Tuesday, October 29th
Got up early so as not to feel rushed. Checked last night and it’s a 3 hour drive to Cologne from Gottingen. Phil says that’s strange, when he checked it was a 5 or 6 hour drive. We want to get there around checkin time at the hotel, 3pm. So head out and the car gps says it will take five and a half hours! Oh dear. Later it occurred to Diane that Google maps calculates how long depending on the time of day and traffic. Eleven pm traffic is a bit thinner than 10am traffic. Oh well, can’t be changed, so we included highways into the route. We saved about an hour. Diane didn’t mind getting to drive like a demon on the Autobahn one more time. Did we mention that the speed limit starts out at 100 km/h and then takes away any speed limit? Diane’s highest speed was 155 km/h or just under 100 mph. Fun times.
Took highways off and drove the back roads once again. Many villages have electronic speed signs, like we do in the US. What makes these different is that if you are going within the speed limit, you also get a Smiley face. However, if you are over the limit, you get a Frowny face. Tried to get a picture, but the face turned out blank. Cute idea. we like getting Smiley faces!
We did stop to take a photo of potatoes while we were turning around. We think they’re potatoes.
Diane saw a McDonalds sign and decided she needed a Big Mac since she will soon have go back to gluten free eating. This would be a splurge. So we found a McDonalds to stop at which also helped us save time.
Took a few pictures of the big church near the train station. (Someone stole my phone before I had a chance to download them to my iPad. More on that later.)
Arrrived at the hotel in Cologne around 4 pm. Checked in. Cleared out the car. Turned in the rental before they closed. Started out to find a place to eat. Found one a mile and a half away. The iPhone helped to guide us back to the hotel. Had to repack our stuff as we had expanded to carrying two extra bags. One with a teapot, two cups, coffee and spoons for those hotels that didn’t offer those amenities. Left that bag of stuff in the hotel. Maybe someone could use them. Packed the rest in our suitcases and the one small backpack. Now we’re ready to catch a train or two or three.
Wednesday, October 30th
Heading to Brussels – woke early with the alarms set for 6:30. Left the room at 8:30 and headed for the train station hoping to find somewhere better for breakfast than McDonalds. Ate breakfast at McDonalds. Eating with extreme caution, Phil did not spill coffee on Diane.
We had time to kill as we waited on the platform for the ICE line train to Brussels. We both had window seats facing each other with a table. After going through customs and border control in Brussels we had an hour or so wait which aided in our not feeling rushed. However Diane was still feeling woozy from the up hill ride on the people mover.
After the initial people crush, boarding the Eurostar was easy since we had reserved first class seats in both directions. No sooner had we gotten to our seats Diane asked Phil “where’s your hat?”. After a quick inventory, no hat. Phil was going to let it go, although sadly, but Diane insisted on checking the platform. Phil stops her and checks with the train personnel to see if he has time to run back to the waiting area. The train attendant radioed the waiting area, located the hat and brought it to Phil. Phil is sad no more! However, Diane is now feeling a bit claustrophobic as our seats are in the back row and behind very tall seats. To our surprise the attendant offers us facing window seats which are roomier with better air circulation. Now Diane is happy too and it’s a happy ride from Brussels to London, meal and drinks included. Diane has a glass of wine. All better now.
London’s St. Pancras station is even bigger than the Cologne station and just as packed with people. We reserved a hotel room across the street and two blocks up from the station making it easy to find. The streets are very crowded.
Our room is on the fourth floor and a bit odd shaped, but has AC, English speaking TV, tea kettle, working WiFi and a full size mattress and blanket. We hit the streets in search for beer and fish & chips. The sidewalks are full of people and the pubs packed. We do find a table at Mable’s Pub. The beer is good but the fish is sub par. So we decide not to fill up and find another pub. Every place we checked was packed with no seating available, and it’s only Wednesday. We walk a good while before giving up and heading back to the room for coffee and a snack. We check the web looking for a one day tour of London but give up on that too.
