All good things must come to an end, so after a lovely month in Paris, we finally had to close the doors to our apartment in the 12th Arrondissement. We were headed into the darkness of the UK and the approaching winter solstice. A proper northern winter will build character, we kept saying to each other.
As to why were making this choice in lieu of an island in SE Asia!? And there really is lot to love about the UK, even in winter. Yippee, a train not a plane to the UK! Our enthusiasm for our train trip was soon tamped down after we passed through Eurostar security and immigration to find the waiting area packed to the gills, with people lined against the walls, and sitting on the floor. This of course triggered my immediate moaning about the woeful under design of the waiting area.
The E train sets carry nearly passengers full, so 3 trains full is a challenge for any building design. But the situation was exacerbated by poor info signs and an inaudible P. Eurostar can definitely do better. So our Eurostar train finally boarded after nearly two hours, and departed only 40 minutes late. And yes, white wine; which tasted pretty good after the misery of the waiting area and boardiing process.
Eurostar business seems outrageously priced in comparison as same first class type train seats as the Plus service: just fancier food service; dedicated boarding, and a loungeβ¦. And it would have been packed with 3 trains worth of people.
We love returning to places we like; and we have fond memories our 2 week stay in Brighton in Ok, it was Hove, actually. A great choice as it was a walkable and lively area, but less touristy than the Lanes or areas around the train station. I even went back to the same place to get a haircut as 2 years ago. Brighton was also an easy shot back to London and our next destination, Norwich. So what was our strategy for the UK winter?
