I had wanted to go to Fontainebleau for a while. For years actually. No, a decade. One of my former lovers studied there, at INSEAD, and he always talks about it as if its this huge, humongous deal. So I have had it etched in my mind for a while but the occasion never presented itself, until I presented the occasion for it by simply getting my behind on the R train out of Gare de Lyon.
The ride there was without incident and it is a lovely ride, I must say. The train was not crowded at all, and the view from the window was magnifique, especially around the area of Melun, another little town with a cute little river.
So, I got there and discovered that my phone was completely dead. I wasn't surprised because at Gare the Lyon, I had met this man from Martinique who volunteered his services to take a photo of me. I was busy snapping shots of the Gare and he said "c'est belle, eh?" and he offered to take my photo. So I acquiesced and of course after, he wanted my phone number and to have coffee and all of that and of course, I ran as quickly as I could away from him. Because I don't need headaches in my life. I value my tranquility and peace too much and I am not letting anybody in unless it is compelling and he for sure was not compelling.
Anyway, when he gave me the phone back, I noticed I was already at 40 percent so I knew that by the time I got to Fontainebleau, it would be done. Luckily, I was able to verbally muscle assistance from the front desk at the Chateau. He was giving me the usual "there is nothing I can do" speech and I was not having it. I let him know it's Christmas and I am a tourist and I came a long way and my phone is dead and I want it charged and so he can just stick it in his computer and juice it up for me and stop with the BS. (I just love how bold I am becoming as I age. I just say it as it is and I don't give a damn and it works!) So anyway, he obliged and we had a good talk while the phone charged for nearly 30 minutes. And, so, voilà.
The Chateau was off the hook. Gorgeous. Gorgeous! I did not see most of it of course because I had to get back to Paris for my afternoon appointments and of course, that is when the drama began because as I was leaving the guy at the front desk told me there was no train to Paris. Service had been suspended in both directions because someone had committed suicide by throwing themselves onto the tracks.
I couldn't believe at first, that someone could be so selfish as to kill themselves when I was stranded in Fontainebleau and had an appointment in Paris. I confess this was my first thought. "How incredibly selfish! How inconvenient! You can't kill yourself NOW! I have to get to Paris and I don't know my way around this town!!!"
And it was true. It WAS inconvenient. But how incredibly selfish of me to think first of myself in a situation like that. I confessed there and then and asked God's forgiveness. I thought about life and how difficult it is. For many of us. Maybe for all of us. How do you survive this? How do you stay strong and get to the finish line without resorting to throwing yourself on the train tracks? During the holidays? You know? That is the question. Cause there but for the grace of God we all go. And this shit, this life, is really, really hard and tough and often cruel and uncaring. And some people can't cope. And it is sad. So I stood there wondering "God, where are you? Why don't you reveal yourself?" And it seemed like he said, "wherever you look, you can see me. Look at the stones, look at the clouds. I am here. Be strong."
OK. But I gotta get to Paris! Everybody and their mother was piled at the bus stop because apparently, the way to Paris was to take a bus to Melun and then grab the RER D to Paris. How will I ever get on this bus with all these people???
By the time I got on, there were two seats left. The bus in Fontainebleau does not move if people are standing. It's not like Paris. You have to have a seat, or get off. And this was where the drama started because I got one of the last two seats and then a bunch of people were standing and refused to get off the bus because they had been waiting for the bus for nearly one hour. It took the bus driver and the other passengers nearly a half hour to get them to sortir. Screams, shouts, orders, I mean, you name it. One guy told them he would get them off by "force!" I was sitting there wishing I had a pen to write down what they were saying because it was like a movie. All this french flying around me, I can't keep up.
Eventually, we arrived in Melun, after a long drive through the forest. All the way there, I hoped I was on the right bus and was heading where I thought I was heading. And thank god, it worked out.
I made my appointment in the nick of a minute only to have the client tell me that the venue had changed and she had forgotten to tell me about it. So she wanted to put me in a UBER. I don't do UBER. I am a strange little creature who does not like to get into cars when I don't know the driver. She told me a car would come get me and I am standing out there waiting for a car and a bloody bus shows up with a man in it. He is waving at me to get in. I am looking at him like he is insane. I am NOT getting into a van with some guy I don't know!
Anyway. It worked out. I got through this crazy day. And I even have a few pictures of the Chateau for all my troubles.
