The Ultimate Blog Post of All Time - part 2

  Paris, Île-de-France, France
Wednesday, November 5, 2008

I shall continue recounting from my paper journal...

    "26/10/08
    "Okay, so that was more than a little scary! By the time I followed the maze of metro signs to the metro, and figured out where to buy my ticket from actual people (machines were confusing!), it was already 2:20pm.  My train had arrived at Monparnasse stations at 2:05, snd m next train was to leave Gare de Lyon at 3:05.  And I still had two metro trains to locate and catch, and here I was, standing in a line, a long line, a quater of my time already gone.  Waiting in the line was excruciating.  It seemed to crawl, and for the little boy infront of me with his father, literally did.  And there was a man determined to push in front of me.  But I was more determined, so he ended up pushing in behind me.  Then, with my little metro ticket, off I went through one of the automatic gates.  Yes!  Freedom!  I can speed off and gain some speed and catch that - *YANK!*  My arm had decided to stop.  I turned around to see why: it was holding on tightly to my suitcase, the bottom of which had been caught in the gates.  Bother!  But, it wasn't much that was caught - just the end - it couldn't be too hard to pull out.   Wrong.  Those gates are strong!  Wouldn't like to have any part of my actual body caught between them!  I mean, wow! How is that even legal?  It could kill someone!  So, I was stuck, like a fool, in Paris, tugging at my lodged suitcase, not quite knowing what else to do.  Ah, merciful woman - she saw my plight and came to help but going through my gate, which would mean her putting her ticket in, me yanking my suitcase out of the way quick-smart, and her getting through without getting stuck herself.  Worked like a charm. And once again, I was off!
    "Can't remember how many corridors I went down, or corners I turned, or people I overtook, or stair I climbed, suitcase in hand, but I made it to Line 4, and, fortunately, I had had a little lookie on the internet the night before (before it died), and so I knew I had to get Line 4 AWAY from Port d'Orleanes - so, not stopping to read the signs, I took the one that wasn't "Port d'Orleanes", flew down the stairs, and stepped right on to a metro train.  It only got fuller and fuller each stop we made, I only became more and more anxious, watching the minutes slip away.  I starting thinking bout what to do if I missed the train.  I'd have to buy another ticket for the next train, whenerver that would be - today? Tomorrow? 
    "And here was my stop - Chatelet.  I was worried that, being packed into the carriage so securely by surrounding people, I wouldn't be able to get out, but the lady right in front of me wanted to get off too, so I just followed in her wake.  Then, as had checking in my little Paris guidebook (Thanks Mum!) I wanted the dark purple line - which I had also discovered the nigh before (thank goodnessI had done this preperation!) was line 14, and I needed to go away from Lazarene (or something like that).  Walked off the train, and followed, at a bit of a gallop, the direction indicated for line 14 - up the stairs, to the left, to the right, down the stairs, and right onto another train. Yay!  I still had 15 minutes before my train was due to depart Gare de Lyon - I was still panicing a bit, but also doing better at reassuring myself.
    "Gare de Lyon - this was it!  Off I got, and navigated my way to the metro exit, and began following the "SNCF" signs.  Finally founf my way up to the station, via quite a big escalator. Which was broken.  ('Come on, suitcase, let's go').  And out we came at the station, with 10 minutes until the train was due to leave.
    "I found a tv thing with the trains listed on it, and that's when I had a horrible realisation - I knew my stop was Mâcon-Loche, but I knew not for where my train was bound.  But I managed to pull out my ticket and find a train listed with the same number - To Geneva, in fact.  Voie H...so... H... where are you, H?  So off we went again, my suitcase and I, and we found the door listed 'H', and through we went and climbed another flight of stairs, & ahhh... daylight, platform H, and a TGV ound for Geneva.

Train Tracks

    "5 minutes.
    "And here I am, on the train, heading for Mâcon-Loche, suitcase safely sleeping in a rack, thanks to, in fact, th father of the little boy that had been in front of me at Gare Montparnasse, buyig metro tickets.
    "I have quite a headache (too many malteasers? Is that even posible?), and would quite like some lunch.  I had intended to get some at the station while I was waiting for the connecting train... what waiting was this?  They do sell food on the train...but I may wait the 2 hours to Mâcon-Loche: I have a 90 minute wait there.

Plus tard...

    "30 minutes to go of step 13.  Am at Mâcon-Loche station.  Have had a bag of chips from the machine.  Am considering having a second. I think my headache is actually from the muscles in my neck hurting from the way I was sitting (& sleeping) in the train for 3 hours from La Rochelle to Paris.  To press the part where your shoulder connects to your neck is incredibly painful - in the head.  So, that's good news, in a way:  the malteasers have been cleared.  But, nonetheless, I would prefer not to have to face a 1 hour bus journey,  Would much prefer my family here picking me up from the train station, driving me to home just 5 minutes down the road, them feeding me pumpkin soup, having a nice chat over some hot chocolate, and then into a warm bed. 
    "Ahh well, Taizé is only an hour and a bit away, and hopefully I will be able to feels at home enough there.  They are going to give me dinner and a bed, so that's pretty nice.
    "But I a going to have that 2nd packet of chips..."

Barracks

Bells - call to prayers

The Taizé Church from outside

Taizé at breakfast time