum. Returned to Gasty's by way of Montemartre. Dinner and TV. Retired late.
After breakfast at Gerald's, I set out on bicycle. From 9 am until 1 pm I cycled through the streets of Paris, traveling down every street and boulevard of any size. I picked up my mail at American Express, and had lunch with Gerald. After lunch he took me up to Montemarte, the artist colony on the hill where the Basillica of the Sacred Heart (Sacre Coeur) overlooks Paris.
We took the Metro downtown and walked through the Latin quarter. He showed me the faculty of Sorbonne, where the student riots occurred in May. After dinner with the Gasty's I went with Gerard and his girl to a student dance at the House of Norway at the student union. Got to bed at 2 am.
Gerard Gasty
12 Rue du Baigneur
Paris 18e
Letter home written from Paris, Nov 23, 1968
Dear Folks,
I arrived in Paris last night on the train and am staying here four nights with a boy I met in Germany. He's a student at the university near Versailles. I picked up your mail at the American Express office today. Cashed the check ok. I received the tickets back to Dallas. I thought he have me pay the bill here. He sent it to you however, so I have about at $150 surplus, and I'll pay you when I return.
With the Franc about to be devalued, I'll wait until I leave Paris to buy my gifts. Everything will be cheaper. Today I was cycling around Paris. I was in front of the Palais de l'Elysee off Champs Elysees and there were hundreds of policemen. I found out later that the Prime Minister was arriving to confer with De Gaulle on the latest problems.
The snow melted while I was in Lyon, but I took the train to Paris anyway to hae ample time to see England. It's now already the Christmas season here, and downtown Paris is packed with early Christmas shoppers. All the street decorations are out, and the sight is breathtaking for a small-town kid. I circled the Tour d'Eiffel, but I'll save the .40 ascent to the top for a better day next visit. Tomorrow I'll attend 10 o'clock mass at Notre Dame, then visit the Louvre, Versailles, and the Gardens of Luxembourg.
Monday I'll go out on foot window-looking. The airline agencies along Champs Elysees are 21st Century in design, and the shops downtown are fascinating. Then I'll stroll the Latin Quarter looking at the numerous book stores.
This is roughly my remaining itinerary:
16 Geneva
17 Annecy
18 Chambery
19 Lyon
20 Lyon
21 Chalon sur Saone
22-25 Paris
26,27 Folkestone, England
28, 29 Uckfield
30, 1,2,3 London
4,5 Slough, Bucks
6,7,8 Great Yarmouth
9 London
10 Folkestone
11,12 Tourcoing, France
13,14 Brussels
15-17 Genk
18 Luxembourg
I could spend a month here and never stop moving. There's too much to see and too little time. As it is I'm up at 6 am and down at midnight, and on my feet all day. One day of my schedule would take you a week to recover from!
Au Revoir,
Michel
Just as I wrote down the Day number, "88," I remembered the sunny afternoon I wrote down "Day 1." I sure didn't think I'd get this far with this crazy venture. Mrs. Peten picked me up at the youth hostel at 9:15, took me home, served me a quick breakfast, rushed me to the bank to cash a traveller's check, ran me to the station, got my tickets and saw me off. All the time acting like her house was on fire and I was taking up her time. Got the 10:28 train (late as usual) to Paris.
Train $12.40
After breakfast and goodbyes I returned to the railroad station. The train didn't leave until 1:30 so I walked around Lyon for several hours. Arrived in Chalon sur Saone at 3 pm. Went to the address I had. After waiting for three hours, the wife came home. She took me to the youth hostel. Later, after a make-shift supper, the husband called inviting me to their house for awhile. He picked me up and I stayed there two hours. There's a Greek from South Africa here also at the youth hostel.
Train $3.50
Supper $1.00
Christian Peten - de la Forte
"Bellevue" rue Jules Chevier
Chalon s/Saone
Did nothing the entire day but eat three meals, write two letters and read seven Reader's Digests. Immediately after breakfast I went down with Michael to the library and bank in Uckfield. Mr. and Mrs Simmonds went down to a large city on the south coast for Christmas Shopping.
