This year I was going to meet up with the folks in France while they were on their summer tour, it was an opportunity to get to the mountains and have a break.
I caught an overnight bus from London down to Genoble ... not a very pleasant journey, cramped seats, and noisy. There were a couple of stops at service stations, but in general it was always a rush, and it was a relief to get to the bus station in Grenoble. From here I wanted to catch a train around the Ecrins massif, but without any major way to see the timetable without being there, I realised that the next train would not be until late afternoon, and I needed to waste four hours.
Taking all my bags I went for a wander around the city, to waste some time. Eventually I came back and caught the train, which stopped at every halt on the circuit, and I got off at Guilestre station.
The station was in the middle of nowhere, and away from the main town, and I could see that it was more than a walk to the ski station, so as I was tired I found a public telephone, with some adverts and phoned up a taxi company. This was a good decision .. the ski station was way up the mountain well past the old village.
I eventually found the folks (this was the days before mobile technology and personal communications).
