We arrived in Paris on schedule at 8:15 am. We picked up our bags and went through passport control, most times we pass right by customs with out stopping. We were on the Air France bus by 9:30 am. The air france bus is 16.50 euros per person one way and is an easy way to get to downtown Paris from CDG. You have to take the correct bus, for us it is marked Gare de Lyon/Montparnasse. It takes about 45 minutes to get to Gare de Lyon, depending on traffic.
That put us into the station by about 10:30 am with plenty of time to buy train tickets and eat lunch before the 13:01 train. There are several train stations in Paris, each serving different parts of the country. For Clermont-Ferrand and other points straight south, it is Gare De Lyon.
If we get in later in the morning, we buy sandwiches to eat on the train. There is a snack cart on the train, but the station sandwiches are better. Anyway, today we have time to eat a meal, so we go into the restaurant and both order the smoked duck brandade. This is mashed potato molded in a small casserole with a layer of shredded duck in it, served with au jus and a small salad. It was good! We find French train stations to ususally have good restaurants.
Paris is the origination for the train to Clermont, so the train is usually in the station 20 minutes prior to departure. That's nice as it allows plenty of time to get our bags on the train and get settled.
Tickets and reservations are required on this train, meaning seats are reserved. If the train is not full, people sit where they like to some extent, but we always try to sit in the seat reserved for us. Today we had middle seats facing each other in a row of 3 across.
One of our seatmates was a very nice lady from Cameroon who was also on her way to Clermont Ferrand. Her husband lives in Cameroon, but she and her two children live in Clermont. She has traveled in the U.S., to New York, New Jersy, and to Springfield, Missouri. She hopes to return to the U.S. and to live in Springfield.
I did not sleep much on the plane, it was comfortable, I was just not sleepy. So now, I struggle to stay awake on the train. We always like to be awake, as this train ride is our traditional introduction to France and we enjoy the scenery. Today, however, I keep dozing. I finally give in and get out my travel pillow and take a short nap.
When we arrive in Clermont, we see our friend who located the apartment for us on the quay. We learn she is meeting friends from the U.S. who will be staying with her for a few days. We are fortunate, she has room in her van for all of us and our luggage, so we pack everything in and she takes us to the apartment, just a few blocks from the train station.
That makes us a few minutes early, but one of the sons of the family we are renting from is home and lets us into the apartment. It is just as described and will be great for us. Bedroom, kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom - furnished with mostly older but very usable furniture.
In a few minutes the landlady arrives and shows us around. We will wait to sign the lease, etc. until her husband returns from work. We start to unpack, then meet with the couple at 7:00 pm, going through the lease and other papers. They are very helpful and flexible, allowing us to get a bank account opened before paying the rent or deposit on the apartment.
After the lease signing, we go upstairs and have a drink and snacks to celebrate with the landlords. Then we go for a walk and find a pakistani restaurant just a block from the house and stop there for dinner. We are the only diners, but the food is good. We are both exhausted, so we make it a short night - also there will be lots to do tomorrow!
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