09/04/21 18:14

Well, the meagre payday money and laughable bonus didn’t last very long.  Nor did the Eurostar refund.

The iPad now has an Apple Pencil, the blue Ted Baker notebook now has another fountain pen to be used upon its pages and that fountain pen is now being filled with Diamine fountain pen ink of the Writer’s Blood colour.  It’s like a deep burgundy with a hint of red.  Very nice, indeed.  And whilst the extra fine nib of the fountain pen is running smooth, the upturned writing nib is making my handwriting exquisitely beautiful to read.  Which in turn makes my writing even more beautiful to execute.

I have also used the dredges of the additional funds to allow myself, at present, the two requested and suggested visits to Paris.  It is indeed time to move on as well as create a break in my writing style.  I shall be looking at less personal trauma on the previous relationship front and instead, focus on the good shit that lays ahead.  So, yes, Paris is going ahead – all things Covid permitting.

Talking of Covid, there’s talk of having to take tests before and after arrival in London and Paris. One test before I go, one test before heading back and then TWO more tests once I have actually arrived back.  Quite possibly overkill especially as hopefully I would’ve had both jabs by then.  All this probably for the August trip.  I’m guessing the December trip won’t have as many requirements attached by then.

Whilst on the topic of requirements, there is talk of a trip to Montmartre and the elusive/exclusive Moulin Rouge.  This would have to be a part of the December visit as the August shows are already sold out. And by sold out I mean unavailable as the Moulin Rouge will still be closed.  But will the curfew be back by then?  Will the vaccine roll out be enough to allow us non-EU visitors to venture out to an indoor public performance?  August could well see a trip to the Louvre as long as, again, the French rules permit such things.  All I wish to do is have a Croque Madame and a Diabolo Menthe in Au Père Tranquille.  And a quick trip down Rue Montorgueil.  I’ve been down there previously but this time, I want to experience the experience and experience an expensive éclair.  And I also want to take more photos.  Each time I’ve visited, I have pretty much zoomed through in passing as I was either been running late or I was not wanting to be late.

Oh, and as the initially booked hotel is south of the Seine (I don’t need a posh boutique or business hotel this time), I’ll be taking a stroll through Île Saint-Louis.  Obviously, I’ll be walking around the Île de la Cité, but the lesser taken island is where I wish to capture some inspiration.

The provisional December hotel will be placed more favourably for the Moulin Rouge as well as the touristic Basilique du Sacré-Cœur.  That said, I’d like to visit a few of the churches and pay a visit to the catacombs.  That said, December is more for the book than the August research toward the Masters.  I still want to do a Hemingwayesque Masters final piece but I’m always open to change.  To be honest, I suspect that I’ll be using a handful of these entries and moulding them into what I need.  The route that I took along this journey, which I believe is a theme covered in Chapter 8 of my studies in the second year of my post-graduate degree.

The French have very kindly allowed us British people to travel into France for any reason, regardless of prior requirements.  This is absolutely fantastic news.  It means I don’t need to have my second home there, or even my first.  I don’t need to travel for work or a funeral.  I can simply go to enhance my cultural pleasures and buy some more Atelier Cologne from their very first shop in Rue Saint-Florentia.  This will go nicely with the other colognes I have bought through them, both there and online which is supplied through the exact same shop.  But more of this in a later entry.  Okay, so going in to and out of France is permitted by the French – providing nobody has Covid.  However, the UK Government are still not allowing us out of the country at this time. Except for the reasons mentioned above.  Talk about teasing the baby with candy from the cook in the china barrel.

As mentioned earlier, the Hemingwayesque final piece is still the current line of thought.  Ever since I dug that little bit deeper into my own writing style and past, I’ve been drawn towards Hemingway more.  Not in a huge fan sense, but more an inquisitive, almost attempting to replicate the basic outlines of his inspiration sense.  However, this hasn’t been fully written in stone.  Although, I love the idea of sitting in Paris, typing away on my Freewrite Traveler or chiselling my Writer’s Blood ink onto paper from the fountain pen into my blue Ted Baker notebook.

I did buy a copy of Men Without Women two days back.  And for some unknown reason – inspired by somebody else’s Instagram post – I have ordered, not three hours ago, a copy of An Englishman in Paris: 1803; The Journal of Bertie Greatheed from 1953.  I also purchased a copy of An Englishman in Paris – Notes and Recollections, 2 volume set.  This is apparently a second edition publication from 1892.  I got this reduced on eBay by making an offer.  I do fear from experience that reading either of these shall provide me with even further aspects of Paris that I can entertain with visits, photographs and research.

I’ve come a long way since my original thoughts of fountain pens for my final piece.  My second book was originally going to be a nonfiction sequel.  I then decided to go for a more fictitious ethical novel but that didn’t get further than eight different starts.  I settled on fountain pens and added a side-step to include typewriters.  That has obviously changed to Paris and my altering views on what I’m finding most exhilarating at the time.  I may well start with Au Père Tranquille and end up with Hemingway, as per my personal journey.  Creatively, I’m making nothing up and simply keeping a diary.

Right, now I need to get back to recording my audiobook entries otherwise the USB microphone purchase would simply be a waste.