J'arrive

I made it.  Unscathed, un-robbed, etc. The jet lag kicked my butt for awhile, but I think I'm OK now.

Limoges, in relation to Paris

Plane left Charlotte at noon and got into Newark around 2pm, waited there for 4 hours (ate some overpriced food, read, etc). Plane took off sometime after 6pm US time and landed in France at 8am local time (ie, 2am US time). The plane trip wasn't too bad. I was on the window seat of a three person row, and my bookbag was kinda too fat to fit under the seat, so it was between my feet the whole time, so my feet were confined as to where they could be. Before the plane took off I went to use the bathroom, someone was in there and the flight attendant said I needed to sit down for the safety demonstration, then I could use the bathroom. So I sat down in an empty seat right by the bathroom as the demonstration went on. Then, after it was over, another flight attendant came by and said, you can't stand up / walk / use the bathroom while we're on the runway... I guess they had backed up during the demonstration? Whatever the reason, I had to sit in not-my-seat (while having to use the bathroom!) for a good thirty minutes while we taxied, took off, and waited for the seatbelt sign to go off. Then I finally used the bathroom and got back to my seat. I watched a movie (21 Jump Street), and they served dinner. Then I tried to sleep - fitfully, on and off. Then we landed. (By now I'd been up about 19 hours with a few hours of fitful sleep. Now, keep in mind my body is telling me it's like 2am.)

So I get off the plane, go through this maze of a line to get into the airport, wait for my luggage, then went to search for the train station (that is in the Charles de Gaulle airport). I used my first French of the trip to ask someone where the station was. (They said "downstairs"), So I toted my luggage (20lbs backpack, pillow, 40lbs rolling-suitcase, and 47lbs rolling suitcase) through the airport, down some escalators and got to...the tram. So I had to take that shuttle to the other side of the airport to get to the train area. I got off, wheeled my luggage around some more, found the train area (which I recalled from my last time being there upon my viewing it). I went to a ticket machine to buy a ticket to Limoges...and it said I couldn't purchase that ticket at the machine. So, I had to go stand in line at the ticket booth for about 30/45min. When I got to the counter, I actually spoke all in French (as did the lady) and understood the majority of what she said - sweet. I ended up buying the Carte 12-25 (which is a young person's discount card for the trains) and the ticket (which was a series of tickets, I had to first take a train to a station in Paris, switch lines, then get to the station that went to Limoges). The discount card and ticket cost me right at 100Euro (about $140).

Train. That is all.

By now it's about 9am local (3am US), so I lug my suitcases to the  platform and wait a few minutes for the train from the Airport to the station Saint-Michel / Notre Dame. (It was pretty brisk...about 50 degrees F, so I put on my light hoodie out of suitcase.) That trip took about 10 min (about 6 or 7 stops). Then I got off there, went up (down?, I don't remember) some escalators and a few flights of stairs (yes, stairs, with two 40+ pound suitcases, one at a time of course), then got on another train to ride for a few stops to the Gare d'Austerlitz, which is a hub for the Paris-trains, and the larger tracks that go all across France. I toted my junk up and down a few more flights of stairs and escalators (yes, more stairs, fun times). Then arrived at the waiting platforms around 10:15am (4:15pm US), and my train wasn't until 12:45pm. So I sat and read for a while, and I ate some of the snacks I brought. Then I was thirsty and had to pee, so I went to the bathroom (cost me 75c, pretty standard for a public toilet in France) and washed my face, then I bought some water, and punched my ticket (something you have to do before you get on a train in France). I then sat back down and snacked and slept on and off mini-naps for two hours. Then I went to my platform and got on the train and stowed my luggage. The train left and I read [this book] and snacked a little (I guess I snacked a lot because my body didn't know what was going). The guy checked my ticket, and then for the next 3.5/4 hours I tried to sleep.

