Here we are in France

Oct 10, 2010 we left home to start our vacation in Paris. It would have been a fabulous trip if it hadn't been for a National general strike in France and if I had not had a tooth ache starting shortly after arriving. Our trip did start out calm with a great trip from Vancouver through Ottawa (the connection was such we walked off one flight right onto the next). Bob & I spent the first night at the Hilton Hotel right at the airport so that we could meet Joyce & Dennis the next morning.

After they arriving on the Thursday morning we hung up in the Sheraton Hotel's lounge until it was time for our train to leave for Avignon. There was a national general strike so we were not too happy to see that all the trains had been cancelled with the exception onf one. That just happened to be ours. We hopped on the train 1 1/2 hours late only to find other passengers in our reserved seats (with a strike, no conductor, no courtesy) 3 or the 4 did move and Dennis was able to find a seat just in front of us.

At Lyon the train stopped and everyone grabbed their bags and got off!! What was going on? The train wasn't going any further so we got our bags and got off also. After watching great hords of passengers trying to push their way onto the train in front of us we stood back and watch with about 2 to 3 hundred others who were left wondering what was going to happen. The TGV staff were telling people what to do but since we did not speak French we were in the dark until a gentleman beside us told us that we were to wait on the platform they would send another train. It was now about 6 pm, we had not eaten since 11 and Joyce & Dennis had been flying all day. They were tired, we were all hungry and cold in the cold breeze blowing as it got darker. We were all wondering if a train really was going to come and if we were really going to make it to Arles that night and what would we do if the train didn't come. Well the management did run another train that arrived about 1 1/2 hours later, we did bet our first class seats and we did finally arrive in Avignon.

From here the trains or buses were no longer running so we caught the last cab at the station and he headed off to Arles at great speed. Our driver did not know where the hotel was we were going to so he was driving at speeds up to 140 klm, passing cars and looking at his GPS on his cell phone. All I can say it was a interesting and white knucked ride to Arles. We did arrive at about 9:15 to be told that most restaurants closed at 9:30 so we rushed to put our suitcases in or room and headed out to find something to eat. Either the restaurants were closed of we were told it was too late to order with the exception of a little pizza shop that was about to close but did stay open long enough to make us some pizzas for dinner. Back to the hotel for the end of Day 1 of our trip south.


The next morning we headed out to explore the little village of Old Arles. Here you can see Bob pouring out the liquid of the country and me taking a bit of a rest leaning against a tree by the Roman Museum.