Separating the Sheep from the Goats

We have endured our first encounter with major travel glitches. Most of the time, the train system is an efficient and intelligible way to get around in France. But when there is a problem, there is also the domino effect. For us, it began with a misunderstanding in Nice that put us on the wrong train. Several hours and four attempts at the ticket window later, we finally figured out another way to get to Chamonix, our next destination. In the process, we discovered it makes all the difference, what questions you ask. Repeatedly, we were told, “No space on the trains to Chamonix, today or tomorrow.” But when we asked for a train to Lyon (a connecting hub to Chamonix), it was no problem. Not on the day we expected to get there, but the next day. We had to book a hotel in Lyon and adjust our reservations in Chamonix, but a way was opened and for that we were grateful…

Until we showed up at the train station in Lyon to board our 9:00 a.m. train for St. Gervais…then on to Chamonix. The train station was swarming with people. At the appointed hour, we went to the departure platform to stand with the masses. A train arrived and we were swept into a human tide and crammed, bag and baggage into the entry way of the train, which was posted not only for St. Gervais, but also for Geneva, Switzerland. That’s when it dawned on us – today is the opening day of the Euro 2008 Soccer Tournament in Geneva. The throngs of people were soccer fans, Geneva bound…and quite a few others, like us, trying to get to other places in the region. The train was going no where and we were informed those of us headed to destinations other than Geneva would need to board another train. Eventually, the whole train was emptied and it left the station sans passageurs (without passengers), while everyone waited for more trains and more instructions.

Eventually, the train officials began moving through the crowd, designating particular areas for the various destinations. Here for Geneva, there for St. Gervais. “It’s like separating the sheep from the goats,” I quipped. “Which is which?” my family asked, to which I declined to respond. The crowds and delays meant we would miss our intended connecting train to Chamonix. We had no idea what other options we would be offered upon our arrival in St. Gervais. Would we be able to make it all the way to Chamonix by bed time? If not, where would we spend the night? Will we get to see the Alps? And when will the cloud that has been hovering over France disperse? These are the questions that occupied our thoughts as we sped toward St. Gervais.

Yes, there was a connecting train, within a half-hour after we arrived in St. Gervais. We made it all the way to Chamonix by mid-afternoon. We have seen the foothills of the Alps, but the stubborn clouds are still hovering. There is a hopeful forecast for tomorrow. We are situated at the foot of Mt. Blanc, the highest summit in the Alps. We hope to explore the heights tomorrow, weather permitting. If not the heights, there are mountain trails that can be walked. Who knows, maybe we’ll see some sheep…or perhaps it will be goats we encounter. I wonder if it’s raining in Geneva?!

Blessings to all,

Cheryl