Toulouse – Airbus Layover

Alan’s Version

Started SHIT.  Got worse.  Saw a big plane.  Got better.  Met nice Aussies, had Subway. Met nice gent and his laundry detergent.  Had three poo’s. Each.  Now rest on big bed.

Nesh’s Version

Well woke up somehow after 2.5 hours of sleep and got ready to goto the Airport.

We eventually found the terminal that was ours and headed in to check in for a flight … unfortunately it did not open for another hour so we sat back and chilled for a while and then checked in had a coffee and hopped on the flight to Toulouse.

Both Alan and I passed out before we took off …. To make matters interesting out flight got pushed back half an hour later then as we made ourselves comfortable the captain popped on the PA an announced due to the industrial strike traffic controllers we in short supply so we would be an additional 25 mins late …. Al and I looked at each other and did the math … this was going to cut it close if we were to make the Airbus Factory Tour.

As we hopped off the plane and waited for our bags at the baggage carousel I looked outside to see approximately 45 police in riot gear and the ominous smell of smoke …. As we walked outside to see not even one taxi in sight our hearts dropped, we weren’t going to make it.

Then we see orange flares and an excessive amount of smoke, it was the protest … it had blocked the highway and airport hence no taxis were in sight … but slowly they started trickling in people got picked up and we found a taxi. He didn’t speak a work of English but he worked out the hotel we wanted to goto. We asked him if he could wait and take us to the airbus factory he originally handed us a card and told us to book a cab but alas he changed his mind and said he could … we tried to cancel the cab we ordered but alas I had run out of credit on my new mobile and got thru on Alan’s phone but no luck there …

We headed out but in short we got screwed royally the cab driver ended up charging us 65 Euro for a ride that should have cost no more than 35 Euro … with no recourse and no ability to argue with him in French we paid for the cab and got out with really sore asses.

The Factory Tour, fun but all in all a waste of time if you are in the area check it out but don’t bother if you are coming here specifically the tour.

A lovely Aussie couple talked to me for a while and after hearing about our last week offered us a lift back to the Hotel … which did make us feel better.

Checked in properly and then headed out for food …. Subway and then went to the Laundromat did some washing and how waiting for it to dry properly … and of course about to upload the blog and some pics … here’s hoping things get a little better from here on in … but judging on the way things have been going we’ll have to play it all by ear.