# Frenchfusion Adventures: Safety On my mind

Okay!!!!.... Here I am in the train station and I don’t know what to do with it. But a Nigerian proverb says “One who asks questions never misses his way” (just hoping this is actually a traditional Nigerian proverb, cos I know you will miss your way Ten times over when you ask some Lagos people). I scanned through the environment looking for someone to ask, I saw a Man who looked American so I accosted him. Do you speak English? I asked. He answered in the affirmative and told me the Bordeaux train was about to leave. I don’t have a ticket! Oh noooo, I am not going to do this running to get a ticket, catch the train with these baggage’s from ‘Heaven”, I would rather wait for the next one. So I would get a ticket for the next one.

Since I wasn’t going to be paying with my Master card I needed to get to the Cashier to buy a ticket. Then the search for the cashier’s office commenced, while I was struggling with my bags, taking the escalators and walking from corner to corner, who do I see?? Rastaman Patrick!!! (what a relief, I remembered before I embarked on this adventure, I knelt down and asked Jehovah for Angels, I do that whenever I need to leave home but I knew I asked very well for it on this trip, because this one was different, it wasn’t just a holiday, but it’s an experience I plan to share step by step with my foodaholics…. And did Jehovah answer me? Oh yes, he did. Just like always) Patrick picked up my weightier bag and guess who else picked up a bag?.Americano! He also led the way while I followed them like a “Lady”.

Got to the ticket point, I stayed on the queue, "Americano" bade me farewell and Patrick got his double cheek kiss and left. I thought of Patrick, I got really angry with him earlier today. See how he has turned out being an angel, maybe he had made all he needed in cash for the day from taxiing me from the airport and just thought to clear his conscience by lending a helping hand or he is just one of the Angels I asked God to station at every stop for me on this adventure. Either way, I was very grateful. In the Taxi, Patrick had asked me if I had kids and I lied to him, I told him I had two kids; don’t know why I did that. No, No… I know why I did that, something I always do when I don’t want to start a long conversation that may lead to “can I buy you a drink?” and am honestly not into any frivolities on this trip. French Fusion on my mind and haven seen that “TAKEN” movie which did not help my psyche because am always a lone traveler, I always try to stay very safe. I don’t even know where the Nigeria Embassy in France is located; don’t even have an emergency number to call, so safety on my mind as much as I want to enjoy the adventure.

Got my Tickets, 77 euro for a 3hours rail trip to Bordeaux, I thought I heard these things were cheap? (I bet I was still wishing I had not removed the flight to Bordeaux from my schedule but here we are, gonna ride on a train for the first time) I did the Math, 77 X 220 = almost Seventeen Thousand Nigeria Naira, I could put that on over four plates of street food on my food adventures. But heyyyyy G, I am on an adventurous holiday!!!

As I waited with other passengers for the train to board, I already started a conversation with this sweet French Lady, she explained to me how to understand the train schedules on the screen and we talked about the book she was reading, then it dawned on me, what will I be doing for 3 hours on that train? Sleep, I chose Sleep, I must not do something all the time.

.... To be continued