Day 280 - Proportionality

convergence

Long journey home today...once again we were delayed for several hours at the channel tunnel...

Having been up since 7.30am to pack and clean the gite, we'd managed to get away in good time (for a change!), with around 40 minutes of slack to get us to Calais for 2.20pm.

We'd checked on the internet before leaving and found that the Peripherique (Paris's equivalent of the M25) was clear...sure enough, the traffic was flowing, we got off to the north of Paris, and as we started to pick up speed, we figured that the worst danger of being caught in traffic was past.

This lasted for about 1 mile (literally), before we hit a traffic jam that cost us an hour of time. 

Once free of this, we were 15 minutes behind schedule, so picked up the pace.  Within half an hour, we were back on schedule as we went through the toll some 60 miles north of Paris.

Unfortunately, at this point none of us were really paying attention, and the satnav started recalculating, as it was wont to do, and confused us (ok, confused me) no end.

After a while we realised we'd missed a significant exit, and would now have to take a longer route, and would again be 10 minutes late.

We pushed on, and managed to make up some time, such that we got there at 2.24pm, just 4 minutes later than the "last check-in" time for our 2.50pm train.  We weren't too worried, figuring they'd just put us on the next train...

But oh no...

"You're late!" said the ticket machine.   

I tried to respond with, "A climber is never late, and nor is he early...he arrives precisely when he means to...", but the machine wasn't listening, and instead informed us that we could have a slot on the 4.35pm train if we wanted...

Seriously?!  For being four minutes late, we're punished with an extra two hours delay?!

Of course, the two hours turned into two and a half, and subsequently we were much later home than intended.

At least the 11 hour journey was a little shorter than the 12.5 hours it took us to get there...but it's quite a trek for what is, at most, around 7 hours driving. 

Anyway, as we (eventually) pulled onto the train, I remembered I'd need a photo, and quickly snapped this as we drove along the upper deck of the train...I quite like the reflections of the brake lights in the otherwise slightly gloomy interior. 

So now we're home, which is quite a relief.

Only thing is, I really fancy some bouldering...

Anyone up for a trip to Font?

;-)

PS bonus internet point for anyone who gets the relevance of the title.