After two great weeks with my family in Italy, it is time to venture on to Paris to meet up with Lesley while we wait for our friends to join us. But before I can meet up with Lesley, I must battle another night train. I'm not going to lie, I have some apprehension about 15+ hours on a train after the Big Mama incident. I'm on edge a bit, if you will. Although Bib Mama was very nice, the breast feeding, silk PJs and having 6 people in a 4 person coachette got to me. It couldn't possibly happen again, could it?
July 13th
7:10pm- My family drops me off at the train station in a small tuscan town. I'm on edge and I feel it. I don't want to be on a train for 15+ hours. It certainly isn't like it was before when I traveled after college with Jen, Sara, and Lauren. The 4 of us had our own coachette with no worries of who might be in with us. That didn't work so well for me the last time. Plus, I always get sort of weird when I'm about to leave my family. Even after 15 years of not living at home, leaving Mom and Dad feels like leaving for college. I really wanted to eat before my trip, but we couldn't find an open restaurant anywhere. Finally I just had to get into the train station and make this happen, plus, I had to pee.
7:13-The bathroom closes at 7pm for the night--really?
7:32-Train is supposed to leave but hasn't arrived. It is going to be 15 minutes late. I have a 33 minute layover in Florence so this only leaves me less than 15 minutes to get to my next train.
7:55-train arrives and leaves quickly.
8:25-Train stops on tracks. I don't have time for this. I begin a minor panic. "What am I going to do in Florence if I have to stay for the night?" "I still know the code to get into our hotel and I could sleep in the lobby area safely until about 6am before the front desk guy shows up."
9:10-In Florence!
9:30-Train arrives for Paris. It's great because I see a ton of backpackers and couples. Surely what happened before cannot happen again. I will of course be in a coachette with backpackers. I just know it. As I get to car 95 a woman is shouting at the conductor. It becomes obvious that this woman is crazy. She has 2 large rolling suitcases and 2 mangy dogs on chain leashes. "Oh hell to the NO can I possibly be in a car with her." The conductor waves her down a few cars. I approach and he changes my car to 89, bed 101 and waves me down. I'm now following Crazy and her dogs. She keeps walking. "I'm Safe." I get to car 89 and four large black women are screaming at the conductor in French. Screaming, they grab their tickets and run! They get on the train. I follow and Crazy gets on behind me. Could this night train be WORSE than Big Mama(who ended up being very nice it was just awkward when she caught my eyes as she breast fed.)?
9:32-I find my coachette. It is empty. My dreams have been answered. Now all I need is a rainbow with a leprechaun, lollipops, and a pot of gold at the end.
9:36-a mother and her 8 year old son show up. I think, "Another kid?" He was very nice with his little stuffed animal.
9:37-Screaming from down the hall approaches. Arrival of girl and two of the women from the screaming before. She politely asks for me to put her bag on the top bunk. 30 seconds later she exits.
9:38-Enter Big Mama #2 WITH her 3 year old. Really? Really. REALLY! She is screaming at the conductor in French. The nice woman with her son steps up to help. She smooths things over. I'm thinking, "At least Big Mama #1 was quiet and such a sight in her silk PJs-haha)."
9:40-In come 3 suitcases. A lot of French goes on for 5 minutes or so. I decide to climb to the top bunk to remove myself from the situation. I don't understand French but I can tell Big Mama 2 is NOT happy. This is supposed to be a space for 4 people, that is what I paid for, but now I'm in a coachette with 5 people(2 kids, another Big Mama, and another woman).
9:53-Things get settled and the train departs.
10:22-I decide that if this is the way it is going to be, I need a beer! I venture out into the train to find the bar car.
10:27-I find the conductor who tells me there is NO bar car on a night train. What the hell?
10:34-I pop sleeping pills and hope for the best. Celine is on the ready.
10:37-Enjoying a "carpet picnic" in suite 89, top bunk, "It's the best." The menu? Paprika Pringles(I remember these from 11 years ago), water, soft cheese and crackers, and Ringo cookies. Since all I ate today were some sweets at 10am and a slice of pizza at 12:30, this hits the spot.
10:47-YO-remember how hot the last night train was? Well I'm sweating worse than Whitney on a heavy crack day.
10:49-The Ringo cookies are really hitting the spot.
10:50-It's going to be a long night.
10:52-I take out the smutty novel Cary gave me, The Assignment, about two cops partnered for years who are chosen to investigate a gay club in town--dun dun duuuuun, Gee Wally, I wonder what's going to happen?
11:11-3 year old singing himself to sleep in French is really adorable.
12:05a.m.-About ready to slip the kid a sleeping pill. Singing himself to sleep is NO LONGER adorable. The 8 year old is fast asleep and has been for hours.
3:20-must have fallen asleep.
3:21-awake.
3:22-visions of sugarplums dance through my head.
6:40-Little Buddy is up singing to himself.
7:10a.m.-it has been 12 hours since my family dropped me off at the train station.
9:15-Arrival time-train is still going.
9:30-still going...
9:45-STILL GOING...............
10:00-stopped at station in Paris-finally!
10:25-off train and to Metro. Crazy and the dogs were on my car, but a few coachettes down. As she walked to the exit she was screaming at the dogs and screaming at herself in French-CRAZY!!!
10:39-Seemlessly on the Metro. Little girl is using the train poles as her dancing pole. I want to trip her.
11:00-Off the Metro-It's pouring rain.
11:02-Left or Right, which direction to go? I got left. Should have gone right.
11:03-POURING rain. I'm wet.
11:15-'Bonjour!" upon entry to hotel. How can that not make you smile? I smile.
11:17-Lesley Rae Weber answers the door. I have never been more happy to see her in my life. "I need a beer and a croque madame STAT!"
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