Missed the train

I think that I told you earlier that I planned for the unkown in my
schedule by padding the temporal distance between activities. In that
case it was extra time needed to get from the airport to the train
station in Paris. I also purchased a train ticket from Geneva to
London, online, through RailEurope.com or somewhere like that. I had
an hour and 15 minutes between trains; no problem. Little did I know
that Gare de Lyon and Paris Nord were two different stations,
seperated by a 35 minute taxi ride in the bustle of downtown traffic,
even if it was a Sunday. Then I checked the information kiosk where
to check in and had to go through security. I literally had to go to
my coach through 7 others because I couldn't make it to the proper
end of the train before the doors closed. In fact, I wouldn't have
had a chance if it weren't for a lady on the exact same route, fluent
in French. Wow, I got lucky. But here now. All's good. Spent the 2
+hours from Geneva to Paris talking with a German lady. She is the
assistant to the high commissioner of human rights for the United
Nations. Wow, we had a great talk. Ranging from the hierarchy in
Austrian business to the UN ambassador (her former boss) who was
killed in Iraq two years ago. Tears came to my eyes.

Something else we discussed. German heritage from her perspective. I
hadn't ever heard the family stories from a local who witnessed the
great wars. Concluding that terrible time her parents were displaced
and started from scratch. Much like the people of the western US.
Well, I am pooped and want to hang by the bar on coach 6. ;-)

Before I depart from this brief message, let me include a couple of
statements of our (German lady) conversation. She spoke of a personal
story that she learned of the importance of honesty. I mean real, up
front, no holds barred honesty. Like, not saying to a friend who is
dying of cancer false words of hope. Go with and be God is the morale
we presented. In that note, I hope my Welsh girlfriends aren't
distracted by my uncommitted tone of making plans. It will work out
perfectly, this I am sure.

Matt