I started writing this at Vernon Station whilst waiting for the 10:53am train. The best laid plans of mice and men...This morning (Friday) things didn't quite pan out as we had planned and I will be very glad when we are on the train to Bayonne.
We slept well on Thursday night, woke early, packed and arrived at breakfast at 8am. Breakfast was delicious and our host very interesting. Our fellow guests, a young couple from Tel Aviv were also pleasant company. We had asked our host about ordering a taxi to get back to Vernon for the 9:53am Paris train, for which we already had tickets. She said she would drop us at the bus station and we would easily make the 9:53am train. Well it didn't quite happen! The bus didn't actually leave until two minutes after the train left Vernon. However we are able to use our tickets for the 10:53am train, it just makes it a bit tighter in Paris to make the Bayonne/St-Jean-Pied-de-Port train (for which I had paid, I think, $A171, not to mention reaching our booked accommodation at St-Jean for Friday night. It was a triffle annoying as there was a local bus coming down the street, going to Vernon, when we came out to the car to be driven to the bus station. Also, even though the taxi cost just just under 17 Euro the previous day, it would have been feasible. Not to mention if we had stopped at the Hotel Normanby which was originally suggested. However, I am just letting this go and just hoping we make the Bayonne train.
Thie following was written on the train to Bayonne...
We did make it! We duly got the 10:53am train from Vernon. We lined up at the door for a quick escape. Fortunately we knew where we were going at St Lazare as it was the reverse of the day before's trip. (Just as well as the station is in two parts and some distance apart!) Anna had the right change for the metro tickets as the machine only accepts coins or a card! We found the right platform and stepped straight onto a train to Montparnasse (although the trains are pretty close together). We arrived at Montparnasse with about 15 minutes to get to the Bayonne train.
It was such a relief to get to the first class seats facing each other, which we had so carefully selected months ago. I was glad we had chosen to travel on the TGV as it was great to have have the opportunity to look out the window at the passing countryside.
When we were at Vernon, Anna went to the supermarket and got some food which was quite reasonably priced. However, we decided to save it for later as I decided to shout us to the Menu Dejeuner on the train. We spent ages trying to translate the French, but just ended up buying one of each of the ones on offer. The food was deliciouus, even if I am still not to sure what it was! The sun coming through the window was glorious.
Anyway, we changed trains at Bayonne and joined the many pilgrims arriving at St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. We easily found our booked accommodation and got to the Pilgrim's Office before it closed to get our Pilgrim's Passport.
No comments:
Post a Comment