2004 Europe

Virgin Train, London to Holyhead



June 12 – Today is a traveling day. We’re up early to go to the Paris Nord train station to catch the Eurostar train through the Chunnel under the English Channel to go to London. This train can travel at 160 mph and only makes one stop, in northern France, before arriving in London in 3 hours and 15 minutes. The check in procedure is a lot like at the airport. All your bags are screened. Unfortunately, they do not have checked baggage so we have to wheel our 3 large and 3 small suitcases through the terminal. I got a baggage cart and most of the fit on that. First you go through the check in procedure with the train. Then 20 feet later you go through French immigration. Then 20 feet later you go through British immigration. The French were very business-like and stamped our passports for the first time this entire trip. The British officer saw Diana’s Canadian flag pin and said, ‘Ah, Canadian passports!’ Of course, Diana’s passport is USA so she had to explain how the Canadian assumption gets her better prices in those situations where you bargain for tourist items. He thought that was hilarious and stamped us into the UK.



The train ride was very fast and very smooth. They served lunch and it was very good for vehicle food. The trip under the channel took only about 20 minutes and it seemed much shorter. Hard to believe that you can cross the English Channel underwater.



When we arrived in London the first thing I had to do was hit an ATM. The UK is not on the Euro so I needed some Pounds Sterling. Then we caught a taxi to the Royal Garden Kensington Hotel to drop off the two large suitcases we don’t need for the Irish bus tour. We got a very nice cab driver who agreed to wait at the hotel during the bag transfer and then take us to Euston Station for the train to Holyhead, Wales where we catch the Irish Ferry to Dublin. The concierge at the hotel had purchased the British and Irish train tickets for me as you can’t buy them more than 45 days in advance and we left the US long before they were available. He had the British tickets there for me to pick up and we were off to the station.



The train to Holyhead (avobe) is not a fancy train like the Eurostar but the cars were in good shape and it ran on time. The rail operator on that line is Virgin, Inc., the same people who own Virgin Airlines and Virgin Records. So we were riding on a Virgin train (below). The Welsh have a preoccupation with dragons as is evidenced by the train station sign below. Again, a smooth trip getting us into Holyhead about 10:30PM. Just after sunset in this area. We stayed overnight in the Boathouse Hotel. To say it was rustic is to understate the case but we got there late and left early so it didn’t matter.



June 13 – Up early again to catch the Jonathan Swift, the Irish fast ferry from Holyhead to Dublin. We boarded after going through Irish immigration and we were on our way. Ireland is in the EU so we’re back on the Euro as soon as we get on the ship. The trip across to Dublin is only about 2 and a half hours, just barely enough time to get settled.



When we arrived in Dublin there were people everywhere. The cabby told us that there was a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert last night and everyone is still here. Plus, it’s the celebration of Bloom day. It seems that James Joyce ‘Ulysses’ main character, Leopold Bloom made his journey around Dublin 100 years ago on the 16th of this month and they decided to celebrate that today. When we arrived at Hueston station, not to be confused with Euston Station in London, there were crowds of people there waiting for the train to Cork. This is the train we are on as well. Fortunately we had reserved seats because the train is packed. In fact, the conductor authorized us to have a refund on the upgrade to reserved because the train was overcrowded and we didn’t get the meal we should have had. The train is rather poorly maintained. The air conditioning wasn’t working and, with the crowd in the car, it was very hot. In Limerick Junction we transferred from the Cork train to a local commuter type train to go to Ennis. That train was almost empty, had good equipment and was cool.



We arrived in Ennis exhausted and checked into the hotel to rest up. We at dinner at the hotel and I could not believe the quantity of food they served us. The main course was not overwhelming but it was big and the side dishes were huge. I got a large serving plate piled high with fries and Diana got a large plate with ice cream scoops of mashed potatoes, a pile of carrots and about half a head of broccoli. After dinner we just rested in the room for the evening.

(c) 2004 Rod Longenberger