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Travel Log into France

So I'm off, eurostar, about to head into the Chunnel facing backwards, in the tunnel now and in twenty minutes I'll be in Europe, ain't modern life grand, Brussels no less, actually only a train station called Lillie, (which turns out to be a city not Brussels, what do I know, stupid foreigner) where I change to the TGV (fast train) to Avignon, should be there about 5.

Weird to think that there is an ocean above my head, with waves raging and small boats tossing about while I sit here, typing away on a laptop, as if I were going nowhere. This is really the way to go, if only I could smoke it would be perfect, fortunately TGV has smoking (its French after all). From the looks of people around me we could be a train full of people going anywhere, commuters on their way to work. Actually this could be the Long Island railway heading into New York for all that it matters. I can feel the angle of the train shifting, we are ascending, so we must be on the way out now, yep slowing down also, no way to tell have fast we were going, just black outside, baby crying, people chattering, oriental couple reading, students doing homework, Life is so normal except now we are in Europe! Baby still crying, apparently unimpressed with modern travel.

So, the landscape in not unique, flat, farm and woodland, here and there a church spire in the distance, giant electric transmission lines march across the fields, here and there a farm, or hamlet, houses with red roofs, its misty, overcast, judging from the pace we pass phone poles we must be going close to 100 but there is hardly a bump or jostle, just a little swaying which has put the baby to sleep. Well that's it for now, think I'll stretch my legs, check out the club car, see if my contact is on this train, wearing a carnation in his lapel, hope I haven't forgotten the password and counter sign, was it Mackerels don't fly, but marlins do, or mackerels fly a midnight and marlins don't, anyway sure it will work out,
I'll let you know.

No sign of contact, on to Avignon. Had lunch in Lillie, So I walk into this café and you can't imagine my amazement when I hear, “I ain't asken for much, just going downtown looken for some tush” dan en dadan, den dadan, etc, etc. Anyway ordered something wasn't sure what it was, turned out to be some sort of cheese, egg, toast casserole, thing, think there might have been some ham in it somewhere, not bad. Spoke to young man next to me he asked me what I thought of Bush, told him I thought he was an idiot and we got along fabulously. Now on the TGV, going backwards again but train barely full so may change direction, its been snowing so countryside is white and gray, dotted with villages, once again going very fast. This really is the way to go, cars on the highway must be doing 90 at least and we are passing them at an alarming rate. Well enough for now, going to change seats.

No chance to change seats, train suddenly full, woman with henna hair, parka the size of a sleeping bag, knap pack for climbing Everest and a cat cage tried to get into the seat opposite me, without much luck, I offered her the empty seat next to me for the cat, she declined, moved to another empty seat, people came in and moved her, so she moved to another, next stop more people, she moved again, next stop more people, she moved back this time she took me up on the offer, so now I have a very unhappy cat crouched in its carry cage next to me, from time to time she reaches over to console it but to no avail, she looks as sad as the cat, still snow on the ground, rolling farmland, slate gray sky, flamenco plays on the cd, little boy keeps looking at me between the seats, 2hrs to go to Avignon. Time for a walk.

Arrived in Avignon, no problem, car rental turns out not to be a train station (probably just as well) so I get a taxi, off to town, down a couple of side streets, car trying to park, driver doesn't wait and goes around, other car doesn't wait either, fenders kiss, out of the car, heated, gesticulating conversation, I am in hysterics, this is just what I expect to happen, what would a trip to France be without it, so off to car rental, blah, blah, get car, off I go (actually not that simple but I'll spare you the details, vague directions, into center of town to find hotel. Well, let me tell you something about Avignon, there are thousands of people walking around all the street signs are in French, and most of the streets are one way, no one seems to know this, and to top it off they are just, just wide enough for one car, and mostly cobblestone, so I got completely lost, toured the city is one way to say it, and then finally found a parking garage, scrapped a fender in the process, that's what insurance is for, ( at least I didn't run into a taxi, but the night is young). I then set off to find the hotel, which is no whereas near the garage, and did I mention no one speaks English, so after a walking tour of some of Charlemagne's hang outs I found it, and so here I am, typing away in my room, faint with hunger but happy, think I'll strike out to find a restaurant, shouldn't be difficult if I can find my way out of the hotel, I'll explain later.


