Allo...

In the immortal words of a mere mortal called ID, "this trip has been as much a Eurail trip as a Europe trip". I 've spent another 12 hours on the tracks, finding my way from Montpelier to Munich, through Lyon Part Dieu and Strasbourg. The journey is more scenic than usual, with traces of snow on the fields bordering the tracks.

On either side of the train journey were another essential feature of the Euro trip - nights spent at youth hostels. The one at Montpelier put me in the company of a Yorkshire lad and a Vancouver girl, both students of English literature, the former in France teaching English and the latter holidaying before heading out to Korea for a teaching job. Both spoke fluent French, and thanks to them, I had my first real European dinner at a French restaurant.

Touring cities with other B junta is not bad, but alone, one has a more authentic foreign experience - especially if one cares to interact with fellow tourists from all over the world.

Hmmn.. off to walk around München now, and a night train to Innsbruck.