11-5-17 Paris to London

Sunday and time to leave Paris where all we really did was drop of our car for shipment to the US and organize our “stuff” again to make it easier to carry.

We have reduced the amount of ‘stuff’ we carry around but still it’s a huge pile!

There are several ways to get to London from Paris – you can fly, take a ferry or take the train through the Channel. It didn’t take much thinking about it to decided to take the train and experience high-speed travel underwater!

Gare du Nord Station in Paris
The inside of the Gare du Nord Station. The Eurostar leaves from a special platform on the far left actually outside the station in an adjacent track area.

 

 

 

The Train takes about 2 ½ hours from Paris Gare du Nord Station to London St. Pancras Station. The entire distance is something like 450 Km or around 275 miles.

 

 

During the trip we were underwater for 50.5-Km or 31.4 miles and reached speeds of 300 Km per hour (186 miles per hour) or so. It was a smooth uneventful trip and included a lunch with wine!  The train was practically empty with only maybe 10 people in our coach.

 

This is what a high speed train looks like. Someday California might have one of these but don’t hold your breath.

 

St. Pancras Station

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we arrived in London, we gathered up all our stuff and headed for a Taxi and a ride to our VRBO apartment in the Soho or Covent Garden area of London. We had booked a nice basement apartment with a living/dining/cooking area a large bedroom and a bathroom with a classic old tub.  All the comforts of home and in a great location to explore the City.

The view from the front door – kitchen area on the left.
Guess what this room is used for!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scotch prior to having a plate of pasta.

After catching an OK dinner at an Italian restaurant we decided it would be OK to try and take in a play, so after a while we walked down to Piccadilly Circus and the Criterion Theatre to pick up a couple of tickets for The Comedy About a Bank Robbery.

The Criterion Theatre less then 10 minute walk from our apartment.
The cover of the Playbill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The crowds around Piccadilly Circus were all having a good time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The area around Piccadilly Circus was filled with people all having a great time. We walked down the road a bit and popped into a couple of places to warm up. One of them, a very large bookstore, had the first Christmas tree we have discovered on our trip.

Our first Christmas Tree of the year. This inside a very large bookstore just down from the Theatre.

 

The play was a very funny play more in the style of a vaudeville production with lots of funny lines and actions. It was a nice entertaining evening and with all the other plays in the West End I expect we will see another one or two while we are here.