Travel Plans	England	France	Spain	Poetry	Contact
[Avignon] - [Arles] - [Cote de Azur] - [Roussillon] - [Sights] - [Travel Log] Travel Log into France So I'm off, eurostar, about to head into the Chunnel facing backwards, in the tunnel now and in twenty minutes I'll be in Europe, ain't modern life grand, Brussels no less, actually only a train station called Lillie, (which turns out to be a city not Brussels, what do I know, stupid foreigner) where I change to the TGV (fast train) to Avignon, should be there about 5. Weird to think that there is an ocean above my head, with waves raging and small boats tossing about while I sit here, typing away on a laptop, as if I were going nowhere. This is really the way to go, if only I could smoke it would be perfect, fortunately TGV has smoking (its French after all). From the looks of people around me we could be a train full of people going anywhere, commuters on their way to work. Actually this could be the Long Island railway heading into New York for all that it matters. I can feel the angle of the train shifting, we are ascending, so we must be on the way out now, yep slowing down also, no way to tell have fast we were going, just black outside, baby crying, people chattering, oriental couple reading, students doing homework, Life is so normal except now we are in Europe! Baby still crying, apparently unimpressed with modern travel. So, the landscape in not unique, flat, farm and woodland, here and there a church spire in the distance, giant electric transmission lines march across the fields, here and there a farm, or hamlet, houses with red roofs, its misty, overcast, judging from the pace we pass phone poles we must be going close to 100 but there is hardly a bump or jostle, just a little swaying which has put the baby to sleep. Well that's it for now, think I'll stretch my legs, check out the club car, see if my contact is on this train, wearing a carnation in his lapel, hope I haven't forgotten the password and counter sign, was it Mackerels don't fly, but marlins do, or mackerels fly a midnight and marlins don't, anyway sure it will work out, I'll let you know. No sign of contact, on to Avignon. Had lunch in Lillie, So I walk into this café and you can't imagine my amazement when I hear, “I ain't asken for much, just going downtown looken for some tush” dan en dadan, den dadan, etc, etc. Anyway ordered something wasn't sure what it was, turned out to be some sort of cheese, egg, toast casserole, thing, think there might have been some ham in it somewhere, not bad. Spoke to young man next to me he asked me what I thought of Bush, told him I thought he was an idiot and we got along fabulously. Now on the TGV, going backwards again but train barely full so may change direction, its been snowing so countryside is white and gray, dotted with villages, once again going very fast. This really is the way to go, cars on the highway must be doing 90 at least and we are passing them at an alarming rate. Well enough for now, going to change seats. No chance to change seats, train suddenly full, woman with henna hair, parka the size of a sleeping bag, knap pack for climbing Everest and a cat cage tried to get into the seat opposite me, without much luck, I offered her the empty seat next to me for the cat, she declined, moved to another empty seat, people came in and moved her, so she moved to another, next stop more people, she moved again, next stop more people, she moved back this time she took me up on the offer, so now I have a very unhappy cat crouched in its carry cage next to me, from time to time she reaches over to console it but to no avail, she looks as sad as the cat, still snow on the ground, rolling farmland, slate gray sky, flamenco plays on the cd, little boy keeps looking at me between the seats, 2hrs to go to Avignon. Time for a walk. Arrived in Avignon, no problem, car rental turns out not to be a train station (probably just as well) so I get a taxi, off to town, down a couple of side streets, car trying to park, driver doesn't wait and goes around, other car doesn't wait either, fenders kiss, out of the car, heated, gesticulating conversation, I am in hysterics, this is just what I expect to happen, what would a trip to France be without it, so off to car rental, blah, blah, get car, off I go (actually not that simple but I'll spare you the details, vague directions, into center of town to find hotel. Well, let me tell you something about Avignon, there are thousands of people walking around all the street signs are in French, and most of the streets are one way, no one seems to know this, and to top it off they are just, just wide enough for one car, and mostly cobblestone, so I got completely lost, toured the city is one way to say it, and then finally found a parking garage, scrapped a fender in the process, that's what insurance is for, ( at least I didn't run into a taxi, but the night is young). I then set off to find the hotel, which is no whereas near the garage, and did I mention no one speaks English, so after a walking tour of some of Charlemagne's hang outs I found it, and so here I am, typing away in my room, faint with hunger but happy, think I'll strike out to find a restaurant, shouldn't be difficult if I can find my way out of the hotel, I'll explain later.
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