Marc, himself, his blogs, and you reading them.
May 08, 2003
20030504 TravelLog
- 9.43
- We leave home by car. Ostend no longer operates a passenger boat service accross the channel. The option being called 'via Calais' inspires us to attach a long due visit to some friends in Ghent. Hence the early leave.
- 9.58
- Tuur declares he wants to go home.
- 10.02
- Tuur throws up and manages to puke over the complete rear space of the car. Fien takes it rather well and finds it actually quite 'gross' Cleaning up I make the mental note that my audience tomorow will enjoy my sweater being cleaned by the hotel laundry services.
- 11.05
- Arriving with Annemie and Matthew a bit later then promised. Nice catch-up talks, exquisit lunch, enjoying the company and the pleasant atmosphere they created throughout living quarters and garden. Today's serving it with a shining spring sun makes it double.
- 14.26
- Family drops me off at the station. Sudden push up of expectations at the ticket desk are not met: There really is NO Eurostar today. The clerk didn't realize the 4th of May was today.
- 15.42
- We pass the depressing railway station of Tourcoing and get a visit of 5 customs officers. (Casual clothing and all) Has been a long time since I saw any of those really operate inside Europe (I should take these uncommon transportation modes more often.)It's probably only about knowing how to do your job efficiently but all other passengers must have noticed also that the white guy (me) is the only one that doesn't need to open his bags. My explanation "Je vais á Londres" together with "L' Eurostar ne roule pas aujourd'hui" is all that it takes.
- 16.13
- Swiss clockwork driven sharpness. My train for Boulogne leaves. Everyone on this train seems to be dressed up for a steamy night on the beach over there. I manage to find the carriage with "les pensionés" that are either listening to headphones-classical-music (eyes shut) ot talking to each other in a funny french-influenced old flemish. I even understand some words from my dialect. Frans Vlaanderen. They get off in Hasebrouck.
- 17.15
- It is hot in this train. A midly sour smell from my sweater is making sure I will not forget what needs to be done about it.
- 18.17
- I get to learn:
- that the ferry booking was noted down for 6.45 am (!= 18.45)
- that the "every 45' minutes scheme" actually means: the next one is operated by our competitor on the other side of the room
- that switching companies is not an option since the fair is already charged from my VISA (we like you to book early)
- that there are nicer areas to waste 90 minutes
- 18.45
- Boooring
- 19.13
- I see the 4th fire-arm of the day while being on french territory. I make the personal observation that I never see those in Belgium. Over there one of the ever returning election topics comes from the undefined 'feeling of unsafety' that seems to have grabbed each and everyone. My personal opinion on the subject os that not arms but outspoken voices will make the difference.
- It's probably just easier for a 33y-old, 1m86-high packaged 91 kilos of white male meat but I always make an outspoken remark when I witness any of the smaller deilcts that are said to cause this: boys fighting, youngsters littering, useless brutality... stupid things but something in me says that the grown-up, big-crime villains were just never told that what they did was wrong? I vote for some civil duty to perform this kind of vocal public education to actually balance the right everyone has to a proper education into good citizenship.
- 19.45
- In the boat, waiting another 15' before we leave. Must of been something like 15 years ago that I was on one of these. Can't even remember the setting, occasion, company. I do remember puking all over the North Sea, but then again it could just be the sweater at my feet colouring that part of memory.
- 19.57
- There'sa boat dat's leaving soon for...
- 21.01
- Switching to UK time, almost on British soil.
- 8.20 pm
- I must be the only male passing customs without a bag full of tabaco.
- 9.17 pm
- Welcome to the railroad-museum. If the brits were indeed the pioneers of the railroads, then the current state of their rail-system is an obvious case of the 'law of the hampering headstart'
- 0.21 pm
- finally checked in - laundry handed over - head down
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