After our trip to the suburbs of Paris, we rode the subway back to the train station to validate our Eurorail passes and make a reservation for the train to Nice--which we thought was going to be cake. The man at the desk gave us a different route than the one we were planning to take because the direct train to Nice was already booked. We were to be traveling from 7:10am to 4:55pm--with two layovers. Ugh!
After this stressful news, we traveled out to the Eiffel Tower. We made lots of fun pictures, and our timing was perfect! The lights turned on just as we were leaving, so we got to see the Eiffel Tower all lit up at night.
We chatted with Federico a bit when we got back to the hostel, then hit our sacks, anticipating our early morning--4:30am.
Early this morning as Zach and I were tubing to the train station, we encountered way too many unexpected disturbances. The train randomly stopped on some bridge for about 15 minutes, increasing our stress level concerning our time of departure. Unfortunately, our relief didn't last long when we started up again...
A domestic dispute broke out just behind us--LITERALLY just behind us. Some fellow subwayers who were still dressed for a Friday night began yelling all sorts of obscene things in some different languages. I heard some Spanish, some French, and then one English phrase--black man.
After a few minutes into the scene, the once calm pair of black men sitting next to me began to make fun of the crazed lunatic who was yelling at his girlfriend/wifey. One of the men jumped over his seat at the Spanish guy, and it was bad news from there...
The crowd got completely out of hand--mind you, this is right next to where Zach and I were sitting. Zach heroically moved me up a few rows, anticipating that this would soon fizzle out. Wrong! A cloud of mase began to drift our way, and we ran to the front of the train--but not soon enough. Our noses and faces burned a little bit the rest of the day. The train stopped; the doors opened, and we were stranded once again as the conductor had to undergo the correct "procedure" in dealing with such "accidents," as the French people referred to it.
The Spanish guy hopped off the tube while we were waiting and began to express his manhood by beating on his chest along with other so-very-middle-school activities. Smaller fights were breaking out all over the subway, but Zach and I were scared to find another route on the fly (we hadn't had much luck this morning). We toughed it out and made it through our second delay of about 30 minutes and were then on our way.
We made it to the train station by the skin of our teeth! Arrived at 7:06am for our 7:10 train. Zach and I found the right train for the trip from Paris to Lyon part deux, and we pretended to be dumb tourists and jumped back on that train in Lyon when we realized that would get us to Nice much sooner--by 1:15. As long as no one had booked the seats we were sitting in, we'd be fine. Too much of a gamble for Zach, I believe, but my adrenaline was pumping. I know you're dying to know... SUCCESS!! We are in Nice!!
We had some KFC for lunch and are headed out to get some sun! Au revoir!
Sounds like you're having a blast! Can't wait to hear more when you come home! I miss you so much! Love you!
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