As I am leaving Köln (Cologne), I meet an Australian couple who haven’t even yet left the German platform and already miss Germany for the beer.
The woman is carrying a large wrapped cylindrical object on her back, which they explain to me is a horse whip. She’s a horserider, and this whip she found in Germany was so unique in its design, that she had to have it. Of course she has to carry it strapped to her back the whole trip, her husband quickly adds. She doesn’t seem to mind at all.
They, like I, are connecting through Brussels into the south of France. Take note of what station in Brussels you are connecting in. I nearly got off at the first stop that announced Brussels, forgetting that it was Brussels Midi that services many international trains.
I had been warned about how crowded the trains through Brussels can be, since it is a major transfer point. Book your seat reservations as much in advance as possible if connecting in Brussels. The ICE train I took in the morning was nearly full, but I luckily found a seat without making a seat reservation. But the TGV train from Brussels to Marseille requires a compulsory seat reservation.
I find myself grabbing sandwiches often at these train connections, since the food on the trains can be more expensive. In Brussels Midi, I discovered a new sandwich shop where I grabbed probably the best sandwich so far on this trip. La Croissanterie touts itself as using all natural ingredients, and I loved their chicken with cole slaw on a 5 grain baguette. They can be found in the small dining area near the street exit of the station.
I know I am entering France when I see the several people seated with their dogs on the train. I meet Tasman, Remy and Zorro as one of the owners tells me that there is a website for French dog names, in case I am looking.
As I lean back in my chair I watch the clouds lift off over the hills like hot air balloons. I turn on my Ipod, and find a version of Moby’s “Slipping Away” that I mistakenly downloaded two years ago. It’s the duet version with the French artist Mylène Farmer, and at this moment, it is a wonderful primer as I journey into the south of France. As the train journeys south of Lyon, the famous sunshine of Provence blows the cloud balloons away.
Benjamin Thomas
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