Paris Gare du Nord

I'm home - 12 hours, door-to-door. 

I started on a Deutsche Bahn ICE (Intercity Express). A sleek white train which was heading for Berlin, a trip it does in about six and a half hours. While I'd happily visit Berlin again I stayed with it only as far as Stuttgart where I joined the throng rushing from platform 11 round to platform 10. The time allowed for this change is 8 minutes and for those of us unfamiliar with the station it was a bit worrying when I realised that it wasn't just crossing a platform; the trains were side-by-side when we pulled in, but as the Paris train was starting from Stuttgart and against the buffers we were able to run around the end of it rather than facing steps and a bridge or an underpass.

The TGV is wonderful. It was a double-decker again and they are so roomy and light and modern with loads of luggage space. I wandered through to the café for a coffee and a sandwich. The conductors have to hunt in pairs because it is a joint enterprise between SNCF and DB. The SNCF conductor has a machine which can read French tickets while those with German tickets are dealt with by the DB conductor. I had an e-ticket which presented a QR code on my mobile phone and to check that I am the person who purchased the ticket the machine also reads the credit card I agreed to use for ID. The e-ticket also has the itinerary and the DB app has a link to check whether the train is running to time. After crossing the Rhein and stopping in Strasbourg the driver turns up the wick and the speed is displayed as 320 km/hr which is the best end of 200 MPH. The scenery is beautiful and the journey tremendous. 

Then Paris. I've now visited there twice and I've yet to see the attraction. Okay I've only seen the bit between Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord but it isn't dragging me back - and it's always been damp when I've visited. Gare du Nord has the most insistent beggars I've ever met as well as a charming man from whom I bought a copy of the French version of the big issue. I don't speak French but we chatted about Steely Dan (I've been listening to their work for much of today) in broken English and broken German; a very knowledgeable bloke. 

My lack of French isn't the reason that the Eurostar check-in at Gare du Nord is tricky - the signage is trilingual but rubbish. Simply saying that it's on the first floor isn't much use without showing how to get there but I am an expert in wandering around so I finally found the escalator - the stairs were simply not an option with my suitcase. I could tell I was back in an area with a lot of Brits because before the train started boarding a queue formed to get to the platform. I have no idea why; it's set up like an airport and seats are reserved so there is no real need to stand up before the gate opens. The British Border Force chap checking passports wasn't aware of the Royal Birth and his cabin wasn't decked in bunting. This surprised me because I'd guess he'll face a slew of visiting potentates over the next few days but they may be sorting the decorations overnight.

The Eurostar is showing its age in comparison with its big brother the TGV duplex but it was nearly empty so no problem with space and I got a result in that it was stopping in Ashford. In much of Europe those who smoke will step off the train for a ciggie when the train arrives in a station. The French lady who I'd been chatting with, in English, suddenly couldn't understand when the blokey at Ashford International told her she couldn't spark up.

Then back to dear old Network Southeast for the final bit and home. While writing this I've had a beer and eaten a slightly stale breze that I bought a few hundred miles away. I've also struggled with spelling simple words because my head is still trying to process in what passes for my German. 

Travelling by train is far from a cheaper option and clearly takes more time than flying but I've really enjoyed it and the little bottles of wine and the picnics were a great addition to the gig. Spending 12 hours reading is a luxury I rarely afford myself so that was great too. All up a smashing end to a fantastic week.  

Edit: PS - I waved to Veronica when we crossed the border :-)