I awoke with a start. Looking at the alarm clock, I shrieked, "Wake UP! Johnelle, it is 7:39 a.m.!" "Whaaaaa? what about the alarm?".
"I don't know. Shit. I still feel ........ erm. TIPSY." "MOM! (laughing) you mean drunk?"
"NO. I mean like I just had a glass of rum. 2 hours ago!!! Now get up and help me figure this out!".
From which we call the taxi driver. Who had been waiting 10 minutes for us at the gare in Thiviers. To take us TO Perigueux.
Now we call and plead with him to drive to Brantome. And deliver us to Perigueux. Which he agreed to. Even though we had no chance in HELL of making an 8:25 a.m. departure. Since I am 29km from Perigueux.
In the meantime we grabbed baggage and began throwing shit (I mean clothing and other necessary articles) randomly into the suitcases.
He arrived in record time (Thiviers is 25 km from Brantome). We leap into the taxi. He appears to depart at a snail's pace and continue at such.
Until we arrive in Perigueux. Wherein he begins to run red lights and accelerate!
Now. I'm sure you will not be surprised at the fact that on top of not awaking on time, we had zero cash. So of course, it was necessary to make a pitstop at an ATM. After the time our train was set to depart.
It was then our driver shared with me that after receiving our phone call, he called a friend in Thiviers who told him the train for Perigueux had STILL not arrived. So there was an ever so small chance that we could still make our train. Except of course for the fact that we ALSO had to make a stop for cash. cough.
We squeal up to the gare, he tosses our bags at us and barks at us to "RUN! VIT!" while we are running into the station, he whistles across 2 tracks to the idling train, with conductors at the door. He yells at them to wait while we run down a set of stairs, through an underground tunnel, up a set of stairs and leap onto the waiting train. We tip him well, beaucoup de mercis; and we collapse into our seats.
I kid you not. It was better than a scene from a movie. I was there. I know.
5 comments:
I cannot even watch those movies much less star in one but my hat is off to you and your offspring for pulling it off with all that help and goodwill from really cool, patient, funny, prepared, forward thinking, flexible French people of all cultural backgrounds and occupations.! Vive la France!
Bises,
I'm impressed that neither of you wiped out with all the Steve McQueen driving and Carl Lewis sprinting. But next time, have a camera crew on hand because us third parties would find it quite comical. ;-)
Why do I suddenly want to buy a Rolex and Nikes wholesale?
Smooth and easy and trauma free travel makes for lousy stories. Just think, if you had woke on time and were packed and had cash---there would have been no story. Perfection is boring.
The french rock! I'm so glad that you made it to the train, luck was on your side. Can't wait to hear more.
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