Day 9
I woke early to rain pattering against my window and grey clouds looming over the Geneva streets. This would set the mood for the rest of my day.
Today, I traveled from Geneva to Brussels. Now there is no direct train that will take you from Geneva to Brussels so I had to take two separate trains: Geneva to Paris and then Paris to Geneva. These were both high speed trains so I had to make seat reservations for each trip. My time schedule was strict. I was to arrive in Paris Gare de Lyon at 12:54. I had an hour and 10 minutes to get from Paris Lyon to another train station, Paris Gare du Nord. From Nord, I would catch my train to Brussels. I knew I had to take the RER to get from Lyon to Nord but I was still a bit nervous that I wouldn't make it on time.
Well... I noticed while on my trip from Geneva to Paris Lyon, the train started to slow down. Then the train came to a complete stop. We sat for about five minutes. The conductor said that there was a technical issue. We began moving again and I had no worries. Five minutes was not going to make that big of a difference. Twenty or so minutes later, we stop again. This time the conductor tells us that our train will now be delayed an hour due to something that was happening with another train up ahead. I started to freak out because I HAD to get to this train from Nord to Brussels on time. I had a reservation. And even if I missed this train, I still needed reservations for all the following trains that would take me to Brussels.
We finally start moving again and reach Paris Lyon at 1:58. The train to Brussels left at 2:25 so I thought if I moved quickly, I could make it. I start running as soon as I exit the train. I just follow where the RER signs tell me to go and eventually I am down at the station. I ran through a gate I wasn't supposed to and did not buy a metro ticket, but I had no time to. Thankfully the RER train approached within a minute of me standing there. I got on this train and within 10 minutes, I was at Lyon.
I begin running through this train station and I have no idea what gate to go to. I quickly ask some man for help and he points me in the right direction. I notice that to get further down the terminal, you need to scan your metro card, which I did not purchase. To avoid this, I see a set of stairs and I run up these, seeing if I could avoid this obstacle. I can't find my gate so I stop another man. I pull out my ticket and he tells me where to go and what gate. Now I needed my metro ticket to get onto the platform. The man sees that my train leaves soon so he runs me over to a gate that a man was already opening with his metro ticket and squeezes me through. I make it to my gate with two minutes to spare, run my bags through screening, and show the conductor my Eurail pass and train reservation.
I know this seems dramatic but I felt like the McCallister family in Home Alone, running to try to not miss my train. Thank god the trains were nice. Sitting in first class, the seats are comfortable and I was offered food and drink.
Now that I arrive in Brussels, I know I need to find tram 81 to get to my Airbnb. I also wanted to get a transportation pass because this is what I have done in all the other train stations. I run into a service center and a lady directs me down to the metro station. I think to myself, "great, they have a metro just like Paris." I did feel like I was in Paris. There were so many people and I kept going down stairs and escalators into the catacombs of Brussels. As I am not a fan of Paris, this gave me a negative mindset of Brussels. I go to the metro service station and ask to buy a transportation pass and the man told me that they do not sell them there. So I just bought one pass so I could get to my home. I was not about to run all over that train station and be sent on a wild goose chase. I could get the pass later.
I read the metro maps on the wall and it just looks like someone vomited a bunch of colored lines onto a sheet of paper. I find the stop I need to get off at, locate the proper tram, get on, get off and locate my home. I enter the code into the building and realize that my Airbnb host never told me what floor my room was on. By the way, this place was terrifying. It reminded me of the Leaky Cauldron in Harry Potter. I start climbing these squeaky, narrow stairs and it's pitch black. I turn on the flashlight of my phone and start trying every door. I finally message my host and he replies within five minutes. Here, my room is in the basement. I finally get in and I am amazed. The room is absolutely gorgeous and spacious.
Today, I traveled from Geneva to Brussels. Now there is no direct train that will take you from Geneva to Brussels so I had to take two separate trains: Geneva to Paris and then Paris to Geneva. These were both high speed trains so I had to make seat reservations for each trip. My time schedule was strict. I was to arrive in Paris Gare de Lyon at 12:54. I had an hour and 10 minutes to get from Paris Lyon to another train station, Paris Gare du Nord. From Nord, I would catch my train to Brussels. I knew I had to take the RER to get from Lyon to Nord but I was still a bit nervous that I wouldn't make it on time.
