Adventures by train in France
Geography matters.
Last year France passed a regulation intended to lower carbon emissions by banning short-haul flights between cities where viable train connections exist. Given how fast, easy, and more interesting it is to travel by train in Europe, this seems like a no-brainer, although the airlines are not so thrilled…
Until yesterday my experience on French trains has been limited to travel on major routes: Annecy or Geneva to Paris, Paris to Bordeaux, Eurostar to London—most of them TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse). Compared to Amtrak, these “trains of great speed” are a marvel. The seats are comfy, with plenty of leg room, a tray to work on, and plugs for charging your devices. They slip out of the station so silently and smoothly, you can be surprised to discover you’re underway. And before you know it, voilà! you’re at your destination.
Train travel is more complicated when your trip necessitates going across the middle of the country, because the Massif Central is in the way. This is an extensive region of high plateau, craggy mountains, and deep gorges in south-central France—crudely indicated by the oval I drew on the map below. Because of the complex terrain, trains do not cross the area.
Alas, I wanted to travel from Annecy (near my son’s home in the foothills of the French Alps) to Agen in the southwest to visit an old friend who lives nearish, in the tiny hilltop village of Pujols. [I’ve added both to the map, in red.] Thanks to the Massif Central, it was a big half circle and a looong day. My route took me from
1) Annecy to Lyon,
2) Lyon to Montpellier du Sud, then
3) shuttle bus (15 minutes) and
4) tram (30 minutes) to
5) another Montpellier station to catch the local to Toulouse.
6) Toulouse to Agen. That’s six transfers—and 13 hours.
From the bus on, everything was so crowded that passengers were using the pull down seats in the gangway—school kids on field trips, families taking advantage of a holiday weekend, commuters. Reality bites.
French railway stations have several tracks, and my next train was always on a different track, which you get to via a tunnel under the tracks. For a 7-week trip, I was schlepping a very heavy carryon, wearing a very heavy backpack, and carrying a tote with water & food. Clunking down a long flight of stairs to the tunnel then hauling my shit back up the stairs on the other side grew old really fast. I’m sporting bruises on both legs and both arms as proof of suffering.
Nevertheless it was worth it. Christine has been a friend for thirty+ years (native French, but spent many years in Berkeley and Eugene). She lives in Pujols, a 13th-century hamlet of three short streets. No cars except for deliveries—you park in a nearby lot. Only a few structures remain from the 13th century. The others are from the 16th, including my friend’s house.
Christine’s house looks out over the old church yard and beyond to the fields across the valley. Fairy-book fabulous. Her home is colorful and chock full of art.
On my first visit here in 2013, I had the brilliant idea to bring her a handmade gift from home: a box of prunes lovingly gathered, pitted and dried by me. She graciously accepted them—but why was she laughing?
We walked around the corner and she showed me this half-timbered house from the16th century, typical for little hill towns in the region. The sign on the building: La Boutique de Pruneaux. Turns out the Agen area is famous for its prunes.
THEY TELL IT BETTER THAN I COULD
Scott Pelley’s commencement address about freedom of speech and the press at Wake Forest University. From Stephen Beschloss's Susbstack, America, America
The FTC and how price fixing screws small business—by Matt Stoller, who writes BIG, about monopolies like Walmart, Amazon, etc.
The key reason that main street America died in the 1980s, and that small businesses are struggling today, is a tactic known as “price discrimination,” which is when buyers and sellers charge higher prices to the little guy because they can. Doing that used to be illegal, and there’s a law on the books - the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA) - that was known as the “Magna Carta of small business” precisely because it made this practice unlawful.
I was going to be brave, but… a poetic litany by Anand Giradharadas. After reading his poem, one commenter suggested writing down each one that resonated: I changed the “was” to “am,” the “but” to “and” or “even though”. Kept the best to add one a day to my calendar. What we can name we can change. See what resonates for you.
And Sara Bareilles sings “BRAVE” (lyrics included)
PUT YOURSELF IN THE WAY OF BEAUTY
I hated leaving Veyrier yesterday morning. The five weeks flew by, bathed in beauty and the love of & for my son, his wife, and my grandkids. On my final night we drove up into the hills at the opposite end of the lake from Annecy. We ate at an outdoor restaurant overlooking the lake as the Chateau de Duingt below got bathed in golden light.
I hope you enjoyed the train saga. Through the experience, I cheered myself: “at least it will be a good story.” Have you had a memorable train trip?
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What a lovely village to end your vacation in France....
I like your sign!!!