Anyone who has known me for the last 25 years or so, knows I’ve come to be afraid to fly. Truth be told I would sooner close my eyes and transport myself and my travelling companions through time and space and simply “be there” rather than go through the whole rigmarole of plane travel.
We were heading to Provence and the Cote d’Azur. To avoid Paris this summer we thought we would fly through Amsterdam to Marseille where we had rented a car to drive to the lovely country hotel where we had both enjoyed staying before on separate occasions.
Our flight on KLM to Amsterdam was uneventful. My favourite way to describe a flight.
We boarded the bus in Amsterdam for the ride on the tarmac to the smaller connecting flight. The bus came back to where we boarded and we all got off and went back inside. A problem with the plane’s brakes had been discovered. But we have another plane. No problem. We board the bus again and head out to the plane.
After about an hour of flying south, the pilot comes on and in a very serious and under control way explains that there is a storm with thunder and lightning going from the clouds to the ground in Marseille and the instrument that they use to land the plane so that they can see is broken. This means that we cannot land, dramatic pause, in Marseille, so we will be heading back to land safely in Amsterdam.
Given the doctor’s prescribed anti-anxiety medication I’m on to fly, this all sounded reasonable. I was so very grateful not to have a bad landing experience or worse. I was thinking how grateful I was that I was travelling on such a big and well run airline that was valuing safety over the pressure to fill the schedule. The pilot apologized for any inconvenience and announced that upon landing he would be at the front of the plane as we disembark -available to answer any questions. I thanked the flight attendant who was kept busy explaining to people who didn’t understand that there are bigger forces in life than their personal schedules. I thanked them for putting safety first and how grateful I was about that.
I don’t take things for granted. I have learned that life can change unexpectedly in an instant. And not always for the better. I wasn’t expected in Marseille to make a presentation or be at an important sales meeting so there were no stakes on the line apart from a missed hotel room and a rented car with our name on the booking.
We landed without incident, my favourite way to describe a flight.
When we were all standing up to file off the plane, a British guy in his 30’s or perhaps 40’s rang someone on his cell phone : “We’ve had a spot of bother and I won’t be in Marseille for dinner. I’ll be on the next flight at seven so I might catch you for a drink later…”
I thanked the pilot and he asked me if he had communicated clearly. Absolutely! said this medicated traveller who had been on-the-road for over 20 hours at this point. What was crystal clear then, and still is on reflection, is what leadership and honest communication can feel like. What a shining example of someone who makes their decision and then stands to hear about it for all those whose lives he possibly saved at the cost of their time and money. Small price to pay, indeed.
We decided (almost as a non-decision) we’re not going to see about three times lucky -we will get to France another way. We couldn’t find a train – all fully booked. As Canadians we’re familiar with driving long distances to see grandparents- 12 hours is about the same since we wouldn’t be driving to Marseille; we were heading to Châteauneuf de Pape. The car rental company’s representative had never heard of anyone drive so far in his twenty-two years on this earth. Impossible. Also impossible given that we would be changing countries and would not be returning the car. I made the assumption that they were all multi nationals, but I guess that’s a North American assumption, the way you can rent a truck that’s originally from Arizona…
We decided to find a place to stay, have dinner and we’ll figure it out after we’ve had something to eat.
It was our lucky day! I have only been to Amsterdam a handful of times, but I do have a favourite hotel. I love how it’s all about travelling and community. Max Brown had one last room in their cozy, modern narrow house beside a canal!
We walked around the corner, crossing a bridge over the canal and lucked out that a table had come available outside where the temperature was cooler. At De Belhamel, we enjoyed a lovely meal on this warm still evening surrounded by friendly people, bicycles riding by on one side and boats of all types on the canal on the other side. Happy we had arrived.
We hadn’t arrived to the destination we bought a ticket for, but we had arrived on holiday -for our adventure that we had been talking about for three years.
We did find a train that would take us near our destination the following day. We needed to take the train to Paris and then change stations to get a fast train south (I’ve done this before and it wasn’t pretty). I had done this exact trip with Ilse seven years before.
The sun was rising as we boarded the first train to Paris.
After a crazy cab ride through the streets of Paris between stations ( my idea to avoid the chaos I had experienced seven years ago)and to see a glimpse of the city we were ever-so-briefly visiting, we arrived to the station. The driver finished texting long enough to make a u-turn and park illegally letting us out and helping us with our luggage.
We had 75 minutes until our train south. I figured we were just in front of one of the platforms where we will leave from. I looked up and remembered that because I follow David from Provencial Life on Instagram- it would be fun to dine in this beautiful restaurant. We couldn’t find the lift, so we dragged our bags up the stairs (easier to do at the beginning of the trip before the wonderful French markets) entering another world, perhaps another time in history.
Lunch was delicious, the service was lovely, the other patrons were almost caricatures – and the interior was ornate, to say the least.
I know what you are thinking… and you would be right. We were not right by our platform. So in a packed station these arthritic knees forgot their limitations and let me RUN pushing the luggage in and around the crowds and then just-like-in-the-movies along the length of the train- with the clocks showing 2 minutes to departure. We made it!
After several hours and changing trains when we got to Provence, we landed in Avignon’s car rental office. No more cars to rent. No problem – there was another rental company to ask… we got into the rental car for our two weeks of exploring —
Travel offers so many lessons, so many ways to tell a story. So many gifts for the Creative. Being a traveller (and not a tourist) opens us up. It can. If we are. Open, that is.
It is a luxury to be able to save up and travel, dream, research, get yourself somewhere else. Make choices that require spending resources on one thing or saving for the future to see and experience something that lives only in your dreams until the day comes when you go. And then the dreams open up to experiences and the exercise is to be as present as you possible can, because you want to take it all in, not blink or you will miss it. Enjoy the company you are with, if by yourself or with the one you love.
Because soon enough it is all over and you are home, sitting at your kitchen table, cold tea in the cup next to you, the scent of sweet peas wafting in the air, the unsettling rumble of nearby blasting of rock, the comfort of your constant furry companion sitting on her mat napping, and you are left with these pictures. And the memories of a time, as all time, you will only have once—woven into your memory…sharing it with others— in part because it is particular to you, but because it will bring others together in stories we relate to, are reminded of something similar, and perhaps because others are interested.
I didn’t expect to get to share an evening meal at a French restaurant along a canal in Amsterdam, or sit in the amazing and beautiful room at Le Train Bleu— but that’s possible when you approach life as a creative person—you see Beauty around you because you have a practice of looking for it. You live with gratitude and approach problems creatively, together. You value gathering experiences that are new. That’s why it’s possible.
Today I saw a quote from a poet I adore, Donna Ashworth: “Positive people aren’t ignoring the darkness of this world they have dragged themselves painfully into the light and are choosing to share it with you.”
I wish you peace on your path today.
Lise-Lotte
Here are the links in case you are headed here:
Amsterdam
Hotel
Dinner
Paris
https://www.le-train-bleu.com/fr
David from Instagram- a very generous photographer who I appreciate following:
https://www.instagram.com/provencallife
Donna Ashworth, poet
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