Thursday, October 31st, Halloween
Our plan for today is a full English breakfast in the hotel, find a laundromat and do some laundry and and visit the train station to nail down tomorrow’s trip back to Southampton.
Breakfast was a bust. After having to stand in line for a table we were escorted to a dirty table and told we’d have to get our silverware … and get in line for the food. After making our feelings known we settled for coffee and rice cakes in our room. What is the name of this hotel you ask? The Premier Inn.
Get our laundry done in a small but friendly establishment and pass by a place to have lunch once we drop the clothes off back at the room. After lunch we head to the train station and go through the underground information line three times. Oh, so confusing. We get an underground map and Diane writes it up and Phil folds and sticks it in his back pocket. About 45 minutes later Phil reaches for the map and it’s gone. Not only is central London crowded and dirty, it also has it’s share of pickpockets. Some being disappointed with their booty I’m sure. Now it’s back to information for the fourth time.
Stopped to get some photos of the ornate St. Pancreas Train Station, but don’t have those photos either.
After returning to our room two different people came to our door though we couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. And twice they were told that we were not letting them in, we did not order anything and to go away. No phone in the room to check with the front desk. My guess, a disgruntled pickpocket.
Decided to start out early for dinner, anticipating Halloween parties at the pubs and restaurants. Hardly saw anyone dressed up, a handful at most! Englanders are no fun! Found an elegant restaurant just across from our hotel and though still dressed as hikers, we had dinner there. It was lovely.
Friday, November 1st
We got up early, around 6:15, for our journey to Southampton. The London streets were wet this morning and as crowded as ever as we headed to the McDonalds across from the train station. As a matter of necessity our healthy eating habits have gone out the window. We ordered two egg McMuffins, no cheese of course. In Germany a mayo packet cost you thirty cents. Here in a London McDonalds it doesn’t cost anything simply because they don’t have it. The sandwiches were dry. Another mark against London.
We got to the station about forty minutes early and found the platform for the for the first leg. It’s awfully warm down there causing us to remove our coats and sweaters. As the underground cars go by, they unload, load and zip on every two minutes or so. The cars resemble sardine cans with windows. Since Diane is claustrophobic we held out as long as we could hoping the crowds would thin. That never happened. We got on amid the crush with standing room only and at the door. Uncomfortable ride, and people do this everyday. How sad. After getting off to switch trains Diane found someone had unzipped her purse and stolen her phone during boarding. Her phone had been indispensable on this trip and it contained three credit cards in her Apple wallet. Now we have to report the phone stolen and cards compromised but we have no phone to do it with. We let our guard down and paid the price.
We continued on to the next underground which was not at all crowded and then disembarked at the Waterloo station where we had reserved first class seating to Southampton. Found our way to the correct terminal where the train was about to leave. Made it just in time without leaving anything behind but Diane’s phone. At least we had the phone til the end of our trip.
Our car had a lot of empty seats so we chose facing seats with a table. An hour later we were in a soggy Southampton. Took a cab to the hotel and were able to get an early check in. Our first order of business was to call back to the states and report to Verizon that the phone was stolen. First we had to provide a credit card to the desk to cover international calls. Then we headed out in the drizzle for lunch. Two chicken Caesar salads and a shared beer at a small place we hadn’t tried before. Then back to the hotel to report the three compromised credit cards and notify the insurance company regarding the phone. Around six we headed out for dinner and stopped at a place we tried on a previous visit when there was no seating due to a televised ball game with a Southampton team. This time it was again crowded and noisy but there were tables available and the noise, happy noise. Chatter and laughter. Last night in England so we decided to splurge, fish & chips, ribs, onion rings and beer. It’s still raining.
Back to the room and we’re both beat and asleep by 9:30.
Saturday, November 2nd
Up early the next morning even though ship boarding doesn’t begin until noon. Windy and rainy outside. We change our mind about breakfast out and instead settle for protein bars and coffee. We pack our bags and arrange for a taxi to pick us up at noon. We just chill in the meantime.