Again, this time for the return trip, I had to raise from bed at a very unsociable hour to catch my train to Brussels and connect with the Eurostar service to London.
05:15 B InterRegio Ghent to Brussels (fast non-stop service!)
06:59 Eurostar Brussels to London
07:55 Arrival in London - connecting to London Bridge and Canary Wharf
The Eurostar terminal in Brussels is still under renovation and it does not look and feel very welcoming. There are also limited number of (somewhat comfortable) seats, and only one cafe selling stuff 20%-80% more expensively than a number of cafes just outside the Eurostar concourse. Anyway, there is still no shopping and no free internet connection. The London St Pancras station is in this respect simply unrivaled. Hopefully they will fix the Brussels terminus quickly and nicely.
I did not get much of the Eurostar service this morning as I fell asleep and only opened my eyes, as the train pulled under the grand arch of the St Pancras's station. Which was a good thing...
Jun 13, 2009 12:00 AMLille - a new beginning?
The morning weather in Ghent was terrible. It was raining and the sky was dull and grey. After checking forecasts for a few places in Belgium, I realised that the entire coast area was covered with precipitation. Only Brussels was showing intervals with sunny spells, but how many more times, will I be going to Belgium's capital. I wanted to see something new. I originally wanted to go to Tournai, to see the cathedral included on UNESCO World Heritage List, but it was a bit of pain to get there, since there were no direct train links, and I (and my friend!) knew absolutely nothing about the intercity coaches. At the Ghent station, a quick decision was made to go to Lille in France. It was only 55 minutes away!
Lille was much better than I had expected. I had heard that it was being regenerated and received many cosmetic surgeries, but I had had no idea it was going to be so nice. The city had a funny dragon theme going on with giant statues of baby dragons standing along the main road between the theatre and the train station. The city centre boasted grand architecture and interesting buildings. The side streets were lined with flamboyant facades and people enjoying their drinks at the open-air cafes added to this fantastic ambiance. It seemed like a good decision!
Jun 12, 2009 12:00 AMGhent (Gent, Gand) - Hello again!
The day started very early, with the DLR train from Mudchute to Bank to connect with the northbound Northern line to King's Cross St. Pancras station. I would prefer going with the Jubilee line on the underground, but as it became a route now, the line is being closed for weekend engineering works. It is a bit ludicrous that a line, which just ten years old requires as much engineering works (or even more) than lines, which are over 100 years old!
Well, anyway - the sequence of the events looked like this:
06:18 - DLR Mudchute to Bank
06:32 - Tube Northern Line Bank to King's Cross St. Pancras
07:53 - Eurostar London to Brussels
11:08 - B's Intercity Brussels to Ghent St. Pieters
Ghent again dazzled me. Weather was great and the little and big squares surrounded by grand mansions, and solid medieval warehouses, full of outdoor cafes, eh. A great place indeed.
I went to see the local African football championships organised by the Ghent Cameroon Association. If I remember well, the following teams played: Liberia, Cameroon, Senegal, The Gambia, and perhaps DRC... The Gambia won the championship. It was a nice piece of amateur football, full of emotion and athletic effort.
Jun 12, 2009 12:00 AMLeuven (Louvain) - a great little place
When I arrived for a short day (almost entire day) visit, I did not expect much. But how pleasantly surprised I was with Leuven. It was not as busy as Ghent, but it appeared that all of its outdoor cafes, bars and restaurants were defying the economic downturn and heaved with customers. It was a great and very positive sight, and as weather was superb, it created an incredible atmosphere. People seemed relaxed.
The historical core of Leuven was picturesque. The Grote Markt, the Townhall, the Cathedral, the guild houses, the university's colleges, the cobble-stoned pavements and passages, and squares!, yeah - created a lovely medieval mix. I stopped for lunch and admired the old structures, the happy crowds and enjoyed the sun. It has been a great day indeed.
Jun 11, 2009 12:00 AMGetting ready for another Belgium visit
Tomorrow, I am railing off under the English Channel (Canal La Manche) to Belgium, to pay a visit to my friend in Ghent. Although this is going to be a short weekend visit, preparations must start today, as I will leave on an early Eurostar train, at the unsocialble hour. This means getting up 05:30 a.m. Not my favourite kind of travelling, but it is becoming cheaper this way. Eurostar charged me just £29 for the ticket from London to Ghent via Brussels (the ticket is valid to any Belgian station, actually), and the same for the return trip on the first morning train on Monday.
