Off on the train again today to Nice. And a stupid train day it was. First I got on my early connection, no dramas. Then to a central town - Genoa - where my next train was delayed for 30 mins... Wouldn't have been a big drama, but my next host had asked me to tell her if my train would be late, yet I had no way of contacting her. Eventually I figured out a pay phone and I think left her a voicemail? Hope she gets it! Then the next train was ridiculously packed. So I spend the next few hours in the area of a carriage near the door with a family from Broadford! Grandma, mum and 3 young kids! They were classic and was fun to chat to some country Aussie folk. We figured out that we'd missed out connection train (they wanted the same next one as me to Nice), and to make the one after we'll have to run like crazy men at the station... That is me with my backpack, but them with a pram, 2 extra kids and about 6 bags/suitcases!! So I became an extra family member for the mad rush (not to mention us having to get all of that out of the way at every stop for people to exit on the current train!). So we got to the transit station (oh yeah and they still needed to buy train tickets) and unlike the usually really reliable notice board system, there was no train to Nice listed on the board. So while the rest of them seriously struggled through the masses and masses of people to get the luggage off the platform, I ran like mad to find the train (and luckily did). Then we had to muscle through the people, get the damn pram up there and onto the train. Have no idea how we got everyone and the baby and the luggage on. But we did. It was so so so packed that I was in the gangway of one carriage with the two young girls (8, 10 and ridiculously strong and independent - they had better control of the suitcases than I did) and the other three were in the next gangway, all of us hoping that we get off at the same stop and that we don't loose them!! Found out later that the mum would hang her head out at every stop just to make sure we didn't get off without them! And then we arrived in Nice. And the doors opened on the opposite side than they had been all trip.... That is, on the side that we had blockaded with out bags!! And everyone wanted to get off!! So took a while to remove the bag plug, then we got off, with everyone else and all the luggage. Somehow! (A group of Canadian athletes may have helped alot). Amazing! So there I farewelled the fellow Victorians and headed off into the city to find my place...
Which was lovely, but I was tired. And hungry.
Found a Jarrah dog!
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