Notices by Filipe (filipesm@mastodon.green), page 4

Arrived in #France 🇫🇷 officially! First stop here is #Perpignan. Weather is really shiny and bright. Town looks really cute.

Ah and the temperature is much better. It's been good almost since we left, I just forgot to report it ahah

The dad just put on a blindfold and headphones and went to sleep on 2 seats ahah

#LisbonToBergen

We've been stopped at #Perpignan for a long time. I'm afraid this will cause me to lose my train to #Basel. I only have one hour in Paris between trains.

Ok as I wrote this, the announcement to leave played. Wish me luck.

#LisbonToBergen

We're moving! 🥳 Next stop: #Narbonne

#LisbonToBergen

I hope train tracks, especially high speeds that go through an entire country, don't hurt local communities, at least too much. I've seen "my" tracks cross corn fields, pass really close to houses, etc. Ideally you find places where wildlife and human settlements aren't hurt. If that's not possible, try to compensate a bit by maybe moving them? Not sure. Also, piercing through mountains must be ultra expensive.

#LisbonToBergen

This thread is getting a lot more attention that I thought so I'm gonna explain common questions for you to feel more connected with this journey.

Why am I going to Bergen?
I'm actually going back to school! Taking a master's degree there, at UiB, in #SystemDynamics. Hope to stay for around a year? Maybe 2 or do the 2nd year remotely ☺️

#LisbonToBergen

Why trains and not a quick plane?
Well... Look at my profile bio ahah planes polute. A lot. Planes are the most unequal means of transportation in the planet (although high speed trains shouldn't be too far behind 😅). I will be saving around half a ton (500kg of CO2) by going by train. The 1.5°C carbon budget per person is around 2.3t, so you have a reference. I would blow almost half of it in a plane round trip, in 7 hours...
I also see views I wouldn't see any other way!

#LisbonToBergen

And finally, why not slow travel, or stay more time at some stops like Barcelona, Paris, Hamburg or Kopenhagen?

Well, because I was late to booking all of this, so I was constrained by time and ticket/seat availability! So I had to take the first stuff that was available ahah and this was it. Still not bad! I get to try a night 🌉 train which is new for me 🥰

But I would definitely like to do that another time. It's a bit more expensive, though, but probably not that much.

#LisbonToBergen

Now for fun stuff again! #France has some water ahah I think this is a lake.

Also, some salt fields which is funny? Maybe I'm next to the ocean, in a bank? I'll look at the map to confirm. Checked! Indeed this is a HUGE bank next to ocean, called La Berre.

I believe I hear a dog barking inside the train! 🐶🐶🐶

#LisbonToBergen

Ok the team just announced they were tipped about pickpockets in the next station! So weird ahah it's #Narbonne. I guess I have to be extra careful, but all my luggage is right next to me. Big ones directly behind me and tote bag above my head.

#LisbonToBergen

I think I'm going to the bar/restaurant for lunch, and I can show you that!

The #Agde stop was really really fast!

#LisbonToBergen

Oh no, there's a line! 🥱

I will come back in a bit!

Actually it's hella expensive. I think I'm gonna survive on Oreos and nuts and eat in the station and hope it's cheaper ahahah

13€ for a small green salad, a yogurt and a drink.

Ah, and my seat if very comfortable, even after 2.30h! Impressive.

#LisbonToBergen

I overheard a girl buying #Paris #metro tickets at the bar! How cool. That way she can go directly to the metro without all the lines. But it's funny, the bar has just a bunch of disposable paper tickets lying around.

Also, a picture of a vintage train at the current stop #Agde (I got the last one wrong ahah)

I was also lucky to catch this beautiful river and the train passes near what looked like a castle/museum/park. Very pretty 🥰

#LisbonToBergen

It's completely different to travel after a good night of sleep! I feel energetic to see the views, to stay awake and really absorb the journey. Let's see if I will get tired along the way or if I'll be ok 🫡

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Just a landscape. I know it's hard to see, but that's the ocean at the back! I missed a chance for a better picture. At 250km/h it's important to get the timing right 🤭

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Just passed by a garbage disposal facility. It had a bunch of destroyed cars. And lots of garbage. Tables, tubes, toilets, etc.

Really enforces the need to be careful with material use, not just emissions. Growth kills. (I got a bit political here 😅)

#LisbonToBergen

So I just heard the Dad talk about how we switched motors (the whole front carriage I think) just now, in #Montpellier. Now we go REALLY fast north to #Paris.

I bet it's because of the rail tracks. The Iberian track is different from the standard European track, so they can't use the huge motor? I'm not sure.

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I passed the Alps about 30 minutes ago 🏔️

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Ok I wasn't going to say anything but he just tipped my trigger point.

The Dad, turns out, is a finance bro. Who would've thought an american dad with 4 children with 4 iPads traveling from Barcelona to Paris in 1st class is a finance bro?

He's on calls talking about quarters and digital advertising. All of that was fine by me.

When he started talking about how the EU is "pathetic" because "the regulator" is destroying "innovation"...

1/2

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And blames that for the bad state of 5G in our continent (which I highly disagree with, btw).

That's where I personally draw the line and say: please get the f*** out of my Union unless you're just visiting. Please make no decisions, don't have any power. You're just gonna be a force in the opposite direction we need to go in.

I don't need even faster internet, sir. I need everyone to have access to housing and healthy food like I do.

(Another political one)

2/2

#LisbonToBergen

I know this was a lot of assuming on my end, but, again... it's my trigger.

Back to the happy stuff! I will snuff him out of my brain ❤️

#LisbonToBergen