The day I left Paris (which feels like MONTHS ago now) was another hot one. I got up early and was very ready to make the trip…

Or so I thought…

Turns out I had to pay the hotel in cash, and not American dollars. So I had to jog down the street to get to an exchange. I wasn’t sure what time the trains for Geneva were leaving so I wanted to get to the station as soon as possible…so by the time I got back I was sweating in the most awful way. Not a good way to start a long trip.

I paid the extremely nice hotel people, hailed a cab…and was off to the Lyon train station.

Getting there was easy…and figuring out where and what to do was…well, easy. I found an international ticket booth that spoke English (it’s good to know what the British flag looks like), got a 1st class ticket to Geneva (a little pricey…90 Euros I think, but VERY worth it). I found where my train was departing and simply waited.

The station was very busy…backpackers, families, kids, soldiers (with serious weapons), business people…you name it. I had a longish wait so I sat on my luggage…watched and read.

In about an hour or so the train started boarding and I had a wonderfully large and comfortable seat…right by the window, with no one next to me.

Turns out there were two American couples behind me….probably in their mid to late 50s. I wanted to punch them. All the women would do was talk about shoes…where the bought them, how cute they were, how cheap they were, where they would wear them…ugh. Both the men were sitting with laptops and phones (obviously working) but the women prattled on…trying to show them their shoes, tell them about the shoes….FREAKING SHOES!

Eventually they fell asleep and I was happy.

The train ride was excellent. It was a TGV, a bullet train, and soon we were hauling SERIOUS ass through the French countryside. I tried to take a picture or two but none came out…we were moving just way too fast. But it was an interesting ride. The view was part California and part North Carolina…lots of farms, TONS of corn, a bit dry and arid but full of trees and little villages. We just cruised and cruised…I think it was at least a 3 hour ride.

Soon the soft rolling hills gave away to larger ones…and eventually the mountains grew up all around me. I didn’t recognize many of the trees…not a lot of pine, nor any other plants I’m used to (mountains means manzinita if you ask me!).

As we got deeper and higher into the mountains I started to actually get nervous…this was where it was all going to begin.

We arrived at a Geneva train station…I got off, gathered my luggage and…uh…now what? Where do I go? I’m in Geneva…but….

Crap.

After a bit of mild pacing panic I sat down and collected my thoughts. I busted out my handy paperwork and called the school.

It turns out there are a couple stations in Geneva, and I was at the wrong one! I nabbed the Geneva AIRPORT train…and all was well with the world again.

The ride was quick, and soon I found the Les Roches desk right by International Arrivals.

I met up with about 6 other students…they tossed us on a train to Sierre (the closest town/stop to the school)…we were met by a buss and took a painfully twisty ride up the mountain to Bluche.

We arrived, drank tea, were given keys….I crawled into my room and passed out.

I woke up at 9 am, left the hotel at 10:30…and arrived in my room at 12 pm.

Ugh.

Long day…but I made it…and all was good.

So that isn’t the most interesting story. But it wasn’t a very interesting ride.

Soon I’ll talk about the people…another on the countryside…and a bit about the school.

Man, I’m out of blogging shape!

My address at school is:
Douglas Neil Crawford
Les Roches
CH-3975 Bluche
Switzerland

Phone:
079-812-5028

That is a cell phone number, and I generally have it with me all the time. If you call me it is free on my end…but can get expensive quickly on your end unfortunately. It’s not the fanciest phone in the world but it does a decent job…and oddly enough, was very cheap…and I got it from the Post Office (more on that later). I don’t have voicemail (I think) and the school is VERY strict about getting calls while in class…so that is something else to deal with.

Oh! One more thing…that number may not be exactly correct. You’ve got to dial the country code first, then the number…and you may not have to dial “079″…it might just be “79″.

I initially started typing like a mad man here…I just got my computer back. But I realize that it is pretty damn early in the morning over there so there is no real use in babbling randomly.

In other words, I’ve got a hell of a lot to talk about. And considering my rather…ahem…wordiness, I really ought to organize my thoughts a bit before blasting off on massive posting.

But you all should be expecting a lot of words here soon. I’ve got stories about my trip, about my first week, about the people…the sights…the…well…everything.

It is so awesome.

So abso-freaking-lutely awesome.

I love you all, miss you all, and wish you all were here.

Time to have another beer and start this off right!