The train system from Hell!!!!

Day 1 Toronto - Paris

Ok so my advice for the day is…. Unless you know for certain that you are able to actually sleep on a plane, do not attempt to pre set your internal clock to Paris time. If you count the 1 hour we both dozed off for in the plane then technically we slept. We want to sleep believe me, but the body has said are you kidding me? So now as we sit on the train headed for Bayonne we both pass out…. Good right? No not really when the entire intention of taking this train was to actually see the southern country side. Oh well live and learn.

Alright so let’s go back to the landing. We landed making great time, cleared customs and picked up our luggage. Both of us looking around wondering when we would be stopped for the drill, why are you here, who are you visiting, how long, who is this woman you are traveling with etc. After we clearly were not going to be asked we begun setting out for the train station. Asking a few information booths about the were a bouts of said train station we were directed. As we made our way we began questioning peoples opinion of the train station nightmare in Paris. After all it is now 8:40am and we are clearly going to make the 10:05 direct train to Bayonne. If not that then we of course would be sitting next to Heather getting to know one another on the 10:45.

So we finally reach the train station and as if we were slammed up against a wall come to a dead stop. Where do we go now? The signs are completely in French (yes smart ass we know where we are thanks Gary). So we stand there looking at each other asking one another now what? I don’t know I say to her but we need to find out quick quick. Now it is 9:00 time is clicking away. We stand in the information line which takes 10 minutes to clear, another 10 minutes or so passes. The train is going to leave, and we won’t be on it. I ask directions but fail to ask the all important question of where can we obtain said ticket for the train. Kimberley looks at me as if I should have known that was the follow up question to where is the train, I look at her like how the hell was I supposed to know you wanted more than the first question you asked me to ask and we proceed to run around looking for the dam booth. We stand in one line and are directed by a nice English speaking French man to the machines. Again the next question to the nice English speaking man would have been which ticket in the ticket machine should I purchase of the 4 available. Instead we jump out of that line get into the cue for the ticket machines and find that they only accept coin. COIN do you know how hard it is in Pairs to obtain coin when you don’t know the word for change? Thank God a friend had given us some Euro coin she had and we buy one ticket while I run around for change for the second. Kimberley doesn’t move from the cue which pisses off the French man standing behind but hey C’est le vie. We finally have our ticket whew… clock says 9:45 Ok so not going to make the direct train which is fine we planned on hooking up with Heather. We jump into the train it leaves 1 minute later and takes forever to get to the station where we have to change to a second train. So now we are finally at the Train station now it is 10:20am and once again that wall has found its way into direct path. Again I sit in a cue to ask a question for now 20 minutes while Kimberley runs around and trying to find the ticket booth as she feels this isn’t it. 10:30 Kimberley comes down to inform me the 10:45 is full so we now have to take the 11:40. We contemplate trying to find Heather’s train and saying hey before she leaves but with 5 minutes and our navigational luck we sit tight and wait for information on which platform to head to. We get onto our train it leaves and we both fall fast asleep. It is now 3:05 we will be there in 2hrs and 10 minutes. Hopefully we can find an internet Café when we arrive.

Thanks for the posts on Facebook about the flights. We did not realize that we were lucky enough to make it out of Toronto as all flights after or soon after were cancelled.