So stories. How about the one where I went to Carcassonne, I think that's where I left you all at. It was beautiful. Up on a hill 40 minute walking distance from train station, but still a beautiful walk. It was a bit chilly so I was wearing a scarf, jacket and gloves. Made it to the beautiful Carcassonne. Oh great pics. I go aroudn the castle and walk around the town that's within the Castle. So around 12:20pm, I decide to start heading back and try to get to the train station before it closes at 1pm for lunch. The TGV (the fast train) was supposed to leave at 1:15pm from Carcassonne and take me to Toulouse around 2pm. Enough time to enjoy a little of Toulouse. I still needed to find the French dictionary. Well I can see that there is a taxi and by the time I get there, it has been booked. So I wait a little to see if I can catch another one, there is also a bus station that I figured could get me to the station. Nope, it's now 12:40pm and the train station closes for lunch at 1pm to 230pm, yeah long European lunches. So I start walking down the hill and then I start running because I know I'm not going to get there in time and if I don't there is no train until 500pm. I didn't want to get stuck there for that time. So I'm out of breath and I get to the station at 101pm, thank God it's still open. With my little French I get a ticket for my planned train. But I keep reading this message on the board that I have no idea what it stands. "SUPPRIMER" I even ask the guy who helps you get to the correct track and I can't understand him. But he know little English and tells me that the train has been cancelled. CANCELLED.
How in the world am I going to get back to Toulouse, I fly out the following morning at 7am. Yeah, and my train isn't the only one who is cancelled, all of them are. So I'm at a total lost. I wait in line and I ask the girl in front of me, she was no more than 20 years old, so I figured she might know a little English or Spanish and can help me out. Luckly she does and she helps me as she is also going to Toulouse. There is a bus instead that will come around 2pm she tells me. It should take around 1.5 hours to take us to Toulouse. And she will help me. Well it turns out that I didn't have any luggage and she did so she ended up having to go on the next bus, as the first one was full and I never got to thank her in the end. She was an angel and got me back and safe to Toulouse.
I get back to my hotel around 5pm and relax a little and then I go around the town for a bit got me a baguette sandwich for a store. It was so cool. I had asked my hotel concierge to help me with finding used books. They sent me to this area which had 2 of them. I found a few used French books from the 1920s and then I also found a 1977 French dictionary and a gazillion vintage postcards, which I only bought 4-6 postcards. It was a great area. If I get to go back, I'm going to go back and get me so more postcards.
Flight back was great except for the people that were seating behind me, all three of them. They were the rudest ever. Since it's such a long flight we get served two meals. For this return flight it was lunch and dinner. Lunch happens right away after takeoff. I'm seating next to two girls who are coming to SF for the first time. We get to chatting and I give them hints of places to see and things to do. I feel this bump on my back from my chair (like someone punch the seat behind me) but I think it's just a mistake. I know it happened again, but really can't remember. So we have lunch and I get a little more comfortable and put my seat back. I sleep only 30 minutes. So I start reading Harry Potter, book 7, I know way behind but no time. We are a couple of hours away from arriving at SFO and I get sleepy again.
I fall asleep. I get awoken by this old woman (saying it nicely) hitting the back of my seat. Because she wants me to move my seat to the upright position so that she can eat in plenty of space, while I'm crunched in between my seat upright and the person infront of me having his seat back. So I do it, to be nice, but I'm upset, I have only slept another 30 minutes. I drop something and I'm reaching for and they start punching my chair again. Oh I'm boiling now. So my neighbors tell me that they are trying to eat. I tell them that I have already pulled my seat up I can't do anything else. Then I notice that my neighbors seats go about an inch more forward. So I do it to. I'm not awake and totally boiling mad. I realize that the steward probably already had asked them to move their seats forward but didn't asked me because I was sleeping. I'm enraged by now. I swear my BP was probably to the roof. And I notice that the son of the the old grouch was going to where the stewards grab our meals and set them up. I was ready to have a throw down. I hadn't said anything. I was boiling inside. The steward never came to me.
When our food was delivered, the guy who was infront of me wasn't asked to move his chair becuase he was asleep while the other weren't so they moved their chairs forward. So this confirmed my suspicions, I wasn't asked earlier because I was asleep and the grouch decided she wanted to eat in plenty room, while I was in little space and woken up. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. I'm still mad about it. How can people be so selfish. I was asleep woman!!! I paid the same amount of money for my seat, I can decide whether or not to bring my seat upright while in flight. The only times, I have to have my seats upright are for landing and takeoff. I was so mad that I didn't want to exit at the same time as them. I let them go first. These people where so uneducated. I also believe it was their first time in the country. Rude!
And to continue with rudeness. I was waiting for my bags at SFO, granted 800 bags is no easy task for them. Then another international flight comes in, another 800 bags. Wow! Anyways, I was waiting for my bags, because since I'm a resident, I don't have to wait in the long lines, it was less than 2 minutes for that matter. And the immigration officer even talked to me in Spanish. I have a Salvadorian passport. Actually everywhere that I presented my passport, they would always answer me back in Spanish. It was kind a cool. Ok back to rude people. I was waiting with some space , maybe 1.5 feet in front of me. I have 3 people sneak in there and block me and I can't even get to my bags. GRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Trust me I was happy to see my second checked bag and head home. My flight was 45 mins late and by the time I got home it was 3pm. Wow what a way to end a great trip.
So there you have last few days in France. I'll update next week about Tennessee, because this is way too long of post.
Have a great weekend everyone.
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2 comments:
Wow, I am right there with you about those RUDE people on airplanes! Were they Americans?? Can't wait to hear about TN!!! I'm linking you on my blog so I can keep in touch!!!
I understand about rude people on flights!!! When I flew home from Florida when my dad died - the woman behind me was yacking on her cell phone until the plane started it's takeoff!!! They had announced more than twice to hang it up! Then she just went on & on the whole flight about NOTHING - real nasily. Then she kept kicking my seat & shoving it forward EVERYTIME she needed to go the bathroom (a lot)...... ugh - why can't more people be like us???
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