The more things change the more they stay the same

0940 Thursday morning and all is well. A travelling day today planned with plenty of room around timings. We had had our French breakfast (croissant/coffee) and found the boulangerie where we could later buy a sandwich to eat on the train due to leave Lyons for Le Puy at 1206 hours.

Too restless to start a good book so flicked on the TV to watch the French 24 hour channel (in English). I noted the status of the Air traffic control strike on at the moment and wonder/hope if it will be out of the way in a couple of weeks time when Yvonne is to fly out to Scotland. But then hey! Holy Toledo Batman! What is this about the trains going out today nationally in sympathy.

Time for action – now I have something to do! I went to reception to find out more. Yes says madam; “Greve National”. Yes says madam checking computer, “Your train to Le Puy has been cancelled”. Best thing to do is to head to train station to see if any replacement buses are running. Immediately we head off in the taxi.

Taxi quote from Lyons to Le Puy en Velay is about 300 euros. Horror enters Scottish Yvonne's eyes. This look increased when taxi driver remarked that perhaps best bus option is from the second Lyons train station i.e. not where we are heading but where we were! Great!

But you should not think that things around strikes in France have remained the same since the Revolution.

All appeared to be relatively quiet at the station. Long lines of TGV trains were sitting still in the yards but the SNCF Inquiry desk was well organised and in just a few minutes we were advised to take a train to St Etienne (going our way) which was leaving in about 10 minutes and when at St Etienne take a bus which will arrive in Le Puy en Velay around 4 pm. Happy pilgrims again

At St Etienne we found a nearby brasserie where we ate our sandwich (in France there are no problems with you bringing and eating food into the place providing you buy a drink or two). And I had time to write up our pilgrimage.

Our bus duly arrived, suddenly it filled up with boomer age pilgrims to be, also heading for Le Puy and we spent a lazy afternoon driving beside the Loire. Beautiful green countryside. Radio Nostalgie in the background. Even Yvonne remarked that this was a bonus.

In Le Puy a late afternoon storm drove us into a nearby bar after we had checked out the cathedral and bought our Creanciale for the walk. An excellent meal in the hotel and we rested in good spirits after what could have been quite a disastrous day.