All The Best Train Stations...

On Monday, we woke up in London after a very late arrival the night before. We thought we'd stay there for a while, that perhaps the guys would work out of the London office for a few days. In short, we thought we'd light there for a few days, not that we would be bum rushed onto a train.

We were booked on the Eurostar train between London and Paris. I've ridden a few trains in my life, so the prospect of riding a civilized transport appealed to me. Traveling so soon after the exodus did not.

Part of what makes traveling by train interesting is the train stations. They are big if they handle a lot of traffic. And the London stations do. We entered the train at St. Pancras station. The station is impressive. At one point in time, this roof was the largest one in the world. Now, I'm sure someone has built a bigger one... but it's still very interesting. This station was renovated and designed to be an entry point for the Channel Tunnel train.

The 'Chunnel' connects England and France with a tunnel under the English Channel. A high speed train allows passengers to transit from London to Paris in three hours. It was a smooth, easy ride. Comfortable seats. Civilized passage.

The station in Paris was equally impressive but for a different reason.
The Paris station is filled with ornate wrought iron. The posts, columns and even the rafters are detailed like you wouldn't believe. The only thing that kept me from goggling like a green tourist was the very real possibility of having my luggage snatched by a thief. You honestly don't see this extent of detail on support beams in today's architecture. I wish my pictures did the fretwork justice. I just don't have a lens capable of capturing the artistry of this ironwork. I kept looking up expecting to see a point where the supports became flat uninteresting iron. But they didn't.
Right up to the roof ridge beams, every one was detailed and decorative. Like I said before, my pictures don't do it justice. I found it on the Internet and looked at professional photos of the place. It's even more impressive when you aren't exhausted. And in daylight, probably. It was full dark and I was done in when I wandered off the Eurostar.

I'd have to be unconscious to not appreciate the Gare du Nord station, though. It was lovely. Old and used, but elegant and stately. I know that Paris is known for its art and architecture. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of this kind of thing.

--Sandee Wagner