And So It Ends.

Hi all. I'm back in Paris for the third time in 2 months. I took the Eurostar in from London on Saturday, and I actually ran into another old friend of mine in the train station shortly after I arrived. I was looking for an ATM, and happened to glance over at him as I walked past. He saw me too, and we had one of those, "Hmm...you look familiar, but I think I'm just going to keep walking" moments, but then he turned around, tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was Jodi. Well, I was, so I said yes. It turned out to be my old friend Tom, who dug with me at Arago Cave in August of 2000. After I broke my ankle, Tom totally helped take care of me, pushing me around in this horrible old and rusty wheelchair we found, and shared in my horror when I found out that in France, when you break a leg or an ankle, they're so scared that you'll develop a blood clot in your leg (from keeping it immobile in the cast) that they make you inject yourself once each day with blood thinner. In the belly. I'm being totally serious. Everyone has to do it. (I asked around.) They wouldn't let me leave the hospital until I had purchased enough pre-loaded syringes and promised that I'd stick myself with one each day. I tried to explain that I was Canadian, and we don't do that, but it didn't work. I even offered to call my brother (a med student at the time) and have him explain to them that this wasn't necessary. But no dice. I lasted 4 days (that's 4 needles in the belly! That I gave myself! Me! Needles! In the belly! I almost fainted with each one. In fact, I'm feeling a little weak even writing about it now...) until I broke down and called my mommy to help me get home.

But anyways. It was great to see Tom again. He's been living in Ireland for these past 6 years, and still doing archaeology. He came to Paris for the weekend with his wife and brand new 9-week-old baby girl. She was very, very cute :)

Tomorrow I'm going to see the fossils in the Musee de l'Homme, and that'll be the very last stop on Jodi's "Grand European Fossil Shapesnatching Tour, 2006" (t-shirts are a good idea, jer ;) My trip is coming to an end. On Wednesday morning I'm taking the train back up to Brussels, and I'll be flying back to Champaign a few hours later. So, I'm very sad to say this, but I think this will probably be the last post on the blog. Well, at least until Melissa does another keg-stand. Or unless if miracles really, actually do happen and I get some more travel money... ;)

Thanks to all of you who took the time to read & post comments! It can get lonely traveling around by yourself, and your comments kept me from feeling too far from home and friends. I'll be getting back pretty late on Wednesday, so those of you who want to call (mom: this means you), might want to wait until the next day.

I leave you with pretty pictures of Paris:



Around the Saint-Michel area:





Les Jardins du Luxembourg:









For Frida: