London to Barcelona

Friday was a delightful day, while it might seem to be about getting from A to B, where London is A and Barcelona is B, rather it was a day full a fun and enjoyment of the journey, making us feel glad we have come this way. The distance is 707 miles (1139 km) that is the whole length of France plus a little of England and Catalonia on either side of it. This post looks back at the day

Before Breakfast

 

I woke at 3.30am and got up and loaded last night's photos to Flickr and blogged about yesterday's journey.

At 5am Drew woke up and I made tea for us both. It was Twinings Everyday Tea. I then showered, shaved and brush my teeth, using the shower gel from the hotel which is the very fruity Lemongrass, Orange and Ginger!

Drew got up at 5.45am and did his ablutions before we were both ready to go down to breakfast at 6.30am (as it opens). We weren't the first waiting for breakfast (as we often are). There were five people there before us. 

We were intrigued to see how much the Holiday Inn lent into its Bloomsbury tradition. The decor made it clear this wasn't a generic Holiday Inn, but the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury.

Breakfast

As regular readers of my blogs will know, I'm a great believer in setting a solid basis for the day by eating a hearty breakfast. So we did just that. 

I began with sparkling water, black coffee and Greek Yougart with chia seeds, sunflower seeds, almond flakes, walnuts 

Drew went for a more traditional English Breakfast: sausage, bacon, eggs, mushrooms and hash browns. He also had coffee, but was intrigued by the drink selection which was rhubarb juice. Not a juice either of us had seen before, but one that is fresh and tangy to begin the day.

I'd spotted the porridge I'd not seen earlier in another part of the buffet, so had that with more nuts and seeds. It was more watery than I prefer, but does provide a solid base for the day ahead.

I followed this up with cooked food, but as it is a Friday, a no meat day, this was cheese, double gloucester and cheddar with mushrooms, eggs and a hash brown.

Drew had more sausages and eggs.

Getting to St. Pancras

After breakfast we went back to room, used the facilities and left the hotel at 7.45am to walk over to St. Pancras International.

The walk seemed so much shorter than the walk last night, which often seems the case when you travel a new route for the first time. But it was not just perception of distance that had changed. This morning, the pavements were so much quieter than they were the night before. When as well as the general mass of people walking both ways we also had to negotiate around crowds gathered outside the pubs. 

As we strolled down Cartwright Street we spotted a few blue plaques, some of people we had never heard of, but also one for Kenneth Williams, so much a part of my radio listening in the 70s and 80s when 'Just a Minute' was in its pomp. 

Drew on the other hand remembers him from the Carry On films, as he announced 'Ooh Matron' as he spotted the sign. 

Saint Pancras 

Having passed the British Library, we arrived at St Pancras at 7.58am, a 12 minute walk. I can't come to this station without being vividly reminded of it role as a centre where the gods gather in Douglas Adams 'The Long, Dark Tea-Time of the Soul'. I love Adams' descriptive power:

A...huge, dark Gothic fantasy of a building which stands, empty and desolate… its roof line a vast assortment of wild turrets, gnarled spires and pinnacles which seemed to prod at and goad the night sky.

But it had none of that awesomeness this bright morning, instead it was rather prosaic. 

We got to the Eurostar check in point at 8am 

and we were through the security scanners and passport control by 8.10am. So all the warning of big queues at passport control were unnecessary - another Daily Mail fiction? 

The e-gates worked perfectly at passport control, Drew and I had both been registered on the new EU entry system in Malaga Airport on Easter Sunday, a simple enough process back then. This means we didn't need to be rescanned at passport control but could move straight to the egates which was simple, even though I don't think I'd recognise myself from my passport photo, taken 9 years ago when I was 8 stone heavier than I am today. 

The Eurostar lounge is always busy but I managed to get a seat, the crowd cleared somewhat at 8.30am when the 9.01am Brussels train opened boarding (30 minutes before travel). So we wait as we will be boarding from 9.01am onwards. 

I read my Kindle and at 9am exactly we started boarding. We are in Couch 2 seats 83 and 84. Coaches 1 and 2 are up one moving pavement/escalator and a busier one takes people up to the rest of the train. 

It means we are boarded quickly. We'd picked our seats at the end of the carriage next to the luggage racks and this worked perfectly for us, as we can see the suitcases saving Drew from worrying about someone stealing his smalls - a paranoia that I don't share 😄

Eurostar to Paris

The train leaves the platform at exactly 9.31am and we make speedy process under the Thames and through the Kent countryside, sitting in the comfort of a Eurostar Plus carriage.

 

Before we reach the channel tunnel our second breakfast arrives. Breakfast is served as part of the Eurostar Plus ticket (a similar arrangement to Premium Economy on flights, a little more expensive, but not business class, called Premier on Eurostar. 

This breakfast is a strawberry tart and yogurt with blueberry compote for Drew with an orange juice and coffee.

and a spinach and feta tart for me, with the same yoghurt (Drew helped by eating my compote as well as his own) and Sparkling Water.

