An underwater train. The whole concept is a little mind-blowing when you think about it. But then again, we drive through some pretty impressive mountain tunnels and the Vasco de Gama bridge looks like it's just hanging there in mid air. Ships - huge mini cities just bobbing around in the water. And planes? Metal tubes speeding through the air? Yes, transport has come a long way and it's impressive.
Over the years I've been on many trains, but had yet to catch the Eurostar. So my darling friends in Southampton, gave me a gift voucher for my birthday last year to complete a tick off the list. I hope they continue to work on one of my other items......time's a ticking. With the Old Duck coming over to Paris to commence her birthday trip, it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with the Duck, use the voucher and maybe, just maybe, ignite a love for Paris.
But back to the Eurostar, which was definitely a tick much easier to achieve than the other one I hope my friends are still working on. After a lovely afternoon and evening in jolly London, I was up bright and early and headed over to St Pancras International. You're advised to arrive around 2 hours beforehand - which would appear a little excessive, but then again, security and all that. 1st rookie mistake, once you're there, don't rush straight through. There is very little on the other side. Just a sad looking Pret and another even sadder looking coffee shop. Overpriced, below average coffee in hand, it was time for a quick look in the duty free shop for a squirt of perfume. Right, that killed 2 minutes. Managed to find a chair at a dirty table that I don't think had been wiped down since the evening before. That may be a little unfair, but the area is really cramped and dismal.
Finally time to board. Seats are large and comfy. Plenty of luggage storage. Good to go. The trip itself was just under 2.5 hours to Paris. One minute you're zipping through the English countryside and the next it's like a giant metal ferret that dives into a tunnel, and then pops out the other side with a Bonjour and a baguette in hand. The Eurostar launched in 1994 and it has certainly revolutionized travel between the UK and Europe. The Channel Tunnel itself is approximately 50 km long with the section that runs under the sea only about 37km long.
It's a fast and comfortable way to go. And as for my 4 days in Paris? Well I enjoyed it and it was great catching up with the girls, but I can't honestly say I now love Paris. Sorry, probably still my least favourite European Capital City. But I would definitely catch the Eurostar again - maybe to Belgium.
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