Friday 14 June 2013

The funnest travel day yet!

Goodies from the train

After a sweet farewell to Kathleen, Yves and Domaine Gaury, I caught the first of three trains. The second one was 30 minutes late to start, and then stalled on the tracks, resulting in a 2-hour delay. But SNCF gave us all snack boxes for compensation (and I think I might get some reimbursement out of it!).

Gare de Montparnasse

At the Paris-Austerlitz train station I asked two chatting women for advice on my next connection, and not only did they point me in the right direction, but one gave me a pass for the necessary métro transfer! French people are so nice :-)

My train: doesn't it look like a dragon?!

On board the subway car, I met a woman traveler who had just completed a section of the pilgrimage route Le Chemin de Saint Jacques de Compostelle, near where I spent my first HelpExchange. Turns out she'd read the French novel I've been working through, a funny and touching story of intergenerational farm life. We caught our respective trains, and as I boarded my revised connection I asked a passenger if I could borrow her phone to tell my hosts of my delayed arrival time. Turns out her son and theirs attended school together! When I arrived at the station, I again saw the pilgrim and we conversed some more until I got picked up (my big green backpack is an excellent beacon).

Corinne's house

And now I'm in the Loire Valley! The weather is lovely though the mosquitoes are fierce. I'm staying with the family of my teaching colleague Corinne (who fed me homemade white pizza for dinner), attending her workshop this weekend, and looking forward to exploring this region's castles and wine.

Nice backyard! Overlooking the Loire river

 

 

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