After arriving in Paris, retrieving my two hefty bags and (somehow) making it all the way into Paris on the suburb train the RER, I finally made it to the TGV station ready for my 2.5hr ride to Besancon.  The sailing through the airport and the various train stations (and transfers) was a little "awesome" at times with my bags. (scan: very difficult).  But everyone was very helpful and seemed to deal with my obtrusive bags very well.  I met a really meticulous guy from Florida on the train out of the airport.  He told me that he was studying art in Paris, but unfortunately his baggage was mislaid on the plane ride. Even worse, he doesn't have a host family assigned yet, so he had no information to give to the airport. Their admonition to him? Keep calling back. Phew. I hope he gets it.

Anyway. So since I'm travelling alone, I had to take my two large bags with me everywhere, such as to the bathroom.  Well, the bathroom at the TGV station payment money, so, in a perfect world, you gave your .50€ to the lady at the window, got a token and then put it in the slot, and these two saloon prototype glass doors opened for you. GREAT! unfortunately, this american put her .50€ in the slot, not the token...when we got all that figured out, the lady kept uttering that it would be unworkable for my bags to fit through the opening. Haha! proved her wrong... with much effort. Anyway... I did it!

I guess I'm by the skin of one's teeth proud of myself for lugging those things all the way through the airport. Yeah!  While waiting at the station, my favorite leisure-time activity was looking at people and trying to decide if they were French.  Before entering the TGV sequence, much like the token, each person had to put their ticket into a slot on a box located on a pillar that looks a lot like a soap dispenser.  So here I am, watching everyone doing this, and conclusion, hey...that looks important. So I go up and try my hand at this soap dispenser slot....

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