Paris > Basel: first 600km OK!

The trip out of Paris was a great adventure...

Left home at 8.30am and after walking a few minutes to Port Orleans, I met another hitchhiker, Matthiew, on his way home to southern France. He was a jazz musician with a beginner level of English. He offered me a coffee and then we stood at the avenue outside Paris (it could be downtown, horrible to hitchhike). I had my sign "A6 - Dijon - S.V.P.". After one hour and a half we decided to walk further to another exit to A6 and try our luck. Another hour have passed and nothing happened. No single car. I knew getting out of Paris is very difficult but I could try taking a train from Gare du Lyon to Villabe, a little village 20km out of Paris. So we did, but we took different trains. Matthiew gave me his CD, good music! After 3 metros and 2 trains, I arrived at 2pm in Villabe, walked for half-hour to the highway (gas station) and met Fanny, a French girl with big smiles, student of sign-language, on her way to Greece... yes, France to Greece, hitchhiking!

We had a good chat and in 15min we managed to get a car, who took us for over 200km! Very lucky. We talked a lot in the car and we got to another gas station. Fanny was going south on A6 to Lyon, and I was going somehow east on A36. She got a car in 15min and I stayed there for one hour. The location was very good and 4 cars stopped, but all heading south. I finally decided to get out of there and took a car for about 20min, until the next gas station. The driver's job was to recover old and historical books, and his main client was the National Library of France. In the back, piles of boxes of (valuable) books being taken to his small studio in southern France. Interesting guy, but short ride. I cross the road to start my luck north, and then I met two other French hitchhikers, one going up to Germany, traveling already for 2 days, sleeping next to trees on the roads, and Robin, going home to Mulhouse. That was my destination, so we chose to travel together. He was there stuck for 4 hours (it happens...) and I was wondering if I would have to sleep there (it was already 7.30pm...). In half-hour a car came and took us all the way to the entrance of Mulhouse, 200 km away. Very nice. On the way I was reading and reflecting on my trip, while watching the sun setting on the Franch hills and litlle villages of Alsace. I even got a phone call from Camila, old friend from Brazil, saying that she was in Paris, willing to meet me!! What a bad luck. Or not meant to be, right? We'll meet soon I know...

From Mulhouse I simply took a train for 30min to Basel, as it was getting dark and the train costed only 5 euro. At 10.30pm, Claudia picked me up, offered me dinner and wine. After a good shower, I was completely renewed and having a feeling of accomplishment that is hard to describe.

I'm in Basel, for the first time in Switzerland. Beautiful little city, in the border with Germany and France, having the Rhen river crossing and several nice bridges over it. Great day of sun and a good time walking around, reading and enjoying my time. And the best part was to meet Claudia again, Thomas' sister, who I haven't seen since 2004. She traveled around South America for one year and we spent the last day and a half in great conversations about everything. It seems the subject is never over and my mind is flowing with ideas (and new thoughts).

After two nights here, I'm on my way to Zürich (1 hour train). Later I should meet Thomas, and have a good time there. Looking forward for a swim in the lakes! Saturday morning I get a car from Luzern south to Italy, and I would still need to hitchhike for 200km to Venezia. Let's see what surprises Italy brings in the future, and let's enjoy Switzerland a bit now.

Auf Wiedersehen!!