North Wales: the trip

I'm sitting in the train station feeling very important with Lara on the table. For some reason it feels quite decadent to type on a computer in a train station. I'm incredibly early as usual. I arrived at the station with almost an hour to kill, in spite of stopping at La Croissanterie to pick up my lunch. I sat in a seat for a while and then went for a wander and this is where I found the tables and chairs.

Oxford Train station

There was a man sitting next to me, old, long gray beard, looking like he was asleep. A young man on the other side of me, a student? reading a sheet of A4 paper and making notes. I do like having a Lara to work with. Means that my blogs are written as I go as long as I have spot to sit and type.

The chairs are all metal and incredibly cold on my bum so I am sitting on my coat to try and keep my bum warm.

For some reason, I still get incredibly excited about trips. You would think at my age, and with the amount of travelling I have done, that I would be inured to it, and would take it more for granted. But not me. I can't wait to get moving. I've just taken out something that I can't blog about, gives too much information about another blogger !! But I will tell them about it later !!

Here's my train coming into the station. I mean, Madeleine, what an idiot. It's only a train!!

Not too cold here this morning. I have already taken off my coat and sitting here in the station quite comfortable with just a jumper on. Apparently it is supposed to rain all weekend, more so in Wales than in Oxford. So should be an interesting weekend.

When I was packing I couldn't seem to get my wellies to fit in my case. I put them on top. Then had to take everything out and put them on the bottom and pack around them. Worked a treat. So they are in my case, along with almost every piece of warm clothing I own. Probably don't need that much, but if it is going to be wet, then I might need them all.

On the train, there were push button doors to get on and off the train and to move from carriage to carriage. They were also on the loo. You have to remember to push the lock button or someone else is likely to get a shock. I pushed it and hoped it worked cause there was nothing to say it was working properly. Also I didn’t “hover” for those who have read Kahless's blog ("Hovering is the best strategy"). There is no way I am hovering over a loo seat on a train. Guaranteed the train will move, I will fall, slip, something, and me and the loo will wear it.

Train travel is so much nicer than air. I can look out the window and there are things to see. I was even surprised at the size of the loo. Clouds in the sky, green grass, fields, bridges, sheep. I can even take a photo if I want. Sun can be irritating when you are trying to read and it is coming through the trees and then through the my window - going flip, flip, flip on the page I am trying to read. Makes it hard to focus on the words.

But it is a sign that the world is still there.. Not like on a airplane where the whole world disappears for hours on end. People sitting across from me got off so I’ve moved seats and just realised what a mess I’ve made under my seat when my baguette wrapper fell apart.

Then I was able to set Lara up and type up impressions.

Arrived safely in Chester. Interesting sign

Some buildings outside the station. The Town Crier (I've no idea what this building is. My first thought was a newspaper, but who knows) (addition later - this is a pub)

Westminster Hotel - lovely buildings.

 

Kahless met me as planned and all went well. More about that later.

Now it is time for bed. I don't know when this one will be posted.

Cheers

Madeleine

Friday, 7 November 2008