I arrived in Limoges around 4 or 5pm local time (10/11am US) and am now up for 26 hours with two periods of 3 hour-fitful-sleep (plane and train). I disembark the train and make my way to the exit to flag a taxi. I take the taxi to the hotel I'd reserved (less than a mile away, cost me $10, didn't care, I was tired and didn't feel like toting all my luggage around the streets that far). Checked in with the guy at front desk (the owner/manager, etc). My room was on the 4th floor, no elevator of course, so I hefted all my stuff up the stairs. This isn't like a Sheraton or Holiday Inn...rather it's like a small town hotel you'd see in the movies (or find in France everywhere), and my room is small with a bed, table/chair, tv, sink and bidet. The toilet is in one room at the end of hall, the shower in another at the other end. I slept for about 2 hours, then decided I was hungry. I didn't feel like exploring the city at night (as nightfall was approaching now), so I decided to eat whatever came along first. I was expecting a grocery store or something, but as I was walking down the street, a Subway appears! (Yes, the sandwich shop we all know and love). So I decided to get food there, which I did and took it back to the 'hotel'. (Footlong turkey cost ~$8.50, so yes, their food is more expensive). Ate it back at hotel, tried to log on to wifi networks, but all were password protected. Took a glorious shower and brushed my teeth (it had been about 31 hours in the same clothes with no shower/teethbrush and that's having been on 2 planes, 3 airports, 4 trains, etc) Read a little more, then went to sleep around 9pm local (3pm US). Woke up at 3am local (9pm US) and tossed turned for 30min, then went back to bed.

We Buy Gold!

Slept until 8:30/9am local (3am US) and had alarm set so I could eat breakfast downstairs. Cost another $9 but it was in the hotel and whatever. It was coffee, orange juice, a croissant and a half-baguette. I drank the drinks (coffee included which I'm not the biggest fan of...but I'm in France and was tired, so), ate the croissant w/ some butter, and ate half of the half-baguette w/ strawberry preserves. I took the other half (and packet of honey) to my room to save for lunch. I went back upstairs and decided to seek out the library for some WiFi. I asked the manager where the library was (which made me laugh in my head because "Where is the library?" - "Où est la bibliothèque?" - is such a cliche beginner's French / hear it on those "teach yourself French" tapes / etc). And he said turn right out of here, and follow it straight down. Ok, so I took my backpack with me, and wore a hoodie (because again, it was brisk). There were signs that said "library - this way" that I followed for probably a mile or so, and I found it without too much difficulty. It was about 10:30am at this time...aaaand the library doesn't open until 1 - awesome. So I turn around and walk back to hotel - I didn't mind too much, it was a decent day and nice to get out and see part of the city. On the way back, I happened to pass the Office of Tourism, so I got a map of the city from there (free - most French cities have this Tourism office w/ free maps and city events and people to answer questions, etc). I passed many buildings and stores, obviously, ranging from restaurants to Pharmacies to a huge high school (not the one I'm at) even to "We Buy Gold!" stores (which evidently exist everywhere in the world).

I get back and decide to read and/or nap until 1. However, I really end up laying in bed talking to myself in French (in my head) and looking up a ton of words in my French-English dictionary. I eat my leftover baguette and some granola bars for lunch and head back out to the library around 2. (I'd put on my jacket, but had to take it off because it had gotten warm). I got there, went inside, past the front desk, sat down, pulled out laptop, pulled up internet...and you have to put in your library card number / name. So I go to the help desk and explain (in French) that I'm here to teach, I need a library card, don't have a French social security number or address yet (will be getting that Friday), etc. She says it's cool, everything's free, they just need identity (passport) and address to issue the card. She said to explain my situation to front desk and they'd be able to help. So I do, but the frontdesk lady says she needs the address of where I'll be living in order to issue the card, it's mandatory. Fine, I'll be back tomorrow. I walk back to the hotel, and notice on his little sign it says WiFi...so I ask and he says yes, here's the password.  To think, all this time I could've had access. Oh well. I have it now, so I logged on and checked Facebook/email...and then typed this.

So there you are, the first adventures of Andrew in France. I'll probably chill in my room a little more, go find some dinner, and then tomorrow morning the teacher from my school will arrive to take me to my housing and do errands (like open a bank account, fill out paperwork for social security, etc).

The dinner I found. And yes, that giant key was actually my room key.