DAY 6 – BACK TO PARIS

 

Even Train Stations
here are amazing

OK, so I bought a Eurail “unlimited” pass so that I’d have the freedom to be flexible and change plans – and just hop on whatever train I wanted to. Except today – there are literally ZERO trains available today. (It might be because of the “Planned Demonstrations – aka: Riots – over the change in Retirement Age in France.) Anyway, I couldn’t find a train – but I have hotel reservations in Paris. So, Sandrine recommended BlaBlaCar – yes, like Blah Blah Blah. It’s a carpooling/ridesharing app – and when you get into the car together, you Blah Blah Blah (chitchat) on your way to your destination. Fortunately, a nice Frenchman was heading to Paris – so I could catch a ride with him, for less than $20.

            Unfortunately, his English was about as good as my French – so there wasn’t very much Blah Blah Blah. But he had Google Translate on his phone, so we could at least cover the essentials. Along the way a third joined us – a nice young French college student, who spoke excellent English and was also fluent in Russian. For most of the ride, they Blah Blah Blahed their way through the French countryside (in French) while I enjoyed the scenery. (And I can’t be sure, but I’m pretty sure they were talking politics because I think I heard Macron and Putin each mentioned.) I’d rather not be able to get dragged into a political conversation, so I was happy to be left out. [And, admittedly, I did doze off a time or two along the way – still catching up from the 9-hour time difference.]

            I have to admit, that the BlaBlaCar thing is pretty slick – and I might use it again. It’s a very simple app – but it’s really handy.

            A few hours later, we get to Paris and young Maxim and I bid “Au Revoir” to Gilles and hop on our respective trains. And now that I’ve had a bit of experience with Paris trains, this journey was much easier (and I was only 3 stops from my hotel anyway.)

            I walked toward my hotel, and there was a Burger King on the way. I know, who goes to Paris for Burger King???  But it was a very hot afternoon and I was very thirsty – and Coke is Coke everywhere. (Although they don’t have Diet Coke, only Coke Zero – but that’s good enough.)

            All of the American Fast Food Places here (McDonalds – called McDoo, BK, etc.) have the touchscreen menus to order, which helps with the language barrier. I recognize a few words, and pictures help – and when asked “Avec de la glace” I knew GLACE was ICE, which I definitely wanted. I don’t drink as much soda anymore, but on a hot day a cold coke is a very nice thing.

            About a half-mile and I’m at the hotel, get checked in, and head up to my room. After a shower, I venture out to find dinner. Ironically, my closest choices are a Chicken joint, a Pizza Hut, a Sandwicherie (these French take their sandwiches seriously, but I’m sandwiched-out), so I opt for the Greek Restuaruant.

            While I ate my lovely French-ified Greek dinner, a number of kids came in with a few coins looking for a treat. I’m guessing this is a regular occurrence, because the owner talked with each of the kids and carefully looked at the coins in their hands before selling them something sweet. So nice to see a small businessman taking care of his community – and the community feeling in this corner of Eipnay-sur-Seine (right along the Seine River) is strong and very charming.