August 7th, 1998 (DAY 1)
And here I am, on the road to the famous village Rennes-le-Château.
I wouldn't even BE here, if it weren't for Gabriel Knight III.
My trip to Bavaria last year, walking in the tracks of Gabriel Knight II was so great, that I think this trip will most certainly be a success.
It most definitely isn't my habit to keep a diary on vacations, and this time I made a special exception...ah well, for GK I would do about anything!
04.30 am
My alarm clock goes off.
After getting to bed rather late because of packing and various stuff, I hardly have the power to open my eyes.
I'm not in the mood to get up! I'm not in the mood at all!
Even less to leave my snug safe home...
To be honest, I'm just plain nervous for the entire day train traveling , in and around France to finally achieve Rennes-le-Château (which I will refer to as 'RLC' from now on).
5 minutes later, thinking about all my dreams and expectations on this journey, I suddenly get the power to leave my bed.
And here is where the journey begins.
06.16 am
I'm waiting at the train station of Antwerp (a city in North Belgium, where I Live) with my friend Lotje and my father to wave us goodbye.
Heading to "Paris Nord", one of the MANY trainstations in Paris.
The entire ride to Paris, Lotje and I are cooped up with 3 boring couples discussing nothing but what they had for dinner last night.
So I think of using my time wisely, and decide to read a bit.
And so, before I know it, we arrive in Paris.
(MIRACULOUSLY fast, considering that I'm reading the extremely tiresome "The Messianic Legacy", the controversial sequel to The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail)
08.30 am
And here we are: packed as mules in this HUGE train station in Paris, crowded like hell with no indication whatsoever where to go.
"isn't this EXCITING!" (to quote Mrs. Smith in GK2) After a few hesitations I can persuade Lotje to walk over to a nearby information stand to ask how we can get to the "Paris Austerlitz", yet another of Paris' transtations.
I admittedly was too chicken at the moment to utter my first words of French in this seemingly hostile environment.
yeah, yeah... I'm not the hero type...but I'll make it up to her.
15 minutes later we are counting lights in the metro station; cozily sandwiched between lots of other people.
"TING" doors open, Lotje and Nico press themselves out of the metro train and head to "la gare d'Austerlitz" Yes! we made it! so far...
Terribly thirsty by now, we head for a cafe nearby the train rails;
drinking a Coke for the price of a glass of champagne.
Well, sacrifices NEED to be made if you're going to dig for treasure!
10.18 am
On the train to Paris I imagined to be in a pretty comfortable train cabin, for the 8 hours drive from Paris to Carcassonne.
Ow..I obviously miscounted a bit there, because with us and our bags the 8-persons train cabin was just COMPLETELY full from top to notch..
Admittedly, the French women here are MUCH more friendly than your average traveling Belgian.
And so, with their expert advise and the moving of our and their bags, we succeed in settling ourselves pretty comfortably in the small train cabin.
A few minutes later I hesitantly try my first few words of French with a nun coming from a mission in Africa.
I do had the feeling they were laughing a bit with me, but hey!
I'm the one here that at least TRIES to speak in another language (in these moments of course, one wonders why on earth I studied languages, and am hardly able to start a decent conversation in French.)
All in all, right now I'm comfortable writing this diary entry while they're watching me curiously, what on earth I might be doing.
The Sun glides through the train windows and just now something comes to my
mind.Coincidentally or not, it appears that this train trip I'm doing, is exactly the same as the one Gabriel Knight will do at the beginning of GKIII.
Gabriel also starts off in Paris while on visit by some dethroned royal scion; the princes' child is kidnapped and Gabriel chases them by train (how on earth you can CHASE someone by train, is still beyond my comprehension, but it'll probably be me and a wrong interpretation here.)
Gabriel must also take the train in "Paris Austerlitz", the train I'm now on.
He must also change trains in Carcassonne, and eventually wind up in Couiza with a little local train.
Once arrived in Couiza, Gabriel awaits a 4km walk to the top of the mountain where lies Rennes-le-Château...would Gabriel do all this??
naaah...I'm sure Jane will think of an easier way of transport for him, then the one I have to do ;-)
but what am I blabbering about!
Ah well, for me the GK-adventure has begun!