November 6, 2010
First, Happy Anniversary... Genya and I celebrate 39 years. On the Internet I looked up 39, and there is no flower, no gem....but there is a gift...Lace. Not sure what I would pick from that category.
This week I went to Paris for a few meetings. I have alternated flying and train, usually switching after having a bad experience with the previous method. Flying is a bit faster, but usually more expensive.
Here are the choices:
Flying - Car and driver(or train) to Birmingham
Air France to Paris
RER to office
Reverse to go back home
Train Taxi to train station
Train to London
Metro between stations (Paddington to St. Pancras)
Eurostar to Paris
RER to office
Reverse to go back home
As you can imagine in today's travel market, prices can vary depending on time, date, sales etc. Preference is also occasionally determined by external factors We have had, ash clouds, traffic control strikes, Paris metro strikes and London tube strikes. In Paris they tend to be considerate and give a few weeks notice of a strike, (no doubt so the strikers can plan other activities for the day). In the UK they normally give less than 48 hours notice.
This week I took the train. As luck would have it , the day before I left, the London tube drivers announced a tube strike for the next day, the day of my outbound journey. So, instead of the tube, I took a taxi between stations. Aside from that, it was pretty routine.
If you read this blog frequently, you do recall I have blogged before about trains. (March 14). I do have a great admiration for the Europe rail systems. They are expensive. They may seem to come as frequently as subways, but unless you book in advance, trains are not cheap. (despite the fact both France and England still provide subsidies) The first picture below (taken with my blackberry, so not of the normal quality) is the departure board for a period of 25 minutes last Thursday evening. There are 8 trains listed. I could have gone to Penzance, Plymouth, Exeter, Cheltenham, Birmingham, Heathrow.... Paddington tends to have trains to the South West. Remember there are lots of other train stations in London. Like Paris they tend to be regional in nature. Not sure why they do this, but if you are in transit it usually means you have to change stations to change trains.
The picture below is one of the carriages. In fairness, it was taken on the section of the trip between Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa, the last 8 minutes of a 2 hour train ride. But, the train was not full even in the first leg. It was actually a little eerie feeling being on a train and feeling you are by yourself. Like a Rod Sterling TV show. ("Tonight we tell the story of a man taking a busy train home from work only to wake up and find all the other passengers have disappeared he is all alone on the train.... and it never stops travelling thru the dark night to the TWILIGHT ZONE")
On the platform between the carriages you can open the window. So, despite the large warning sticker
"DANGER, PUTTING ANY PART OF YOUR BODY OUTSIDE THE CARRIAGE WHILE THE TRAIN IS MOVING MAY RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH" , I figured it might be a cool picture. So, carefully putting part of my body outside the carriage while the train was moving I stuck out my arm and took this picture. What is shows is a light standard rapidly approaching the section of the train I am in. This may be one of the ways a moving train can cause serious injury or death.
So, after a few more attempts to look out the window, which resulted in almost losing my glasses, so I took of my glasses and then I could not really see, I gave up on this death defying activity...also we were approaching the station.
Of course the train did stop, my Rod Sterling vision notwithstanding, but the train station was also a little empty ...
This is what the station looks like on a busier day...
Happy Anniversary Genya ...see you Wednesday - Road Trip. ...Yeah
