From the 5 Terre to the 5 Trains

I'm not gonna lie I have been most afraid of going to France! More than Ethiopia! Because I don't speak a lick of French and butcher the language every time I try to read it. And everyone always talks abouthow mean the French are! Disaster. Anyway, though they were not warm when offering help, they did offer help. So, hey, thanks French people. Of my 5 trains I took, 3 were late and it was just a long day.

By the time I got to Marseille, I was just tired. And when I FINALLY got the right coins to make the purchase on the train computer to get a ticket to Aubagne (that took like 5 tries, but I got it!) I was hungry and the only thing open was McDonald's. I mean, seriously? So I bought a $10 salad at McD's and was feeling really sick. But had been encouraged bc the Marseille train station is like the nicest one I've seen in Europe so far, so I extrapolated that to also mean that the bathrooms would be really nice, and I started to get excited. But the bathrooms: POORLY marked. I couldn't find the dumb bathrooms and I didn't want to miss my train. After an ORDEAL of locating said toilets, I was thrilled to see the doors! And of course had to dig around for 50 cents to go through the turnstile, and by the time I made it into the freaking bathrooms, of course the toilets didn't have any damn seats. Ya know, I try to be one of those diplomatic travellers who says of the US compared to different cultures "It's not better, it's just different." But ya know, toilet seats are BETTER! There, I said it. And geez, here I am paying $10 for a disgusting McD's salad (and if the french hate America why are they pro-McD's? Americans don't even like McD's), a painful SEARCH for the stupid toilets, paying freaking 50 cents to even use the fool thing, and trying to get through the turnstile with my bags (if only you could have been a fly on the wall to observe those acrobatics), imagine my angry squinchy face when I stared at a topless bowl. Good thing I have strong quads. Did I just say that?

FRANCE so FAR: Pros and Cons

Pro

1. Betsy lives here (however she is American, does this count?)
   
2. Nicer trains than Italy
3. Helpful French people
4. Internet Callbox near the Nice train station
   

Con

1. McDonald's is more expensive than an actual good deli or bistro at home
2. NO DAMN TOILET SEATS
3. Late Trains
4. Poorly Marked Toilets
   

A picture on the train of my limp body trying to sleep on train.


Evidence that I was in Nice.


A new twist on an old favorite: the self-portrait! This is my reflection in the train window at night. (I quickly took this when the Frenchman left the little compartment for a minute bc that would be really embarassing for someone to actually SEE me do this.)


Another PRO for France - McDonald's has bendy straws here!