Lost in France – Part 2

Am on the train to Nancy after finally pulling out of some hick town the name of which has already escaped me. It was the first platform I've seen where the train times were just displayed on a paper poster, one train per platform. Everyone was smoking and the clerk gave the impression of someone who drinks wine for breakfast. Interrail is a very lovely way to travel but not a very effective way to arrive, which I suppose is rather the point. I have splashed out on a real ticket from Strasbourg to Stuttgart as it seems the only way of escaping France and to guarantee arriving in Munich today – I'm hoping the German trains will run with a greater degree of efficiency than the French, that is if I make Strasbourg in time for my connection. The main problem with Interrail is that none of the fast trains are included – I sort of figured this would just be the Eurostar but it's quite a lot more – sort of not like being able to travel on Virgin in Britain. God knows I'd rather not as I'm starting to feel after a few trips this year as if Richard Branson has a personal axe to grind with me but it is a lot of trains not to be able to use.