I had already been caught in the rain once this morning and that rain was nothing compared to the sudden downpour with lightning two minutes before I was ready to leave the apartment! Back into my pack I go for my rain poncho. This was not a rain any umbrella could handle.

Once inside the metro station I stopped to take the poncho off, shake it out and rolled it up back into its little sack. I was mostly dry and confidently walked toward my train.

I did some research on where exactly Gare Montparnasse was and how to get there because I noticed it was missing from the metro station map as a stop. Apparently you must walk from the nearest metro into a short tunnel. It was no big deal but they must not want to promise a Gare stop when you have to walk a little to get there.

Since Paris is hosting the 2024 Olympics I have noticed several groups of young girls wearing official vests. They are here to provide information. Just today I spotted the Paris 2024 logo on them. They all speak English well enough to answer questions. I think Paris will be ready! In the meantime these young girls are getting lots of hosting practice.

The trains are not assigned gates until no earlier than 20 minutes before the departure time. I had a 15-minute notice and made the mad dash to the opposite end of the floor. Finding my car was tricky as the doors have bold numbers but the train cars are officially numbered with an almost opaque sign next to the door. After asking an official-looking man, he pointed me towards the front of the train. That was #7. Back two more cars I go and found #5. I picked the second floor with window. Some guy was already in my seat but I didn’t really care. It was rainy and dark. When the sun comes out I’ll see about switching… he ended up getting off before me, so it was fine – we shared the window.

I brought my own food with me. A ham and cheese baguette, water and a cucumber. I also have two hard boiled eggs but didn’t want them this morning. Maybe they’ll be part of my dinner.

It looks as though most travelers today did not bring their own food. It is only a 2-hour trip so not critical to have food, but something about a travel day makes food seem important. The lines anywhere substantial food was sold were long. Train stations don’t have sufficient seating so most people wander around and finally find a good place to stand.

The toilettes at critical places such as train stations and shopping malls have lovely facilities and they charge you for them. So far .80 was the most I’ve paid but it’s always worth it!

Paris is now a distant memory. I have to say it was a wonderful visit and I still have more of the city to explore, however I am sufficiently happy with my new knowledge of Paris and look forward to a return trip. Au revoir City of Lights!

#47daysineurope #paris