teuchter
je suis teuchter
Well, I meant to report back rather earlier than this, but anyway -
I did the trip, Eurostar from Waterloo to Lille, then a short diversion to Amsterdam, then Paris, then TGV down to San Sebastian. One of those funny old red and silver Talgo trains from there to Zaragoza. Zaragoza station is in the process of being rebuilt - it's enotmous and feels more like an airport than a train station. I found it rather sterile.
From there I got one of the new AVE trains on the high speed line to Madrid. Very nice train, all new and shiny and very comfortable.
I then spent some time in Madrid. Good city. I had intended to travel further south (was hoping to get to Tarifa and other places on the coast) but illness meant I spent rather longer than intended in Madrid and had to cut that bit out of the plans. Anyway, there are worse places to convalesce.
I made a couple of day trips from Madrid, including one up into the mountains northwest of the city (to Cotos, which I think in the winter is a ski resort). That was on a narrow-gauge electric train winding up through the pine forests, and seemingly populated mostly by old men with not much else to do than trundle up and down the mountain on the train.
From Madrid I travelled by slightly rattly diesel unit to Cuenca, which is a wee bit touristy but very atmospheric nonetheless. As far as the train journey was concerned, quite enjoyable because most of the places you go through feel quite out of the way. The landscape isn't exceptional but is quite empty of human population.
Then on from Cuenca, on the same line, to Valencia. This bit of the journey was punctuated by the train hitting a flock of sheep, resulting in a bit of a mess. After an hour two of the train guard and driver walking around the train with the shepherds poking at the undercarriage with their crooks, it was decided that the train had come off with less damage than the unfortunate sheep and we carried on our way as if nothing had happened.
Torrential rain featured quite heavily throughout the trip but most noticeably in Valencia where it felt like a full-on tropical rainstorm. Valencia is a good city too, with quite a lot going on at night.
From there I travelled along the Mediteranean coast, changing trains at Barcelona. Then from there to Montpellier via Portbou, where the train was pulled through a magical gauge-changing machine to allow it to transfer from the Spanish broad gauge tracks to the standard French ones.
Arrived in Montpellier as France were playing England in the rugby. I'm not to bothered about rugby but being a Scot was hoping France might win. They didn't, of course.
Then back to London. The TGV meant that I could lounge about on the beach for most of the day, then get on a train at about 3pm and be back home in London by 10 or 11 that night.
There's a rather hastily edited-together film of bits and bobs from the trip .
I did the trip, Eurostar from Waterloo to Lille, then a short diversion to Amsterdam, then Paris, then TGV down to San Sebastian. One of those funny old red and silver Talgo trains from there to Zaragoza. Zaragoza station is in the process of being rebuilt - it's enotmous and feels more like an airport than a train station. I found it rather sterile.
From there I got one of the new AVE trains on the high speed line to Madrid. Very nice train, all new and shiny and very comfortable.
I then spent some time in Madrid. Good city. I had intended to travel further south (was hoping to get to Tarifa and other places on the coast) but illness meant I spent rather longer than intended in Madrid and had to cut that bit out of the plans. Anyway, there are worse places to convalesce.
I made a couple of day trips from Madrid, including one up into the mountains northwest of the city (to Cotos, which I think in the winter is a ski resort). That was on a narrow-gauge electric train winding up through the pine forests, and seemingly populated mostly by old men with not much else to do than trundle up and down the mountain on the train.
From Madrid I travelled by slightly rattly diesel unit to Cuenca, which is a wee bit touristy but very atmospheric nonetheless. As far as the train journey was concerned, quite enjoyable because most of the places you go through feel quite out of the way. The landscape isn't exceptional but is quite empty of human population.
Then on from Cuenca, on the same line, to Valencia. This bit of the journey was punctuated by the train hitting a flock of sheep, resulting in a bit of a mess. After an hour two of the train guard and driver walking around the train with the shepherds poking at the undercarriage with their crooks, it was decided that the train had come off with less damage than the unfortunate sheep and we carried on our way as if nothing had happened.
Torrential rain featured quite heavily throughout the trip but most noticeably in Valencia where it felt like a full-on tropical rainstorm. Valencia is a good city too, with quite a lot going on at night.
From there I travelled along the Mediteranean coast, changing trains at Barcelona. Then from there to Montpellier via Portbou, where the train was pulled through a magical gauge-changing machine to allow it to transfer from the Spanish broad gauge tracks to the standard French ones.
Arrived in Montpellier as France were playing England in the rugby. I'm not to bothered about rugby but being a Scot was hoping France might win. They didn't, of course.
Then back to London. The TGV meant that I could lounge about on the beach for most of the day, then get on a train at about 3pm and be back home in London by 10 or 11 that night.
There's a rather hastily edited-together film of bits and bobs from the trip .
