21 November 2014
Friday morning began with a latte in Costa Coffee and a long wait on the cold platform of Southampton Central Station. We’d arrived way too early. The lesser of two evils, it was that or leave later, get stuck in rush hour traffic and possibly miss the train. In my time I’ve spent many hours on platform one of this station. As a teenager I worked in the offices above and caught the train to and from work every week day for five years. On Staurdays in the summer I helped out on the platform, guiding people to their connecting trains. Some of the announcements are imprinted on my brain.
Eventually our train arrived and we were on our way to Waterloo. From there we chickened out of the underground to Kings Cross/St Pancras, maybe remembering the debacle of the closed station when we were returning from Manchester. Finding yourself in a crowd of people under the ground in an unfamiliar part of London looking at a notice saying the station you need is closed for repairs is never good. When you have a connecting train to catch it’s even worse. This time we took no chances and marched straight out of Waterloo to the taxi rank.
St Pancras Station is rather impressive, a beautiful old building of red brick with a yellow brick trim and huge wooden doors. It reminded me of St Michael and All Angels church in Lyndhurst. Sadly, there was no time to stand and admire it because we had a train to catch.
We weren’t exactly sure what to expect of Eurostar. From what I’d read there were none of the prohibited items you get on airlines, well not unless you count firearms, explosives, crossbows and the like. Obviously, I expected some kind of passport control but I wasn’t really prepared for the full airport metal detector and baggage scanning experience.
One minute we were in a queue of people on a train station the next I was being patted down rather more thoroughly than I felt necessary by a stern faced guard while my bags disappeared on a conveyor belt. Of course I’d set the blasted metal detector off. Seriously I must have a metal plate in my head or something because it always happens. Commando stood by smiling ironically having gone through completely unscathed.
The train was very comfortable. The announcement, first in French and then in English, that our train would be delayed for half an hour going through Lille because of a problem with the electronic line wasn’t particularly welcome. The French speakers on the train could easily be picked out at that point because they all looked annoyed or upset before the English translation.
The tunnel part was the bit that worried me. The thought of twenty odd miles in a train under the sea wasn’t exactly appealing to someone who has a thing about small enclosed spaces. Maybe if it was a glass tunnel and I could actually see the sea, then again that could be worse. In actual fact, apart from some unexpected ear popping, it wasn’t too bad and it only took about twenty minutes. After I could see sunshine and misty French fields outside the window I relaxed and fell asleep. The next thing I knew we were pulling into Garde du Nord, the busiest railway station in Europe.
The station seems to have hardly changed since my first visit back in the spring of 1980. Decorative green columns, iconic arched windows and a little knot of gendarmes hanging around in the concourse. That first time I’d asked one of the gendarmes directions in halting schoolgirl French and been surprised when I understood what he said. This time we walked past them, out of the station and got our bearings as a never ending queue of taxis crawled past picking up a stream of people emerging bleary eyed from the station.
The facade of Gare du Nord is impressive. Designed by Jacques Ignace Hittorff it was built between May 1861 and December 1865. The impressive green painted iron pillars inside were made at Alston & Gourley’s ironworks in Glasgow as this was the only foundry large enough. Outside, the plethora of sculptures represent the main cities served by the station with the figure representing Paris in the centre. Each was sculpted by a different artist and, for those interested to learn more Wikipedia has a list of them all.
Our hotel, Mercure Terminus Nord, couldn’t really have been any closer. It took us all of two minutes to find it. The six story building, constructed in 1865, is typically Parisienne with long shuttered windows and decorative iron balconies. Inside the revolving doors we found beautiful decorative stained glass panels and a helpful, if apologetic, concierge. There was a problem with our room, the housemaid had not yet cleaned it.
“Je suis désolé,” he said, “please go to the bar and have a complementary drink. We will offer you an upgrade.”
The only fault I could possibly pick is that a drink did not include coffee. The bar is a bar only. Commando ordered petite biere, I had coca light. Our drinks came with a little square pot of salted peanuts. We sat admiring the decor, typically French, dark wood bar and tables, little tub chairs in crimson and chartreuse and real French doors.
Twenty minutes later we opened the door to our upgraded room, a suite. Better still there was one of those clever coffee machines that you stick a pod in, press a button and perfect coffee appears as if by magic, the kind George Clooney advertises. The coffee was wonderful, even if it took me a few moments to work out which buttons to press.
After a little unpacking and a freshen up we went out to get our bearings and a bite to eat. The bite to eat ended up being MacDonalds, a safe and quick bet but hardly French haute cuisine. By this time the sun was beginning to set, oranges and golds reflected in the windows of Gare du Nord. The sunset colours were picked up by the lights on the beautiful Art Nouveau metro entrance. These wonderful cast iron station entrances were designed by French architect Hector Guimard. What a pity the London Underground signs aren’t as beautiful.
We walked in a large circle around several city blocks as the sky slowly darkened. The place was awash with cafés, restaurants and bars of every kind, bustling with life. As we crossed the railway bridge and looked down over Gare de l’Est, the light was almost gone but I did stop again a little later to snap a picture of a curious decoration above a door, half a bicycle with a buckled wheel hung in mid air. What it means I don’t know but I like its quirkiness.
Close to the hotel we found a café and stopped for coffee. Pavement cafés are something the French do so well, discreet little heaters set in the awning, quick service, fantastic coffee and a view of Paris marching past us. Sitting, sipping good coffee and people watching was the perfect end to the day.
I was pleased to see a different take on the experience of going to Paris on Eurostar, a journey I have made too from time to time. Glad you got an upgrade!
It was our first Eurostar experience and I was quite nervous at the start but I’d certainly use it again.
What well-documented travelogues you publish! When we traveled to Paris years ago I used a spiral notebook as my journal. I also remember having a very hard time getting a train reservation at the Gare du Nord!
I like your Amy Thomas quote, so appropriate.
I adore France but Paris is not normally my first choice when it comes to visiting. This trip was wonderful though and I think I shall have to return soon.
If I didn’t think about where the train actually was I think I’d be okay, but thinking about being under that much water would ruin the trip for me. I’d have to bring a book or something.
I’m sure Paris would be worth all of the nail biting though!
I was surprised I handled it as well as I did but I did make a point of not thinking about all the water above me. Paris was well worth all the trouble though as you will see over the next few days.
Oh, I love Paris! Nice shots. I once took the Eurostar when it first opened and everyone cheered and drank champagne when we went under the water.
This was my first Eurostar experience but I hope it won’t be my last 🙂
We’ve never taken the Eurostar Marie. For some reason we always seem to be in a place where the channel ferry is more convenient (and no security pat downs). It was good to read your account of the trip and it’s always fun to see Paris photos. Your hotel looks posh – a sweet upgrade I’d say. ~James
This was our first Eurostar experience as we’ve always used the ferry or flown before. It was quite a nice experience. The hotel was lovely and not all that expensive for Paris.