Day 8 Part Two.

Ok for once im not typing this from a washroom im sitting in my girls apartment in Lyon eating curious pastry thingys and drinking a nice red wine. How did I get here you may ask? Well after purchasing my ticket I wondered La Baule for a few hours, lost my cigarettes ate a gormet pizza and had a few drinks before catching a train to Nantes which would be the first leg of an overnight journey. I was extremely nervous not because I had to ride the train alone but because I had to navigate frances famous train system hauling around a saddle bag a bike and a backpack and the lonely planet guide book I was using as a travel aid (Which was actually written before the advent of the euro) told me I would need a Housse (Bike Box) to ride certain trains, but a Housse I did not have. Through broken english/french I managed to understand from the ticket desk guy that it would not be necessary but my mind was still filled with images of angry ticket inspectors questioning me harshly in a foreign language as to why I was attempting to board one of their TGV's with a fully assembled and unboxed bike and maybe even denying me access to the train. As it turns out not all french trains cary bikes, so you need to book yourself and your bike onto a train with the appropriate bike car or as in my case a sleeping car which all seemed to me to have a special compartment into which you can place your fully assembled velo. I toyed with the idea of using SERNAM which is the SNCF door to door or station to station bagage service but this was a bit more complicated than waiting for an appropriate train. I waited nervously at La Baule station for the train to arrive and when it did the platform dude seeing that I was a bit confused directed me with out a word to the propper train car. Inside were a series of hooks hanging from a rack attached to the roof from which you hang your bike by the front wheel. All very neat and considerate in my opinion becaise where I come from you would be hard pressed to find such an accomodating and well thought out service as this, but Frances railways pride themselves on being extremely bike friendly. I took the train to Nantes were I worried again (Im the nervous type ok) but when my train arrived (Train a Grand Vitesse going all the way to Geneva overnight) the dude in the funny hat seeing my bike just smiled asked for my Billet and pointed at my carriage. After almost falling between the platform and the train as I struggled up the three metal steps and throught the narrow door and around a tight corner just inside the door with all my bags, camping equipment and bike I found a little bay designated as a bike storage compartment. It may sound funny to a few of you but things like this which im sure a common in other countries are totally foreign and seem amazingly considerate to someone from Ireland where the authorities and train companies would probably make you jump through hoops to bring a bike on a train not to mention charge you an arm and a leg. My compartment was right next to the velo space and when I open the door I found a frend woman with her two very well behaved kids getting into their bunks, you see there are six bunks in the 2nd class sleeping compartments. I did not want to subject these poor people to the feet and armpits and worn three days in a row t-shirt so I waited till they were asleep before entering to sleep myself. I spent that time looking out the window at the very blurry scenery reflecting on my trip and anticipating seeing my little girlfriend again in a few hours. I set my alarm for six in the morning as my train was due in to Lyon at sevenish. I found that I could sleep while the train was moving but woke every time it stopped which I found pretty funny, maybe it was the soothing vibrations keeping me under. My trip almost at and end I noticed I was not feeling particuarily depressed, I put this down to the fact that I know another adventure is begining soon for me. My new life with my girl in Lyon starts in a few hours and I can always hit the road for a day or two at a time whenever I feel the desire. Stay tuned as I have more to digress but im too exhausted to write anymore tonight and dinner is almost ready mmmmmmmm.