Heading for Paris

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We got an early start this morning in order to catch our train. After breakfast with the family, we packed our stuff into the van. Sandy and Rafael then drove us the very short distance to the railway station. We arrived with a lots of time to spare and had a few final minutes with Sandy and Rafael before the train arrived. After yesterday's rain, the skies were beginning to clear up and show off the countryside to its best. It was hard to leave.

The train turned out to be yet another different style from the regional trains that we have been on before but had lots of room for luggage and was clean and modern looking. Though we were travelling though the countryside, we passed though numerous small and compact little towns. As we passed roads, you could see poppies growing alongside them. The land is well used here with fields extending to steep angles up the hillsides.

As we got close to Strasbourg, the towns we passed though were larger and more close together. At 10:30 we passed the stop for the Strasbourg airport. Shortly after, we arrived in Strasbourg.

At Strasbourg, we had a short wait for the TGV to Paris, leaving just shortly after 11 am. Leaving Strasbourg, we passed canals with house boats on them. It looked like a nice way to spend a holiday. Despite the fact that was the TVG, our GPS showed that we were only going 120 km/hour at this point.

With a two hour ride ahead of us, we settled in for the trip. Evy and Benjamin were reading, while Joshua and I watched “Mr. Bean's Holiday” on his ipod. It fitted in well as it is set in France and includes a sequence where he goes on the TGV. By the time the film finished, we were now going 300 km/hour across flatter land. At this speed, the train felt almost like a jets cabin as the sliding hydraulic doors kept out most of the train sounds. At this speed, the scenery was transformed into a sort of coloured streak, reminiscent of French impressionist brush stokes. Quite fitting.

By 1:30 we were reaching the urban density of the outskirt of Paris. We quickly reached the train station and them spent some time looking around trying to figure out which train line we needed. At the metro station, there were machines that only took coins and a long line for the ticket seller. As we were now running late, we attempted to call the apartment that we are staying at and let them know that we would be late, but got only an answering machine.

Our ride involved switching lines. At the interchange there was a very long distance to walk between lines and lots of stairs with no signs of an elevator or escalator in sight. With our heavy bags, this involved a lot stopping and starting as we carried the suitcases up the long stairways. Finally we reached our stop, Philippe Auguste station.

The apartment was actually not that hard to find as we had a map with it marked on it. Arriving at the front of the building, an older gentleman, the father of the apartment owner, met us outside the building an introduced himself.

These apartments are always a bit of a gamble - we are never quite sure what we will be getting. Though the entrance way to this flat looked fairly good, the apartment was a bit of a disappointment. There wasn't much space (though there was a separate bedroom) and the bathroom and the kitchen were actually the same room ! ( the first time I have seen that). After settling up with the father of the owner, we settled in. A bit grungy and tired looking, the apartment was fairly well situated for things like food shopping so Evy and I went out and bought the makings of dinner. The one saving grace of the apartment is that it did have a fast wifi connection which Benjamin and Joshua put to good use watching “Zack and Cody” on the iphone. Having a connections means that we can finally start posting some blog which is now months out of date. Evy and I take turns posting the text and then adding the photos in an effort to get caught up.

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