We were out of the tunnel at 11.22 am local time (10.22am UK time) and began to build up speed. Our fastest speed was 275 kmph. 

Paris

We arrived in Paris Gare de Nord at 12.59pm and having paid for our metro tickets on our phones while travelling to Paris, we headed straight to the platform for RER D Sud, thanks again to The Man in Seat 61 for his clear directions. We were on our way to Gare de Lyon by 13.10pm. 

We arrived at Gare de Lyon at 13.20pm giving us an hour and twenty two minutes before the next train.

We had thought of visiting Le Tren Bleu restaurant of Poirot fame, but decided that as neither of us was very hungry and we'd be worried about being to the train at time, we'd just have a coffee instead, the nearest coffee shop to the platforms in Hall 2 just happen to be a Starbucks. 

I managed in a combination of very poor French and competent Starbucks Italian to order 'Un venti americano noir and un venti caffe latte', but then I was asked a question that made no sense to me - it was 'chaud ou froid' - I realise when the server tries again in English that my misunderstanding was that I don't really understand the question in English - hot or cold! It's a coffee!! If I wanted a cold drink I'd choose something else - I suspect this perspective reflects my age!!

As I do when out of the UK, I become Ed, my middle name, for coffee ordering. Thankfully I remembered my name on this occasion, there was one time in Nevada when they were calling Ed and I failed to respond, which led them to give me very funny looks!!

Paris to Barcelona

20 minutes before the train is due to depart a sign appears saying the train is retardé (delayed) by 20 minutes, later this becomes thirty minutes, due to the late arrival of the train from its previous journey. 

Our new departure time is 3.02pm, but though we are called to access the train just before then, because it is a long busy train it takes a while to board. It is actually 3.20pm by the time we depart, 40 minutes after the scheduled departure time. 

The train is made up of 12 double decker carriages the back 6 of which are going as far as Montpellier, the front 6 which are going all the way to Barcelona. 

The immediate surrounds of Gare de Lyon aren't the prettiest parts of France.

But we soon come into some lush countryside

We travelled past Cluny Abbey and across the River Isere,

and arrive at our first stop Valance at 5.30pm.

Dinner

Given the lateness of the train we decided to change our plans to eat on arrival in the hotel in Barcelona, but to make use of the on train bistro. 

You can do this online via the SNCF website or in my case the mobile site as I'd not got the laptop out for this journey, just the phone and kindle. 

Having ordered and paid online, I simply had to walk to the Bistro in the next carriage and go to the 'Priority queue' sign at the end of the counter at the nominated time. 

The SNCF trains have a Bistro menu which is made up of a roll, a starter, a main, dessert and a soft drink. The combined cost is €8 to €10 cheaper than buying the items individually. 

Drew opted for Green salad with grated carrots for his starter; spelt salad with asparagus and vegetable sticks for his main and a soft white cheese and lemon cake for dessert washed down with a Coca-Cola with no sugar.

I went for Egg mayonnaise, grated carrots with lemon and vinegar; Fresh ricotta and Parmigiano Reggiano ravioli with creamed spinach; a yogurt and Eau Neuve Mineral.

The food was delicious with lovely warmed rolls, the pasta dish was warm too. I ate mine in the wrong order to eat the hot items first. 

Back to the route

Dinner complete we settle back into the journey. We arrive in Nimes at 6.25pm, now 43 minutes late. 

At Montpellier Saint Roch, we arrive at 6.51pm (40 minutes late) 

and have a longer stop to allow the decoupling of the other half of the train. That done we are back on the journey by 6.58pm. 

We reach Beziers at 7.38pm (33 minutes behind time). 

Then Narbonne at 7.52pm (31 minutes behind time) - we definitely seem to be catching up. 

We arrived in our last station in France, Perpignan, at 8.27pm we have caught up another minute, so are only 30 minutes behind time. 

At 8.45pm we cross the border into Spain, the only noticeable things are a change of architectural styles and petrol stations now being run by Repsol not Total Energies!!

We arrive at Figueres, the first stop in Spain, at 8.55pm (25 minutes late). If we keep this up we will reach Barcelona before 10pm. 

The signs remain good, we arrive at Girona at 21.14pm (still 25 minutes behind time). 

We arrive at Barcelona Sants at 9.57pm, only 25 minutes late. Given the miles we have travelled this is amazing. It is nice to arrive. Though this isn't Drew's favourite station, the last time we were here - 2012, someone attempted to steal from his backpack as he walked down a flight of stairs. Captain Jack, who was the only thing of value in that part of the backpack, was not best pleased at being interfered with, but both he and Drew came away unscathed. 

The train having arrived at 9.57pm it was 10.04pm before we got down the stairs and off the train. 

It was then a 11 minute walk to our hotel - the NH Sants Barcelona and we arrived at 10.16pm. 

Having checked in online it took a few moments for him to offer us an upgrade to our room as Minor Hotel loyalty members and we came up to the delightful room 717, 

took our photos, brushed our teeth and headed to bed by 11pm. A busy, but relaxing and enjoyable day, truly a holiday, not just a journey.