I get up extra early to get packed and am out of the apartment by 6:50. Taxi and train on time. I had requested assistance at the train station and a young man showed up on time. I thought he was going to just manage my bags but he brought a wheelchair and I took advantage of it.

He took me aboard the train and to my seat and placed my bags. It said Carriage 2 and my ticket said Carriage 12. There was no Carriage 12. He assured me it was fine. So off I go and things.were until the 3rd stop when a woman and her grandson showed me that I was in their seat
I knew then that the 'assistance' wasn't all that good. I sat in another seat and a couple stops.later, the same thing happened. I called.for a conductor and in broken English along with a female passenger whose English was a little better, I learned that when the train got to Toulon, Paris bound passengers had to switch trains for the rest of the journey. On that train, there was a Carriage 12. I don't know where I was supposed to have sat on the first leg of the journey!

I'm about an hour outside of Paris now. So many helpful French people helped me get this all figured out and helped with the bags. The woman sitting across from me went and got her train lunchbox and brought mine back with her. All of our communication has been via Google Translate!

I was proud of myself to be able to get my bags off train 1 and roll on to train 2. Some men helped me get them down the train stairs.

It's a beautiful day.