Buses, Trains & Automobiles - Smelly Travel 3 ways

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  Strasbourg, Alsace, France
Sunday, May 4, 2008

I know I started my blog with a journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step well todays journey was one of a gazillion miles, or so it seemed and was pretty smelly.


I stayed at Rizki's place out of town in Aix en Provence last night as Jordan and the other two couchsurfers had decided to hitch to Lyon on Saturday afternoon. I had met Rizki for a drink beforehand. Woke up at 7am as I had to go back to Rue Matherson to pick up my big bag as I had only packed an overnight bag and my sleeping bag.

We wait at the bus-stop for the 8am bus, I am convinced there is none until 9.23am but Rizki is adament there is one. There isn't so we have to walk the half hour into town to the train station. Rizki walks with me and then I find my way from the Rotunda to the flat.

It is pretty hard to wake them in the flat but after some persistence I do and there had been a party there last night and all our bags had be moved to another flat, so we then had to go and wake those occupants. I take my time to check my stuff as I don't want to take the risk or leaving anything else anywhere.

I then walk back to the station. Its about 15mins but isn't too bad although my bag seems lighter, is this something to worry about? I had been holding off on going to the loo at Ritzki's so I make a brief pitstop and then get on my bus to Marseille.

Its a pretty uneventful trip that takes almost an hour, I do a powernap for 15mins and then I try and find somewhere to recharge my laptop battery. That proves harder than it looks. I then go and board my train, there are no allocated seats in first class on this leg of the trip so I grab myself a room with 6 seats and for 1 1/2 hours of the journey it is all mine. I use my packsafe to put over my bag with my laptop and attach it to the table and then go to sleep for an hour lying flat out on the 3 chairs, ahhhh this is a better sleep than Ive had in days.

The end of the line is Lyon where I have a 2 hour wait and I try to find power for my laptop yet again. I go to the pub and buy some pomme de frits as it is the cheapest thing on the menu and plug in my computer.

I call my host to let him know I will not be arriving in Strasbourg until 22.16 and he says he will meet me at the station. I think I have gotten my dates confused and I further confuse him by saying I am arriving tonight. But he is fine to host me and that is the main thing. I am a bit worried about meeting someone so late but then I have the back up of a Youth Hostel if things turn pear shaped.

I then board the train at 5pm for a 5 hour train trip to Strasbourg.

Wow I think today was a day when nothing happened, although I am yet to meet my host so anything is possible. If only I could remember what he looked like from his profile picture!

Stay tuned!


Oh wow, I needn't be worried I can now update you now that time has passed. I get to the station and of course the train is delayed, I did text Thierry the details of which train I am taking and its expected arrival and that I would meet him at the meeting point. I hope he has a cold because I haven't had a shower for 3 days.

He is frenchness personified, charming, debonair, cute and with a sexy accent, I am tres pleased. The french way of greeting by kissing cheeks is something really nice and I think I will miss it so beware if I lean over and plant one on you in the future its just a term of endearment.

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