Backpacking Through Europe

Prologue

This one is for you twoeightsixnine ❤

"You have to call me every day! Keep your passport and credit card in the small bag I bought you on you all the time, oh, and don't talk to strangers!"

"Oh, that will be a fun trip. Relax, mum. I'll promise to call." Harry smiled.

"I hoped that at least one of your friends would go too." His mother Anne said, looking worried beyond belief.

"Well, while I busted my ass off in the bakery to make enough money to do this trip they just hung around. They're the ones missing out." Harry grinned.

The train was entering the platform so he hugged his mother goodbye.
"I'll see you in a month."

"Be careful! I love you." Anne replied with a trembling voice.

"Love you too." Harry said and let go. He got his backpack and threw it over one shoulder, knees almost caving in from the weight.

He headed to one of the doors and turned around and waved.
"Harry! I put pepper spray in your bag!" His mum shouted as she came running towards the train.

"Mum! That's illegal in many countries. Are you trying to get me arrested?" Harry gasped.

"Oh, it's that defensive spray stuff. Look it up!" Anne stressed.

Harry had to get inside so he waved goodbye one last time. He found his seat and put the rucksack on the floor in front of him before he sat. He rested his feet on his luggage. He didn't want to lose it first thing. It made his sitting position a bit awkward but he was too excited to care.

He had booked a ticket on the speed train to Paris. He was going to backpack through Europe for a month, a journey he had dreamt of and planned meticulously for two years. He couldn't believe the day of his departure finally had arrived!

He stared out the window as the train started moving. He could see his mum and waved but he wasn't sure she spotted him. He felt bad for her. She was so nervous about his trip but he was eighteen now and he could take care of himself. That reminded him. He pulled out his phone and googled if pepper spray was legal in Europe. It depended on the country. He couldn't bring it to Germany or Switzerland for example, not if it was 'the real deal' but he couldn't imagine his mum buying pepper spray illegally in England so it was probably some other defense spray of some sort, the legal kind.

Someone came to check his ticket and he fumbled with the zipper to the front of his backpack.
"Sorry, here." He smiled and handed over the ticket.

The woman checked his ticket and wished him a pleasant journey. He looked around at the other passengers and his eyes fell on a really cute boy a couple of rows across from him. The lady was looking at his ticket so Harry could check him out without getting noticed.

They seemed to be about the same age. Blue eyes. Cute fringe swept to the side. Great smile. He turned to look out the window again when the lady moved on to the next seat but he couldn't help but throw a couple of quick glances in the boys' direction once in a while. He had a backpack as well. Was he also traveling alone?

Harry picked up a pocked book before he got caught staring and tried to read but he couldn't concentrate. He was finally gonna see the Eifel tower! Walk around the Louvre and about a million other things that he had put on his list. He had spent time researching and planning this trip and he had a tight schedule. He had tried to squeeze in as much as possible for every city he would visit.

Three hours later he arrived and got off the train in Paris. His backpacking journey had begun.