Last Sunday I realised that the credit card I had used to pay for the Eurostar was the one I had lost so I emailed to find out how I was to access my ticket since they had insisted I collect them rather than have them sent. I needed proof of payment and a police number. I got the latter but failed to find the former. I was told on the phone that I would be lucky to have the ticket reissued and may have to pay for a new set. I went ballistic and on Monday decided to go to Kings Cross and have a face to face chat. This cost me time and money but I decided that I would not be very calm if I had packed and was ready to go on the morning and failed to board so this seemed the best way. I got to London Bridge and was told the whole of St Pancras was shut due to a bomb scare. I lived with the IRA for 20 years so I know the closures are finite so I went to Angel and walked slowly via the Gagosian to see Howard Hodgkin, which was OK but not overly fantastic. I then wandered to the station which was still shut but I knew it was not for long as various vehicles were drifting away. 30min's later I was in. The person at the desk gave me a duplicate ticket with very little trouble.
Home, pack and bed.
On the day of the trip we were up early, wandered to the station only to see that there were no trains! we got a bus to the only functioning station made it to London Bridge only to find the Northern Line was closed so 2 more journeys later we made it. Kitty was quieter than normal, said she did not feel too good when we got there she complained the room was not as nice as Austria and why was she here and where was Granny and Lucy and she was tired and bored etc etc.. and so what I perceived to be a lovely few days together turned into an endurance test of my patience. I had no cards only cash, we had 80 euros a day and trust me it was only JUST enough, the exchange rate is eye wateringly low. In GAP a top that retails £25 is 39 Euros which at today's exchange is £32+ so you can see how tough the prices are. The galleries all had huge queues, but I walked a number of journeys new to me and as usual never tired of looking and watching.
I will post more later but a week in Wales beckons WITH Granny, Lucy, Julia AND Ellie so hopefully that should shut her up!
4 comments:
Well, despite the many challenges, you've collected some gorgeous photos -- looks as if you truly got out and saw Paris. I do love that blue of Parisian doors. And your Eiffel tower shot from below the blooms is one of the best shots I've seen of the tower -- hard to do anything new with it to get past its cliché image, but this is fresh. Thanks for further whetting my appetite for Paris!
I am glad you enjoyed the photos. It was very difficult weather, very dull with mizzle which sucks the light out of most shots. But it will be much milder when you go, I bet you can't wait!
Really, really beautiful photos, thank you for sharing them
The photos are lovely...
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