Hendaye - Bordeaux

The policeman checking my passport asks if I speak German and when I say "a bit", he hands me a plastic card. The picture shows a dark, haired woman, the writing says she is an Armenian who is resident in Austria. When she was escorted from the carriage I saw her hair had now been dyed blonde. The policeman thinks the card is not valid and is pushing for my opinion. I find it difficult to think in German and French. The card is only valid for residency, not citizenship, which is what the policeman wanted to hear. I pass the woman, seated, surrounded by a group of intimidating looking gendarmes, standing. She is trying to explain in German that she can't go back, that she has no money. I feel awful and try to say something but the policemen indicate that I should just keep moving and that the matter is closed.

Sylvia is buying a croque monsieur in the dining car. We sit down to eat and talk. She is originally from Columbia, she is a film maker on her way to a meeting in Paris. She is working to set up a festival of film and wine, based in the vineyards of Bordeaux. The project was inspired by the vivid autumn colours of the region, that she saw on a trip from her home in San Sebastien. It sounds exciting, especially the way she describes it, full of passion and enthusiasm.

Two coaches are crammed entirely with French school kids. I interview the teachers who have bravely taken 96 children for a week in Bayonne. Coming from Paris the kids have found the experience of the countryside an enthralling one. They applaud after the recording, and then follow up with questions, many of them charming. I'm afraid that I disappoint by not being "bien connu dans le monde" as they'd hoped. I wish I could chat for longer but the train pulls into Bordeaux and I must run and get my bag.