European Train Holiday (Day 4)
Domodossola to London
I’ve been fascinated by trains since I was a small child. I’ve wondered what a train-only vacation would look like; as in a vacation where I spend all of my “awake time” on a train. I’m about to find out. I’ve hastily planned such a vacation, comprising of some of my favourite rail sections in Europe.
This is Day 4.
2016 May 2nd (1184 km, 3 trains)
17. Domodossola to Lausanne, Switzerland (210 km at 110 kmph)
Final day. Unlike Saturday and Sunday, my train doesn’t leave until nearly 10am. Note for the future: This is a good idea. While the early train rides paid off in terms of more time, and beautiful scenery, I could have done with an hour or two of extra sleep the previous two nights.
Outside the station, a throng of small children speaking in Italian reminds me of La vita e bella.
The plates, cups and saucers are of multiple colours — yet they are not gaudy.
There is radio music playing in the railway station. There is a certain chaos. A chaos which order admires and envies.
On to Lausanne. The last two acts of La Boheme. Puccini and the surrounding countryside have a lot in common.
Montreux and Lausanne look a lot like Locarno or Lugano, with the exception of the French architecture and signage. Lake Geneva is enormous, blue and beautiful. Reminds me of the see in Hawaii. So still and smooth.
18. Laussane to Paris, France (517 km at 141 kmph)
And off to Paris. My first ride on a TGV. The top speed of 300kmph was a bit underwhelming. 300 is not much different from 200. But the French countryside was pleasant, sunny, and the food on the train was good. We pass cows and Dijon.
I have about 2 hours to kill in Paris — so I decide to walk from the Gare du Lyon, along the Seine, through Notre Damme and the Louvre to the Gare du Nord. I get there an hour early, but there is a long line.
19. Paris to London (457 km at 174 kmph)
It’s the last day of a bank holiday long-weekend in the UK, and the check-in line for the Eurostar is the longest I’ve seen. The train is held 22 minutes, so that all the passengers have time to go through customers, security and board the train. Thankfully, this last train is the only train out of so 19 this long weekend, that is not on time. Had any been delayed, this vacation would have been seriously disrupted.
London St. Pancras, the short walk to Kings Cross, the Circle Line back to Baker Street, and the walk home.
Epilogue
One of the Audio Books I listened to on this trip was Mindfulness: The Eight-Week Meditation Programme for a Frantic World. This is a quote from that book, quoting a poem by Roger Keyes.
“Hokusai says look carefully. He says pay attention, notice. He says keep looking, stay curious. He says there is no end to seeing…”
