Made it to Gravelines

After a very long, embarrassing, sweaty and tiring 8 hour train travel North…we made it to Gravelines, France!

The descriptive words were necessary because this was definitely not the easiest or most convenient way to travel with all of our stuff. We had a BIG load mainly due to accumulating items from the area and a lovely visit from Mike's parents when they brought us a whole suitcase of things from America!
All together we were carrying 3 suitcases with wheels, 2 large duffel bags, 2 backpacks, a computer bag, a yoga mat and a purse. I was able to wheel 2 suitcases, carry a backpack, the computer case, yoga mat and purse, Mike had the rest. Another item of concern was that I could only lift one of the bags up, poor Mike had to do most of the hard work when lifting our luggage. Everywhere we went people were laughing at us. I am sure we looked pretty ridiculous with all of that luggage between the two of us, especially when traveling by public transportation.

Waiting at the bus stop at 7am

And because we were using public transportation we had very little time in between stops. First the bus was short time, Mike was hucking bags through the door and jumped in on the last minute, the very same thing happened when boarding the train in Fribourg. When the final whistle blew I almost thought I would be making this entire trip alone… :/
We had 2 more changes between trains until we finally arrived in Calais where our friend greeted us and lend us a helpful hand. We were so relieved at this point after the very long day. We also concluded that we will be sending much of our stuff home to the states or just leaving it in Gravelines. DO NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS EVER AGAIN!

The train's destination was in Calais, France with just a short drive to Gravelines. Gravelines is a much smaller town than Fribourg, it also has a very rural Minnesota feel if you can believe that? It is located at the very tip of Northern France with the water shore nearby, part of the English Channel actually.
I describe it as "rural Minnesota" because where we are staying there is quiet backyard and patio. And also a beyond that there is a field that houses horses and stables. The neighborhood is small and tranquil with an equally small and friendly downtown area. For any bigger city items such as fast food or Auchans (supposedly similar to a Walmart!) we have to drive a short distance to another area.

Gravelines streets

Clock tower in town.