After a late start this morning, we went out for one last stroll around Marseille before we caught our train to Geneva at quarter to 2. Over the past 2 and a half days I have come to realise just how dirty the city is but at the same time how it possesses some marvellous arcitechture.
We headed to Marseille St Charles station about 1 o’clock to ensure we were there in plenty of time (oh and because I wanted to go train spotting!) to make sure that all the assistance was in place. The French TGVs themselves are low floor so there is little gap between the train and the platform edge, however once inside there is a step down into the carrige. To overcome this obstacle, there is ingenious invention where the floor raises up to the top of the step and then lowers back down so you can enter. It was quite difficult for super bunny to manoeuvre as the area is quite tight getting in and out but I think it would be easy using a front wheel drive wheelchair like bad bunny which I have at home.
As the train set off for its voyage to Geneva, I discovered that I hadn’t charged my phone the night before and the sockets on the train didn’t seem to work which meant that we were rather clueless as to the whereabouts of our hotel in Geneva! Anyway, getting off the train was quite straight forward after the train staff had worked out that the ramp was in the platform which the could use.
As we were without a phone and Google maps, we hunted down a map and tried to figure where our hotel was and decided to ask for help in a shop. The woman in the shop proceeded to tell us that it was too far for us to walk and that we would have to get a taxi or a bus. Over the past couple of years, I have come to find that wheelchair accessible taxis and Europe do not mix and as a result there was no wheelchair accessible taxis in Geneva. We decided the easiest way to get to the hotel with our bags was to send one person in a taxi whilst the other walked with me and that was the point which we discovered that the hotel is around 13 minutes away but oh well now we know!
Tomorrow is our only day in Geneva so we plan to head down to the lake to see a lovely fountain, as well as visit the UN.
See you tomorrow 🙂