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Author: BearBear Date: Mar 25, 2007 05:31
I've posted this in the bike group, but thought some here might find it
interesting.
Isn't the EuroTunnel fantastic? None of the herded about like cattle
stuff, having to listen to mewling kids, all the while (if you're, like
me, not the greatest sailor in the world) fighting off a vague
queasiness. Oh no; you book online, drive up, bung a reference number
at a bloke, park til called, drive on, sit for half an hour, and you're
in France. Absolutely superb, and run with military precision, even on
the French side of things. Would use in preference to ferries every
time, and unless there are some seriously cheap deals going, will do so
from now on. The security is also interesting, with your steering wheel
being swabbed for traces of explosive by a friendly cop with what looks
like a washing-up mop - "you get a valet free? Superb!"
Arrive Calais around lunchtime, sat nav takes up from where it left off,
and away we go. A word about the TomTom 910; it's the total ballons de
chien - seamless, Europe-wide mapping. Even when in the...
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Author: MolesworthMolesworth Date: Mar 25, 2007 06:16
In article news.individual.net>,
Bear gmail.com> wrote:
> I've posted this in the bike group, but thought some here might find it
> interesting.
Gotta love Saabs! (Mine's a 9.3)
I agree about extra effort on beautificating bridges and whatnot. If you
have to live with seeing something every day, why not make it a pleasant
experience? Look at some of the old London buildings, 3 storeys up -
there are some wonderfully pretty add-ons which have no purpose other
than to look pretty, but no-one notices, except in the back of their
minds maybe. But they were built that way for precisely the same reason
that the french do it today.
French people (on the northern/western part anyway), IME, live their
lives as they want to, irrespective of laws etc. And added that the
countryside is so much bigger, therefore emptier, than the UK, makes for
a much pleasanter living experience than crowded England. There doesn't
seem to be that underlying anger/rage with everybody else that one finds
in densely populated areas of UK.
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Author: Ben NewsamBen Newsam Date: Mar 25, 2007 06:31
On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 13:31:16 +0100, Bear gmail.com>
wrote:
>I'd booked in advance, over the net, at the Hotel du Dauphin, having
>gleaned it from the Lonely Planet guide to France; excellent hotel,
>amazingly friendly, all-female staff (they insisted in taking our bags
>up to our room while we parked the car at the car park up the road,
>despite the best room in the place (which I'd booked) being up about a
>million winding, spiral staircases), and the room was on about 10,000
>levels, so very charming,
Heh. Was there a huge old "armoire" on the landing that looked like it
was holding the ceiling up? IMO there usually is in such places.
> but one word of warning; booking in advance,
>via the net, is fine, but the prices all the hotels charge are higher
>via the net, so if you want to save, and you're not going at a busy time
>of year, you'd be better off rocking up and then walking round and
>booking in person. As a guide, our top of the range room, with spa
>bath, was 150 euros for 2 via the net, whereas it would have been 120 if
>we'd booked in person. Still, lesson learned at not much cost, so no
>worries. The nearby Hotel du Lea looks excellent too.
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Author: SoozleSoozle Date: Mar 25, 2007 07:03
"Bear" gmail.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.20707bf4c5b3623a989b88@news.individual.net...
I've posted this in the bike group, but thought some here might find it
interesting.
Isn't the EuroTunnel fantastic? None of the herded about like cattle
stuff, having to listen to mewling kids, all the while (if you're, like
me, not the greatest sailor in the world) fighting off a vague
queasiness. Oh no; you book online, drive up, bung a reference number
at a bloke, park til called, drive on, sit for half an hour, and you're
in France. Absolutely superb, and run with military precision, even on
the French side of things. Would use in preference to ferries every
time, and unless there are some seriously cheap deals going, will do so
from now on. The security is also interesting, with your steering wheel
being swabbed for traces of explosive by a friendly cop with what looks
like a washing-up mop - "you get a valet free? Superb!"
Arrive Calais around lunchtime, sat nav takes up from where it left off,
and away we go. A word about the TomTom 910; it's the total ballons de
chien - seamless, Europe-wide mapping. Even when in the...
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Author: Ben NewsamBen Newsam Date: Mar 26, 2007 06:18
On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 03:48:41 -0700, muddy cat gmail.com>
wrote:>In article 4ax.com>,
> Ben Newsam ukonline.co.uk> wrote:>> They're building a swanky new station at Kings Cross/St. Pancras. I
>> have no idea why they chose there, because it's the "wrong" side of
>> the river for getting to France and it points the wrong way. That
>> being said, Eurostar trains actually go to Leeds, although at the
>> slower speed of 120 mph or so rather than their top speed of (IIRC)
>> 190 mph.
>
>I thought that was GNER to Leeds from Kings Cross.
Yehbut... they have Eurostars on that route as well. Leeds can cope
with them, but at places like Grantham thay have to tell you that
coaches A & B, and S & T (or whatever the last two are called) are
beyond the ends of the platform.
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