Here is how the events unfolded:
11.45am Presumed we were to be boarding TGV from Bordeaux to Annecy as planned.
12.00pm Boarded TGV from Bordeaux train station heading to Annecy, were surprised at lack of passengers and pleased with all the space we had to ourselves!
2:00-3:00pm Had an unscheduled stop for an hour at a mystery destination for unknown circumstances. At 3pm we finally departed.
3.15-4:00pm TGV held up again for 45mins due to unknown circumstances
5.45pm We arrived at a mysterious train station, and told to disembark due to ‘a manifestation in the Paris train station’. Awkwardly exited the train with hundreds of other people, overhearing there was a strike in town and so all the trains were disrupted, we headed to the ticket office of this mystery destination we were in.
6:00pm Discovered we were in Massy, a place roughly an hour out of Paris. Managed to book new train tickets from Massy to Annecy via (what we thought was) Lyon De Gard train station in Paris.
6:15pm Train from Massy was now delayed by 30minutes.
6:45pm Boarded TGV from Massy to head to Annecy
7:45pm Was told by a kind gentleman who translated the conductors advice on board the train, that we were in fact heading to Lyon, a town in France (on the opposite bloody side of where we thought). He advised us that our connecting train from Lyon to Annecy would be leaving on time and we were likely to miss it due to the delay of the Massy train.
8:30pm Several drinks (including wine) and a few packet of chips were consumed nervously waiting to see if we were going to make our connection. Although the views were magnificent, our bums were twitching. We had been navigating trains since 11:45am, we were tired, we were hungry, and we wanted crem brulee!
9:15pm We were told that our Annecy connection would be there for us, but we had only 5minutes to find the platform and catch the train. We headed to the exit on the train early (we were on the top level of a 2 storey TGV), and held on for dear life with our luggage until the train stopped.
9:20pm Found the train to Annecy, made a frantic dash to board, the doors literally closing as Ros loaded her suitcase onto the train. Trying not to fall on the floor with relief, we found our seats, and looked for the bar……there was no bar…..
10:30pm Why not throw in another 45min wait at Chambery. Before departing the star force in great numbers with guns, capsicum spray, helmets and handcuffs came to check each carriage and platform (as they had been all day- still have no idea why?), Ros is secretly thinking ‘backpacks & bombs’ but doesn’t let on..
11.45pm Train pulls into Annecy. No one around, dark, late, quiet!
12.10am The one and only taxi driver in the dark station suggested we walk to the hotel as “it’s just over there”. We walked around ….and around…. …back to the taxi who then drove us around the corner to our Hotel, I think we were tired and stressed. Ha. But he was very nice. We booked into our nice apartment.
12:32:04am fell onto our beds and died!
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