The First Day: Planes, Trains and Automobiles
October 3, 2009 2 Comments
If there is something out there, be it God or Mother Nature or the Flying Spaghetti Monster, whatever it is, it has a very large funny bone. I have made may way from Toronto, Canada to La Prade, France but not without a hitch.
My plane ride was oddly smooth. I got to the airport on time, made my way to the gate, only waited for a small while and then, after eating, I slept for most of the flight.
I barely prepared for the transitions that occurred between my flights and trains but I was assumed that they would go easily. These “transitions” are those little details of what to do after each leg of the trip such as where to go from the airport to the train station or when to change from one train to the next. My life has been so chaotic leading up to this point that I took these little steps for granted.
I was preparing to get a high speed train from Paris to Carcassonne but things did not go as planned. I asked several ticket checkers while on the first leg of the high speed train ride if I needed to stay on the train and they said “yes”. So, as everyone left the train at Montpellier, a major train hub, I stayed on. I actually slept the four hours from Paris to Montpellier but awoke, washed my face and stepped outside the train at the Montpellier stop for some fresh air just to discover the train doors closing behind me and locking all my stuff inside. I had a Mr Bean moment. Pushing the buttons, slapping the doors and saying “huhm” and other grunting noises, I tried desperately to get in with no luck. I could hear that higher being laughing his funny bone off. I ran to the information centre and they informed me to contact the conductor. The conductor told me that the doors could not open as the train was leaving. Again, a strict panic came over me and I went into crisis management mode.
As a long time traveller, I know that when something like this happens, you need to do whatever you can to stay with your stuff. Trying to get your stuff back when it is long gone is a major hassle. I asked the conductor if I could join him in the cabin and he said yes. The highlight of the trip was that, because of this mishap, I got to drive the high-speed train to the docking yard. It was a little bit of serendipity to a fairly minor disaster and a kid-like-me’s dream come true. The universe opens up in strange ways.
The conductor and the other rail workers got me back on a train from the dock (a short five minute ride) and back to Montpellier where I purchased a new ticket to Castelnaudary and thirty euros later, I was at the station. Richard, the owner of the MENTOR initiative, came and picked me up in his automobile. He introduced me to the house, his kids and the little gite which house the organization. He invited me to dinner where I drank more wine than I should, ate a wonderful trout, and eventually headed to bed to write my first blog and shower after a long journey.
Before I end this blog, contrary to all the stereotypes, the French have been nothing short of warm and welcoming. When I was in trouble, they came through and helped me with whatever they could. I talked to several French people on the train and, even in my weak junior high school French, I still learned a lot about the country and the people. The South of France is beautiful too and I will post pictures shortly.
My adventure may feel understated here but it was quite a ride and this is only day one. I can’t wait for day two…
O.
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