Two trains, a London taxi, a coach and two cars - that's what it took to get us from Lille to Wales today!
Early start as for some reason the ticket for the Eurostar said we had to be at the station 45 minutes before departure time - which was 9.30 from Lille Europe Station. Found out why when we got there - full security, passport checks etc and British immigration forms/questioning to be done.
Good trip to London through beautiful French countryside, under the channel and across southern England into London. Decided that with all suitcases, backpacks etc the underground from St Pancras to Victoria might be a bit too much of a challenge, we opted for a cab so had a nice chatty trip across London seeing the horse guards on their way to Buckingham Palace, Harrods, Hyde Park, Sloane Square etc and got to Victoria Coach terminal in time for a quick coffee/morning tea before boarding the coach for Cardiff.
M-4 coach trip past Heathrow, Windsor, Stonehenge, Bristol, across the Severn Estuary bridge and into Cardiff train station which is right next to the impressive Millenium Stadium. Really scenic trip which I appreciated all the more as someone else was driving! Straight to the platform where the train to Ebw Vale was waiting - a cute little diesel 3-carriage train which took us up the valley through little Welsh villages which used to be mining villages with a huge steel mill at Ebw Vale - now gone so they are mostly dormitory villages for Cardiff workers. Really beautiful trip.
Met at the station by Jenny, Paul and Helen who had two cars - one for the luggage and one for us!! Quick visit to Costa Coffee and then on to LLanindir for a beautiful dinner, wine from the Wachau Valley and lots of laughs. Great finish to a long day. Haven't really got a clue about tomorrow as yet but may visit the Welsh National Museum - tomorrow's blog will tell the tale!
Quick note on last night in Lille - another beautiful French dinner with the required Foie gras and as we were heading home a huge crowd had gathered in the square - turned out it was the first day of "0" week for their Uni students and the French "Masterchef" personalities put on a free meal for about 5000 people - all good fun with bands playing, crowd surfing etc - good way for us to finish a great few days in beautiful Lille.
Trivia: nil today - except perhaps that British coaches are not all that comfortable!!
cap report: went close to a loss last night - went back to the restaurant to search for it after realising it wasn't on my head half way back to the hotel - no sign of it - turned up in Elizabeth's shopping bag (bought a nice top from Paris!!!!!) so cap is safe unlike the mastercard.
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