Well, we all take things for granted right? Certain things work one way in your hometown, why won’t they be elsewhere?! One such innocent assumption we made almost cost us our lives at one night in Paris
You might have read my enamored blog post on the Eiffel Tower (if you have not, Click Here). Well, here is exactly what happened after we got done with our sightseeing. We had a stopover in Paris on our way to Barcelona and had an eight-hour gap. We had got down in Paris Nord around 10 pm and had a
It was almost one o clock, as we made our way back to Gare Du Nord. Shivering as we walked since none of us expected Paris to be that chilly in September. We walked in the hope that once we make it to the station we could get ourselves inside and get warm immediately.
To our utter dismay, we found the station closed. Speechless, we looked at each other puzzled. We had never in our wildest thoughts considered this possibility. Shivering to the bone, we spread out to try our luck and check if at least one part of the station remained open still. But no such luck favored us. With nowhere to go, we decided to find a quiet place by the station where we could wait out the next 5 hours.
So, packed for the last bit of summer in Barcelona’s beaches, we were not prepared for a chilly Paris in September. We were in for a rude shock. As the inevitable feeling of being stuck sunk in, we started worrying about our safety. After all, we were a bunch of unarmed students with cash, passports, laptops, DSLRs with no place to go. We were sitting ducks. We decided not to go looking for accommodation, for it was already too late into
Hence, we decided to find a quiet spot right outside the station and wait out the 5 hours. Turned out one soul among the 6 had thought of carrying a blanket and we took turns trying to keep ourselves warm in it. It was the longest 5 hours ever. To keep each other awake, we humored ourselves with inane conversations. I am not sure where we managed to get the confidence to joke at all then.
Since I am writing this tale, we made it through the night safe. Yet, thinking about the possible things that could have happened to us makes me shiver.
For all those who plan to commute within countries via trains in Europe, please beware. If you have long stopovers, remember to check with the authorities if the stations are open. Note that most of the train stations across Europe shut down at night. Unlike us, remind yourself to not take things for granted. because things work in a certain manner, does not mean that is how it is across the globe. No assumptions. Ask questions
Image Credits: To the rightful owner
