Stuck in the metro ...

It was bound to happen one day! Well today it did! Expat girl and I got stuck in the metro. The tube does stop from time to time but these little incidents usually take up to three minutes max. Last night we were watching the sun set from inside a motionless metro carriage for one and a half hours. I counted myself lucky since we got stranded on the tiny little straight of underground that actually goes above ground and has quite a spectacular view onto the Eiffel Tour. I had always wanted to take a picture from this angle, today would be my day.

The conductor kept on telling us to "patienter quelques minutes". Well, while the minutes turned into hours, no one budged. All these yelling, loud, complaining Parisians ... where had they gone? Not ONE person complained. They didn't even start talking to eachother, something that would have happend immediately had we been stuck in Italy or Spain. I was flabbergasted. One by one they started pulling out their moblie phones to delay their appointments or let their loved ones know that they would be late for dinner.

Guess what, I had some homework to do myself and got cracking on cutting my paper dolls. Yes, I just happened to have a pair of scissors with me! I am sure the French thought I was mad but 90 minutes later I had much of my task done for the upcoming International Day at school.

When the BRIGADE DE SAPEURS-POMPIERS DE PARIS finally arrived one door of each wagon was opened. I was given a hand by a dark and handsome looking fireman and we all climbed down a little chicken ladder one by one. Expat girl at this point thought this was the coolest adventure she had ever had in Paris. Walking along the metro railtracks in the dark!

As we neared the closest metro station and climbed upon the railway platform I felt sad for the people I saw streaming out of the tunnel of the opposite direction. I was very grateful for having taken the latter metro - which was mainly thanks to having stopped and chatted with a friend of mine to catch up. Thanks Madame La Nageuse!

What bugs me the most? We will never know what WAS wrong with the metro! Ahh, Paris c'est Paris!