15-8-2015 London

15-8-2015 London

Up early for a quick breakfast. Started reviewing the data/report from my last visit to the Paris NHM to find the gaps. I had to move to the kitchen because my room was due to be cleaned, so I did my full laundry while I waited.

An “almost” fine day. I got my washing done  and had breakfast while it dried. I gave away a half-box of washing detergent and started packing my suitcase with clean clothes. There are free irons in the laundry so I ironed shirt collars and the worst of the creases. (Not overly domestic!)

I got an email back from Paris saying that the security officer of the Maison de Provinces de France would have my room key when I arrive on Sunday. I can book-in after 3 pm according to my paperwork.  I sorted all my Cite de International Universitaire paperwork into one folder in my backpack ready for Paris. I also loaded my journal and London NHM photos onto an external hard drive for back-up. The blog is up to date but I have not loaded images (because of intellectual property concerns). I stated in the forms I filled out and signed at NHM that the purpose of the photographs was for research and the publication would be in my thesis/exegesis.  

I reviewed the files/manuscripts that I had gone through last time I visited the French Natural History Museum, Central Library, to provide an initial list of manuscripts that I will need to request. There will be no photographs allowed, only photocopies by the Museum staff at cost(?).  Things may have changed so I will need to be flexible. It was a “nostalgic interlude” but I will need to check what else they have on file/archive for Lesueur.

Easy lunch, eating up my spare supplies. Grabbed a shower/shave and put on a clean shirt for a walk in the park.

I walked through to the NHM and "donated" all my small change prior to going to France. I walked back through the Imperial College faculty/department building for old-times-sake. It is a good place to stay and to work.

In the late afternoon I packed my suitcase and my backpack. I also walked to Tescos for a pastry and triple checked my Bus stop for tomorrow morning. I checked the Internet for directions through the Gare du Nord from the Eurostar platform to the RER platform for the Cite. 

"Re: Access to RER B towards Cite' Universitaire at Gare Du Nord

The RER station is under the rail station, 2 levels down. Every RER B going south (Robinson or St. Rémy) will stop at Cité Universitaire. And if you really want to be clever, you will get on at the front of the train, because the exit is at the front at Cité Universitaire, and it is equipped with both an escalator and an elevator (but it is almost at street level anyway).

Your stop might be Cite Universitaire, but the train line end-point ("Direction") will be Robinson/St Remy les Chevreuse - - this is how the signage reads in the tunnels so you go to the correct side of the platform. (the wrong direction is to Mitry-Claye/Aeroport Charles de Gaulle)."