Rolling on to Interlaken

So here we are on the TGV to Interlaken. First Class, no less - that's because DJ had the FORESIGHT to get our rail pass in Australia before we left. And so for a couple of rail travel stories. Are you ready?  Here we go:

Story Number One

We have all borne witness to this type of event. The one where the travellers have taken their seats and are furiously getting themselves organised for the hours ahead - bags, books, phones and ... hankies.  In this story that's us. 

Along comes another traveller keen to get herself and her 14-year-old daughter into THEIR allotted seats. "You are in our seats", she says waving her ticket as the 14-y-o pushes past me to the place by the window. 

Next comes the inevitable scramble for the tickets by Dear Jude. "Oopsies", gasps one of the parties inside her head. "Isn't this carriage 12?".  "No, it's carriage 13". [Can you guess which party is in the 'I was right all along' box?]. CORRECT!  It was Dear Jude!  With barely a hint of apology, Mrs Know-It-All and 14-y-o scurry off to fight another battle in carriage 12. 

Story Number 2

Dear Jude is the sensible one in the family. Everyone knows that. When it comes to buying refreshments offered in-flight or on-journey (in the case of trains) the answer is always a firm "No". And rightly so!  They are always WAY too expensive. 

So when the food trolley approaches, pushed by an Obliging Uniformed Chap (OUC), DJ seems to stiffen. How is she going to put Groombles and the Girls off the buying of the midday meal?  Ignore him. That's the go. 

Groombles looks plaintively at the chap, who is about to move along to the next set of seats. He is astonished that he has been 'ignored'. Groombles, at the last moment asks, "Is the meal included?"  "But of course", answers the OUC.  I nearly kissed him!

And do we smashed into a typically lovely French lunch. On the train. With wine. Hurtling along to Mulhouse Ville and on to Interlaken at - at times - over 300 kph!