I check the weather forecast for Belgium and although it looked much worse than for London, it was not too bad. If all goes well, I should go on exploring a few spots in the country I had not seen before.
May 29, 2009 12:00 AMCatterick - Passing Out Parade
This might have been one of the greatest days this year. I went to Catterick to see my friend pass out as Guardsman of the British Army. The boys were dressed up in their red and black uniforms and, having practised for weeks and weeks, delivered one of the greatest parades I have seen live to date. They were nicely synchronised! It was very moving and beautifully done. The Army band played a variety of tunes, and helped the guys with the steps, etc. After that we had lunch before the guys were sent out for leave. From today, there are no longer trainees, but soldiers, and if all goes to plan, some of them will leave for further tactical training preparing to go to Afghanistan, some will go on drill training for the Queen's Birthday. Passing out of Catterick Infantry Training, reportedly the second most demanding and difficult army training course in the world, is a great achievement!
I would never have thought I would venture that far north for a single day for any reason, really. But it was a good day. And it brought some memories from some 15 years ago, when I went up to North Yorkshire and farther in the search for the Hadrian's Wall. It was good to see the countryside again!
May 28, 2009 12:00 AMOn the train to Darlington
I am typing this on my iPhone while on the National Express train from London to Darlington. Fabulously enough, the operator provides free wireless Internet for all passengers! How great is that?! Also, I could plug my phone charger to a power socket by my window seat! So, no losing power at all. In contrary, charging while I browse. Uh, I wish Eurostar provided the same. Oh well, you can have it all, I guess. 400 km/h and fast free broadband Internet at the same time?
For a standard class, this one is not too shabby either. The train is clean, and the person, who was supposed to travel next to me, did not turn up, so I have two seats for my own use, ha! Now, I almost wish I had taken my laptop for comfort, but my super-dooper iPhone will do just fine!
I am not sure what to expect from Darlington exactly, but I am not expecting much at all. It would be great to have a look around something historical and go out, check out a bar or two, meet the local folk. I just hope I will be south of Newcastle enough to avoid needing to train my ears for the Geordie accent. I would prefer not to experience too much misunderstanding. Particularly when out and about at night! Well, I cannot party until too late, as the passing out ceremony kicks off in the morning and I need to be in a respectable shape and condition!
I am going to check a few facts about Darlington while I am on the train to see if I could quickly come up with a wee itinerary. Uh, but obviously there will be the hotel staff, who I am sure will be able to direct me to the points of interest and sights.
May 27, 2009 12:00 AMA trip north to Darlington, Tees Valley
Tomorrow, I am going north, to North Yorkshire. I have been invited to the passing out of one of my friends as a British Soldier. It is a great honour, and I could not refuse. The ceremony kicks off in the morning, and to get there on time, I need to travel on the day before. So, I booked myself to a hotel in Darlington, the largest nearby town. I have never been in that area to have a look around, although I once used the Darlington airport, called Tees Valley Airport, and I a little excited to visit the town. Then, I will be passing through some great historical places with grand and old monuments.
May 23, 2009 12:00 AMSalzburg Album in the making
I have not had much chance to contribute to Globo recently, due to various reasons, but now would like to post a few pictures from Salzburg to create an album. I am therefore planning to post, what some members might consider unusually large, or worse - unacceptably large number of pictures. I do not want to annoy anyone. I just want to create this album, before it is too late and my monthly limited expires again. I am not getting upset if my pictures do not get rated (this is not a priority for me, when I post them). But I do hope the members will enjoy my new album ;)
May 22, 2009 12:00 AMBrighton (GB) - day four (the last day)
I still cannot believe weather has been consistently great in Brighton, for the entire week. Yes, I have been working all these days, all day long, but in the late afternoons and in the evenings, there was some time to wander about and check the beach and the beach bars. I really do not want to leave. When I look at the pebbles and the surprisingly turquoise waters of the English Channel (aka La Manche), I am thinking it would be super to stay for the weekend, too. But I made plans in London already, and have head back home...
