En route to Rome

Well, just to start off, Spring Break has definitely started off possibly the most interesting way imaginable. Ani and I had agreed to meet at the train station in Angers at 7:45am because our train left at 8:13am. I waited on Ani to arrive until 8:05 and she hadn't yet arrived. I wasn't about to miss my train, so I boarded. I left without Ani...she soon called me and said her alarm clock hadn't gone off and she was nearly incomprehensible. I just told her to calm down, hurry to the station and take the next train out of Angers to Paris...which we had nearly booked before. It was a 9-something-am train. Ani made it in time to the station, but wound up on the wrong train...in the opposite direction aka Nantes. Nantes!!! Ani was panicking - no, not panicking, she was having a Julia moment...an "old Julia" moment. I told Ani to calm the heck down, figure out when she arrived in Nantes, check the schedule for the next train to Paris and call me to let me know the details. If push came to shove, she could go to the airport in Nantes and get a flight to Paris, hopefully making it in time to catch our flight at Orly to Rome...Luckily, Ani was able to find a train to Paris leaving relatively soon and arriving in Paris at Gare-Montparnasse at 1:10pm. Our plane leaves at 1:55pm from Orly, slightly south of Paris. Ani is going to have to take a taxi from Gare-Montparnasse to Orly and hope and pray like CRAZY that she makes it in time for our flight at 1:55pm. I sincerely hope so, but if not, she can find another flight from Paris to Rome easily - she will just have lost money in the process.
When did I become not only the responsible one but the rational one too??? It's like the world's turned upside or inside out...however you want to put it. Here's Ani freaking out like crazy, nearly in tears, can't calm herself down...and me, calm and cool as a cucumber, thinking logically and clearly in a difficult and well-deserved panicky situation. Wow France has changed me...but I think it's done a number on Ani - at least in some aspects. La pauvre...at least we have each other, right? Silly Ani, rational Julia. Freaky.
Wow. That's a lot that can happen between 7:45am and 11:15am, isn't it? This vacation is going to be VERY interesting...



3pm April 4 during flight to Rome
Well, I couldn't have anything else to write about except what happened earlier and what's happened since then. Ani arrived in Nantes around 10am and was able to catch a direct train to Paris, but as it turns out, she didn't arrive in time to check in for the flight, so she missed the flight to Rome, too. Good thing it wasn't a SUPER expensive ticket (like the one from Athens to Paris - which was nearly 150 euros for each of us. Thus I am currently en route to Rome entirely by myself and I have no freaking idea when Ani is going to arrive in Rome. I was already starting to board when Ani might have arrived at the airport (I have no idea when/if she arrived at Orly). She is hoping to get the next flight to Rome as cheaply as possible. I haven't decided if I'm okay with Ani being stupid or not...People have moments and she was definitely in panic mode already from missing the original train from Angers to Paris. I, of all people, understand what it feels like to be frustrated and upset and not be able to think clearly. I also haven't decided what I'm going to do when I arrive in Rome - if I'll go ahead to the hostel and go back to the airport when Ani gets there or what. I'm not terribly fond of spending money when other people screw up.
I think we might be passing over the Alps (3:22pm) because I see something that definitely looks like snow on top of hills...or mountains. It's hard to say the exact difference when you're miles above the ground. Hoplah! Looks like snow and ergo the Alps. I don't think I'm going to be able to go skiing/snowboarding/snow tubing in the Alps as the season ends at the end of April.
HOLY CRAP! (3:28pm) We are most definitely passing over the Alps. It's SOOOO beautiful!!!!!! I have already taken like 30 pictures, maybe more. I'm such a photo-taking freak. :) Okay, I'm peacing out. By the time all this gets posted, you're going to have a novella. Ha ha ha.