Well... I noticed while on my trip from Geneva to Paris Lyon, the train started to slow down. Then the train came to a complete stop. We sat for about five minutes. The conductor said that there was a technical issue. We began moving again and I had no worries. Five minutes was not going to make that big of a difference. Twenty or so minutes later, we stop again. This time the conductor tells us that our train will now be delayed an hour due to something that was happening with another train up ahead. I started to freak out because I HAD to get to this train from Nord to Brussels on time. I had a reservation. And even if I missed this train, I still needed reservations for all the following trains that would take me to Brussels.
We finally start moving again and reach Paris Lyon at 1:58. The train to Brussels left at 2:25 so I thought if I moved quickly, I could make it. I start running as soon as I exit the train. I just follow where the RER signs tell me to go and eventually I am down at the station. I ran through a gate I wasn't supposed to and did not buy a metro ticket, but I had no time to. Thankfully the RER train approached within a minute of me standing there. I got on this train and within 10 minutes, I was at Lyon.
I begin running through this train station and I have no idea what gate to go to. I quickly ask some man for help and he points me in the right direction. I notice that to get further down the terminal, you need to scan your metro card, which I did not purchase. To avoid this, I see a set of stairs and I run up these, seeing if I could avoid this obstacle. I can't find my gate so I stop another man. I pull out my ticket and he tells me where to go and what gate. Now I needed my metro ticket to get onto the platform. The man sees that my train leaves soon so he runs me over to a gate that a man was already opening with his metro ticket and squeezes me through. I make it to my gate with two minutes to spare, run my bags through screening, and show the conductor my Eurail pass and train reservation.
I know this seems dramatic but I felt like the McCallister family in Home Alone, running to try to not miss my train. Thank god the trains were nice. Sitting in first class, the seats are comfortable and I was offered food and drink.
Now that I arrive in Brussels, I know I need to find tram 81 to get to my Airbnb. I also wanted to get a transportation pass because this is what I have done in all the other train stations. I run into a service center and a lady directs me down to the metro station. I think to myself, "great, they have a metro just like Paris." I did feel like I was in Paris. There were so many people and I kept going down stairs and escalators into the catacombs of Brussels. As I am not a fan of Paris, this gave me a negative mindset of Brussels. I go to the metro service station and ask to buy a transportation pass and the man told me that they do not sell them there. So I just bought one pass so I could get to my home. I was not about to run all over that train station and be sent on a wild goose chase. I could get the pass later.
I read the metro maps on the wall and it just looks like someone vomited a bunch of colored lines onto a sheet of paper. I find the stop I need to get off at, locate the proper tram, get on, get off and locate my home. I enter the code into the building and realize that my Airbnb host never told me what floor my room was on. By the way, this place was terrifying. It reminded me of the Leaky Cauldron in Harry Potter. I start climbing these squeaky, narrow stairs and it's pitch black. I turn on the flashlight of my phone and start trying every door. I finally message my host and he replies within five minutes. Here, my room is in the basement. I finally get in and I am amazed. The room is absolutely gorgeous and spacious.
By the time I get settled, I am starving. I message my host and ask for directions for the closest grocery store. He tells me one that is apparently close by. I go out to try and find it and cannot locate it. I put it in my phone as well as another grocery store and no luck. After walking aimlessly through these busy Brussels streets, I find a market and just purchase some eggs, bananas, strawberries, and chicken, and then run home. My thoughts: I hate it here, I want to go home. It is way too busy. There are people everywhere and cars and busses zoom down the streets. Its terrifying to cross the streets here.
Tomorrow, I hope to go out an explore. But the first thing on my to do list is to get my transportation card. However, I need to take public transportation to get there. So I am just gonna walk to a bus stop, hop on the bus, and see what happens. Hopefully sleeping in this nice, comfy bed will allow me to dispose of this negative mindset and I can start fresh tomorrow.
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