Rain, Clouds....Part IV

Saturday and Sunday, March 1-2, 2008

Returning to Basel Getting back to Basel proved to be as challenging as the trip to Chamonix. We left Argentiere in time to take the train back to Les Pelerins, the train station closest to Les Gaillands, pack, and return to the train station. The arriving train was very close to on time. It stops, we push the button to open the doors and they don;t open. Other people are pushing buttons and still no open doors. Then the train slowly starts to pull away with all of us standing on the platform. We are whistling, banging on the train and yelling. Finally, it stops and we get on.

The instructions we received pertaining to our return itinerary were that once we boarded the train in Perelins we would ride it all the way to Martigny, Switzerland before changing. These were instructions from the French train station. Well, we get to the stop at Chamonix and we are instructed to change trains. After clarifying our destination, we do so. Okay now we set. Not quite. Something is wrong with the train and we sit for fifteen minutes while the problem is resolved.

At least we think. Forty five minutes or so down the line, the train stops. Folks get off and on. Then, to our horror, the train starts going back the way we came! The next available stop, we get off. The station was Montroc-Le Planet if you are following this on the map.

Then we wait for 45 minutes for a train going the right direction. It comes. We get on. This time Robert goes and knocks on the door to the conductor's booth for instructions. Sure enough, we need to change trains at Vallorcine. We change trains. All of the delays have caused us to miss our connection once we arrive in Martigny. Our frame of mind was that if we could just get back to Switzerland everything would be fine.

The train arrives at Martigny. We depart the French train with ALL of our belongings. And....the station is closed. Within minutes the automated sign displays a destination that we recognize from our trip down. We take that train. Fortunately, Robert is able to get instructions for the rest of the journey from the conductor and seven hours later on a four hour trip we arrive in Basel!

All in all the trip was great with many happy memories. The travel...well, Robert may never go back to France. Everyone, for the most part, kept a good attitude and happy disposition through it all.

This weekend we are going back to Kleine Scheidegg in SWITZERLAND! Snow is in the forecast with temps in the teens and twenties. Burrr. In France, folks were sunning! Skiing and tanning all in one place.