Yesterday was SUCH a long day of travelling. Since it had to be a single-day journey I made the right decision to do it the day before registration rather than registration day itself - even leaving East Midlands Parkway at 8:32am I still didn't get to la Gare de Caen until 5:10pm, and from there it's another 15-minute tram/bus/taxi ride to the campus, plus a further 10 minutes spent hunting for reception. Registration today is at 2pm. Not doable. Good decision, pat on the back.
I would like publicly to thank my mother for picking me up before 7 o'clock yesterday morning to go to the station, and for organising and ferrying my cats to go on their holiday while I'm away. East Midlands Parkway station was a surprise: it is a pleasant and modern station, which sits directly below a power station with an assortment of giant cooling towers. The whole place smells of steam. Yes, unexpected. Photo opportunity.
The journey was uneventful in the main. I met up with a fellow student and we helped each other across Paris between Gare du Nord and St Lazare. If I make a similar journey in the future I'll allow more time for changes, especially when one change is for Eurostar. Must think of it as a land aeroplane, with corresponding passport check/customs timescales. Armed police everywhere at both ends, the French ones in army getup. Unnerving. I was glad to get on and away.
By the way, Eurostar is UNCOMFORTABLE. The seats are fixed in a semi-recline position and are designed for people at least 4"taller than I am - the curvature of the seat bore no resemblance to the shape of my spine in any position of which my body is capable (I tried quite a few in an effort to get comfortable); in the end I went to sit in the vestibule on one of the folding seats because that was more comfortable than my £100 booked passenger seat. Complaints aside, it really was more comfortable, not only in posture terms but also in climatic terms - I felt miles better for having spent the last half-hour before Paris Nord in a cool, empty, breezy area on a comfortable and supportive seat with more leg room, light and view. I recommend it for the entire duration of the journey.
Now I am using McDonald's wifi but my tram goes soon so I'll tell you about today another time :)
I would like publicly to thank my mother for picking me up before 7 o'clock yesterday morning to go to the station, and for organising and ferrying my cats to go on their holiday while I'm away. East Midlands Parkway station was a surprise: it is a pleasant and modern station, which sits directly below a power station with an assortment of giant cooling towers. The whole place smells of steam. Yes, unexpected. Photo opportunity.
The journey was uneventful in the main. I met up with a fellow student and we helped each other across Paris between Gare du Nord and St Lazare. If I make a similar journey in the future I'll allow more time for changes, especially when one change is for Eurostar. Must think of it as a land aeroplane, with corresponding passport check/customs timescales. Armed police everywhere at both ends, the French ones in army getup. Unnerving. I was glad to get on and away.
By the way, Eurostar is UNCOMFORTABLE. The seats are fixed in a semi-recline position and are designed for people at least 4"taller than I am - the curvature of the seat bore no resemblance to the shape of my spine in any position of which my body is capable (I tried quite a few in an effort to get comfortable); in the end I went to sit in the vestibule on one of the folding seats because that was more comfortable than my £100 booked passenger seat. Complaints aside, it really was more comfortable, not only in posture terms but also in climatic terms - I felt miles better for having spent the last half-hour before Paris Nord in a cool, empty, breezy area on a comfortable and supportive seat with more leg room, light and view. I recommend it for the entire duration of the journey.
Now I am using McDonald's wifi but my tram goes soon so I'll tell you about today another time :)
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