There is no right metaphor to describe my travels around Europe during my

exchange term. Exchange term was just a pretense to a full fledge travel across
Europe for three months. It was a good chance to break away from the monotony of
being in the same beautiful campus, with the same fun people. I wanted to
experience the world, and travel bug was always hidden in me thanks to countless
stories my Grand ma used to tell from her travels with my grand pa, thanks to lot of
going around within country with my grand pa under the pretense of his meetings,
thanks to my dad who made his work always fun by accompanying travel along with
his mundane work. My mom however is not much of a traveler.
Coming back to the point, I was to go to Kedge business school at Marseille in South
France. I, for one, did not know a thing or two about this city I was going to be for
most of my exchange term & would make it my base location for all the travel. I did
not know the French national anthem eulogized the brave men marching from
Marseille to Paris, in the song La marseillaise. I did not know the most beautiful
Mediterranean culture thrived in Marseille, because of the trading connections it had
with North Africa Algeria, Egypt, Morocco et al. I did not know about it being the
second largest city in France in terms of population (Yes, there is a dispute about
Lyon coming ahead of it. But I root for Marseille at this). I did not know the most
beautiful Calanques national park would be right next to my college there & I would
love jumping into the azure waters from the height. I did not know about it having
been the Cultural capital of Europe once in the past. I did not know about the
passionate football fans in Marseille Olympique Marseille. And thank god I did not
know that it had been voted as the crime capital of Europe as well, else I would
have two minds about choosing the college for my exchange. By the looks of it, I
would say that Marseille is less French and more cosmopolitan than other places in
France.
My onward journey to Marseille was via Paris from Mumbai with a good 2 hour
layover at CDG, Paris to click couple of selfies & test out the new selfie stick
procured. For company, I had my best friend Akhil, which was a well orchestrated
plan to end up in the same college during exchange, so we could travel together.
We did not know our choices were so different then ;)
I traveled from Bangalore to Mumbai on a train, saving a good 3K (Hey, I am on a
budget here ok! Read lot of travel hacks & being thrifty things through this blog).
Then, saved the money paid for a nights stay at an Oyo rooms hotel. Thanks for all
the chain effect of signing up from multiple accounts to have enough Oyo money to
book a Oyo Premium room close to airport. The day of travel arrives & our flight is at
9 in the morning, we were to reach Marseille around 9 in the night. A good 15.5
journey. Lets do this.
It seems like I have not given the background of whats our stay going to look like,
after getting to Marseille! Well, one pro tip: You might go around saying, More the
merrier. But surely, it is the biggest lie you can shout out! Bigger than the lie

Trump is. We were going to be 7 people from my university, who would be at Kedge
business school, Marseille & surely after learning the concept of Economies of
school in the first year, we invested in one 2.5BHK apartment in the most happening
& colorful part of Marseille Cours Julien. All seems right at present, but imagine the
chaos if the house is filled with a pure vegetarian, vegetarian, pure non-vegetarian
and having only one bathroom with no lock but only push latch on it. A madness of
Garam masala proportions ensued naturally, but it was fun. Having someone to
drink beer with always, playing the loud music, which sounded like opera so that
your bowel movement wont disgust the other person who is waiting outside to get
in next and perform for the same opera, to be careful not to eat someone elses
food, drying those clothes shamelessly inside the house in that French cold.
Sorry, for digressing so much, but coming back to the day we arrived in Marseille.
Well, I was here. I was in a foreign country, cleared the immigration, have a
permission to stay in the continent of Europe ( but not more than 90 days!). Hit the
wall! Flight was delayed, I reach late in the night at 11 and have no clue how to get
to 25, Rue de trios rois! And the two people accompanying me had gone ahead of
us, just as tired as Akhil & I were. So, we were not sure how we would reach out to
them for the keys.
Somehow, I managed to catch a bus which would drop us at Gare St Charles. And
then it was a good 1.2 walk from there to get to the location shared with me on
airbnb by the land lord. Even that was treaded with all the heavy luggage having
ready to cook packets, which were enough to help Mark Whatney survive 1000
more sols on Mars. And then we were here, only to realize our cohabitants were fast
asleep after the long journey here, and the other two having the keys were in
Cannes, already on their Europe trip! Pussss! We lie there, looking like illegal
immigrants, during the times when the Syrian crisis had happened. We did not
speak any French to let them know we belonged here & we did look like the
immigrants compared to the high street fashion French people seem to have even in
their pyjamas. This is when we met Pierre, a local waiter, working at games caf
right across the street, who helped us place a call to the landlord, who somehow, in
her sleep helped wake my friends up to open the apartment. Thank god! We are
home (pseudo home)
This landlord of ours, there were a lot of interesting things about her. Well, that will
be a story for another time.