This was an exciting day, if you consider dealing with a cancelled train and resulting missed connections "exciting". If you do, you're not very polite. Forgive me if this post is convoluted because I am. Right now, Wednesday, we are sitting on a train at the Toledo station heading back to Madrid, then on to Cordoba and Seville, I think. I only know by looking at our itinerary. I really have no effing idea where I am or what day it is. I'll assume what I printed off what seems like months ago is correct. If not, it doesn't really matter. I'm on a train going somewhere with good friends. This 7:55 train is obviously a commuter train. No one makes eye contact but they are all very polite should they do so accidentally.
So yesterday, I think, we left our Carcassonne room and headed to the train station for a 9:30 train to Narbonne, arriving at 10:02 to catch a Madrid train at 10:34 and on to Toledo. The monitors that indicate train status showed our train on time so we headed out to Track 2 to catch it. About 9:20 the monitor changes and indicated a "Retard 5 min". A few minutes later that changed to 10, then 15, then 40. I went inside to ask what happens if we miss our connection in Madrid and the helpful French Information lady says "Oh no problem. If the Madrid train is late, you will not miss your train." All in a cute French accent, but dead serious.
The next train to Narbonne was scheduled at 10:17 so they cancelled our train and told us to get on that one which we did, hoping the Madrid train was delayed. It wasn't. We missed it by 10 minutes. Oui, no problem.... for her.
We get into Narbonne and have 45 minutes for the next train to Madrid. No problem, just exchange our 10:40 tickets for 11:40 tickets. Right! These were the tickets that were practically impossible to get in advance. You could not believe what I had to do to get them.
Let me pause here to tell you that train travel in Europe ain't what it used to be. While the actual train system and trains are excellent and heads above what we like to think we have, the ticketing process has become complex. Used to be you just ordered your Eurail pass, hop on board any train and enjoy the best rail system in the world. Nope, not any more. It's more like the fun of trying to make your own airline reservations with multiple connections every day. Buying the pass is still easy, but now you need seat reservations on almost every train. Or so they tell you. We bought, well I bought. Belinda and Alice left the damn trip arrangements up to me. "Here's where we want to go. Make it so, Scotty." That's was Alice. Belinda wasn't quite so polite. "You better get us there buster!" I use "buster" in case any children are reading this.
So we spend $1,780 on a Global pass, meaning we can travel any 10 days in a two month period. Hop on, hop off, Mr. Miagi. (Autocorrect tried to change that to Magoo.) Used to be that way anyway. Now you have to reserve a specific train and seats and, of course, there's a fee. Allows for no flexibility. You miss a train and, yes madame, there is a problem.
In Narbonne we rushed to the ticket counter and stood in a line of about 10 people and two agents. We had 45 minutes.... No problem. Problem! This is France, second only to Italy in laize fair? Come see, come saw? Misenga, you know what I mean. Your problem is not my problem and I'll get to it when I want. Nine people took 35 minutes. After explaining twice to the agent she hit a couple of buttons, said "merde" a couple of times and then told me she could only get us to Barcelona. We would have to work it out there. We now had 3 minutes. I had sent the girls with all the luggage down the stairs, under the tracks, to Track C where the monitor indicated we would catch the next train, but damn if it didn't come in on A. MERDE! Double MERDE ! As I raced out the door to catch them they came running back up the stairs. They now recognize the types of trains we use. Sharp as tacks and I certainly need the help! By the way, all stations have multiple tracks and you don't walk across them. Trains don't slow down for stations, or anything else for that matter. You get hit by a high speed train you just disintegrate! To catch a train not on the track next to the station you go down stairs, or escalators in the bigger stations, go under the tracks, and back up to the correct track. I'm proud of the girls for being able to track all this at their age.
We just made it on board but headed toward Barcelona, not Madrid as we would have been had we made our connection. No problem, we'll just catch the Madrid train out of Barcelona...... Ha ha ha. What was I thinking?! When we arrived in "Barthelona" our decision was to either just hop on the next Madrid bound train and bullshit our way through or find someone to change our ticket. We went with bullshit. Bad idea. They now have airport style security at some stations. Barthelona was one of them. No boarding pass, no entry. Our BS, not Belinda Scott, got us no where. Well, it sorta did. We just got in the security line like we knew what we were doing and when they looked at our reservation, the line stopped. Everyone behind us was so excited that those "mentados touristas" gave them a chance to stand still. So we were pulled out of line, striped search, and rejected.... Not really, but it took four persons to figure out what to do. Thank God for women! The woman in charge basically said, get us seats. The guys just bumped into each other. Five minutes before the train leaves we get our seat assignments and head down the ramp.
Now we are on the train to Madrid where we just know we'll have the same issue so again, BS or legit. Again, no choice. More security BUT not as helpful as Barthelona. (For those of you who think I'm misspelling Barcelona, I'm writing it the way it's pronounced. The "C" is said with a lisp. Grathias instead of gracias, Barthelona instead of Barcelona. In Madrid we are sent to six different people, all men! (Bastardos)!
On the fifth stop, we find the one person in the whole effing station who knows what to do. Stamps our original ticket "Cancelled", and sends us to the ticket counter to buy new ones and tells us to file a claim for a refund. Twelve Euros later we walk calmly to our Toledo train and 30 minutes later arrive at our final destination. For all the hassle I guess it was "no problem." After all we arrived only one hour later than our original schedule. And we met some interesting people and are now certified as "Information Attendants" for the Madrid-Puerta de Atocha train station.
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