J'aime Paris....and....Berlin?

I just got home from about a 100 hour trip. I started walking from Gaming at 16:45 on Thursday and just got back at 20:15. Of that time I was exactly 81/2 hours in a bed.
Four of us; Andrea, Liz, Jon and myself. We were textbook clueless travelers, and therefore had a lot to learn in those four days. We started off with sort of vague plans - go to Paris, spend a day or two there, go to Lisieux/Normandy, then finally go to either Lourdes or Paray-le-monial/Ars or Chartres. Well, how does that saying go about the plans of mice and men?
The night started great. We had some time to enjoy St. Polten at night, and found Benediction going on by some magic from heaven. So we began our trip in the absolute best way: singing hymns in German with a bunch of nuns and priests before the monstrance.
We actually did make it to our first destination: Paris. After spending a rather interesting night with in a train compartment with Muhammed, a friendly Iraqi with a couple of gold teeth, who spoke not a word of english (except "George Bush!!!!????", upon learning that we were Americans), worked for a plastic company, and thought that we were Jon's wives (he himself had two). There were several unforgettable moments of hilarity, needless to say. Moments where I would start laughing so uncontrollably I was wondering how I would ever stop. He was kicked off the train by the police before he reached Paris - either an unfortunate discrimination or our lives were saved, I don't know which. But, I mean, he couldn't have been that bad - he gave me a coke, and it wasn't even poisoned.
We arrived in Paris rather bleary eyed around 900, and, after figuring the city transportation system (there isn't anything that can be rightly be called a "system" in Paris), we made it to our hostel before 1100. Only to have the lady at the counter laugh heartily at us and say: Are you crazy? No reservation? We are booked for 5 days! You can't come to Paris and expect to find a hostel to stay in you don't book in advance. Uh oh.
We did what all Catholics do when they don't know what else to: we went to church. St. Antoine's. We asked for the priest. He wasn't home. We found out he'd be back at three. So we went and ate baguettes and cheese. And came back at three. I went inside the church and begged, and Jon went to the cure and begged. With a little persusian on both accounts, we found ourselves being let into the church basement. Praise God.
We dropped off our bags, and began walking the length of Paris. Saw the famous sights; Eiffiel tower, Notre Dame, etc. At 18:30 we were back at St. Antoine's for Mass. Went out to eat - I don't know what I ate but it was good (Brendan, after going to Spar earlier in the week: "I don't know whether i just bought white chocolate or soap!"). Let ourselves back into the basement and started watching a movie. I may have lasted five minutes, and, despite lack of blankets or pillow and cold hard floor, I was out.
That brings us to Saturday. Mass in the morning. Gave Father some chocolat for his trouble, and set out for the Louvre. We were detained for a while at a nice little cafe where we got croissants and coffee, while a ragtime piano and base played in the street, with the silouette of Notre Dame in the background. Ahh.
The Louvre took us the rest of the better part of the day. I could have spent three there. But the Mona is highly over-rated. There are like a thousand people taking pictures of this one little 2ft by 18 inch frame. I didn't even fight through to get up-close and personal, so maybe i shouldn't judge. But the rest of the Louvre was amazing. And, thanks to Prof. Healy, we actually were quite familiar with many of the pieces already.
Then we four stupid Americans headed back to the trainstation, expecting to get from there to Lisieux. It was around 16:30 when we arrived at the train station. When we left, almost 4 hours later, we had gone through about 24 different failed itineraries, routes all over western Europe, but only one would get us back home, inexpensively, by monday night: Berlin. Yeah. Lesson learned: In Paris (and London, we are told) RESERVATION is a very important word. Once you get to Paris, there is no leaving it. You are trapped.
But we did get that night train to Berlin, a city none of us had planned to ever visit, but okay. We will have fun wherever we are. Another night on the train is always fun. At one point, Andrea got up to go to the bathroom - always an adventure on a train - and came back with her hands on her cheeks a moment later. "I just walked in on this guy in the bathroom! He didn't lock the door and didn't answer. But we was fully clothed except his shoes! So embrassing, still!". Within minutes, this discalced man came and hunted Andrea down. "You opened the door on me!". And so opened our conversation for the night. Now, at the mention of our Turkish Delight, the four of us are reeling in laughter. The man was insane, and slighltly inebrieated, and incredibly amusing while at the same time terrifying. Througout the course of the night, the Turk alternately sang love songs to Andrea, and finding out that I was a nursing student, implored me for a shot of penicillin for his rheumatic knee, and insulted Jon repeatedly. Meanwhile, inside our compartment, we had a lovely converation with two Chileans on vacation, mother and daughter. Between the four of us, we got along with a pretty decent conversation with me and Jon, who could understand but not speak it, translating into English what they said for Andrea who could speak it but not understand it. It was great fun. It makes me wish I had studied Spanish harder. Everywhere I go i wish I had studied harder - history, languages, geography, and common sense.
We got to Berlin at 0800, found a Mass (much more difficult than in other European cities thus far - not so many Catholics in Berlin) - after wandering onto the set of a filming of a car chase for who knows what movie. We found a great little cheap hostel and took the first shower since the trip started, got some rather interesting sandwhiches and pastries, and then took an hour nap.
Our intention then was to find the Wall, and the other important things that you are expected to see when you are in Berlin. But really we only found out that we cannot read maps all that well. Okay, so not at all. We ended up having a nice little walking tour of Berlin. Our impression: the parks were nice, with lots of people out playing and training their German Sheperds. But generally, the city is depressed. The after effects of the war still seemed to reverberate.
We ate dinner: Focaccia and cheese and squeezable french nutella - our sustanainance the whole weekend. Then we went in search (only minor devations from the actual route) of the mommesnecker: haus der 100 biers. I had a half liter of Berlin beir. And we were back to the hostel. This morning we hopped on a train to Vienna, and saw Chzech republic by train while singing for a good portion of the way.
Altogether, the weekend was amazing. We came back all four still good friends, alive but smelly, healthy (albeit exhausted - little sleep and walking for hours every day), still with money in our pockets and shirts on our backs, and with a great store of memories and knowledge. We didn't exacly have the weekend we planned because, well, we didn't plan much at all. And, for where we were intending, that was rather important. It was quite an experience.
I am sorry, no pictures, my camera took exactly two before the batteries died. I realized the power outlet burned my battery charger. About that, hmm... but i will get pictures from the other three eventually.
I am literally reeling. Must go to bed. Auf Weidersen!