Weekend review

I forgot the camera (boo) but the weekend was really great. We went shopping on Saturday. I like shopping in France more than Germany because I understand more of the signs, and of course I have Dan to translate.

Biggest oddity, new for both of us, was at the biggest store we went into, Auchan (think French Walmart). As people enter the store, there is a machine which seals any bags you are bringing into the store. It is just a press with heat, and if you wish they provide clear bags you can put over your bag, if it's not plastic or you don't want to ruin it. I guess this is to assure the cashier that you didn't slip anything into your other shopping bags.

Dinner on Saturday was terrific, had dinner at a Thai place near the water in Cergy. Dan had garlic shrimp and I had chicken curry. The dishes were excellent, I would definitely go back, too bad it's in Cergy not Stolberg. We tried another place for dessert, also by the harbour.

Sunday we relaxed, until the mad car ride to the train station. Paris is the worst place to drive that I've seen - I'm sure there are worse, but it was maddening yesterday. We had ourselves an hour cushion and still needed more time. There was some outdoor street market going on, about 2 km outside of the Gare du Nord train station where I was leaving from. We drove a total of 200 m in 30 minutes time. There was only one train running to Aachen on Sunday, so if I had missed it, that would have been it until Monday. So with about 5 minutes left before the train leaves, Dan gets pretty gutsy and pulls into the bus lane, and then over into a delivery parking spot. He grabs my bag and we run, literally, as fast as my cowboy-booting feet can boogy, the last 500 meters to the front and inside, down the station where they are waving me to get on because it's leaving NOW. I leap inside, and that's it. I don't think it can be any closer than that. I was on the wrong part of the train, and had to switch in Brussels about 1.5 hrs later so I could have a real seat. Oh la la, Paris!

No, but seriously, we have decided we'll try the Metro/RER subway route next time. As long as there is no strike, it should be a more sane way to get in and out of that train station.

Tourist side note:
According to my googling, Gare du Nord train station is quite famous, as train stations go, it is the busiest train station in Europe and is in the Bourne movies 1 and 3, and in Ocean's Twelve.