I’ve always wanted to travel through Europe on the Orient Express. Just imagine, getting on a train in Paris and getting off in Istanbul, wow !
Apparently it started in1883 and after leaving Paris, it would steam through the Alps, Budapest and Bucharest to Constantinople, “Packed with grandees and unheard of luxuries such as soap by the washbasins, reports swiftly came back of its exquisite food, excellent wine and impeccable service.”
Unfortunately the nearest I got to that this year was a trip to Birmingham recently by train, brought about because the bad weather prevented us going in the car.
The “experience” started in the ticket office when I had to inform the ticket vendor that I was on medication for high blood pressure, and he wasn’t helping matters coming out with those sorts of ridiculous prices. Adding insult to injury, he suggested we take out a Senior Rail Card to bring down the cost, without having to ask our ages !
The journey itself started out reasonably well, but as I settled back to let the ‘train take the strain’, I slowly became aware of a repetitive knocking sound which had me thinking a wheel bearing had gone on our carriage. I was just about to reach for the emergency chord when Mrs N pointed out a certain ‘yoof’ across the aisle with ear phones in, from where the noise was emanating.
After a brief stop to change trains, and take out a mortgage on two ‘Medium Lattes’ that turned out be coffee with shaving foam on top, we resumed our journey.
As we approached Sheffield station we noticed a large contingency of Railway Police, some with dogs, herding a crowd of football fans along the platform, and guess which train they were getting on ! So we had to endure the next 40 minutes being serenaded with, ‘who ate all the pies’ by a group of ‘merry’ men ominously blocking the aisle as there were no seats, and spilling lager everywhere. Thankfully, they left at Derby and we continued to our destination in relative peace.
And why should we put ourselves through any of this misery, you may ask?
Well this happened to be very special journey indeed. It was to meet the newest addition to our family, baby Grandson Isaac who was born just the week before, and it sure was worth it. Let’s just say, It may not have been a trip on the Orient Express, but it was certainly one of the Great Railway Journeys of our lives.
