November in Minnesota. Cold, snow's on the horizon, and my favorite hockey team is well on its' way to tanking for the No. 2 draft pick in the 2020 draft. (Something will happen and they won't get the No. 1 pick. It's a Minnesota thing.) Hopefully, that is.
Still thinking back to my European trip two months ago. What could have been done better? What should have not been attempted at all? What, had I known then what I know now, could I have done to change how the trip turned out?
Some trains we rode en route from Paris to Istanbul were great (Thello (Paris-Venice), the Trieste-Ljubljana EMU, the Sofia-Istanbul Express); some trains were good (Venice-Trieste, Belgrade-Nis); and some were either so-so (Nis-Sofia 'Balkan') or just plain flat-out bad (Ljubljana-Belgrade 'Sweatbox' train #315, where the floor heat could not be shut off on a nine-hour overnight trip).
And, after we departed Istanbul by plane, the problems of dragging as much baggage as we did indeed multiplied as the remainder of the trip played itself out. Not knowing the EU's standard for assistance of 48 hours' notice applied to railways as well as airlines, got me especially into trouble several times. Add the lack of opportunity for food and (especially) water east of Ljubljana, and you had a real recipe for potential disaster. (Being from North America, I am used to the '24-hour' rule and the request on demand rules that North American carriers operate under.)
I thought I could handle the amount of baggage (one suitcase and a duffle bag) for the 20 days I was away from home; alas, that much baggage just got me into trouble, especially on the last five days of the trip, when I based myself out of Paris to ride what turned out to be one day trip (with the other one cancelled at the last minute, and the third one I force re-routed off the original routing to a more direct train, missing another connection en route).
My 25 pounds (13 kilos) of baggage departing Minnesota wound up to 40 pounds (21 Kilos) upon my return; and that was with sending back folders (I made a folder for each train I was to ride), and some dirty clothing (needed more room for stuff) twice (with my nephew-in-law and my wife as they separately went back to the West).
What else is there? Language barriers get frustrating. You are so happy to ask for a Diet Coke...and get the real thing, not the sugar-free Coke that is sold across Europe. A cup of coffee is a real cup of coffee, not one the size of a side of salad dressing. You hear the instructions for travel, and you can actually UNDERSTAND them. You don't have to switch the language on your iPhone Google Translate every so often. Issues like that come up all too often as one traverses 'the Old Country', whatever one that is.
And then...there's Serbia. A country and rail system to be more pitied than criticized. Commuters for Belgrade riding trains so full of graffiti, they can't even see out the windows. Belgrade's apparatchik riding a train which was so bad even the engineer (Driver) couldn't see clearly. Turpentine and a squeegee would have been very helpful here. But with their entire system being rebuilt, either by the Russians or the Chinese, the money doesn't get down to the commuter level much. The Serbs, operate a General Motors G26 661-series diesel (which the Yugoslavs bought shortly after the death of Marshal Tito) to pull their thru passenger train from Nis to Dimitrovgrad over Serbia's eastern territory.
When the former Yugoslavian Railways was disbanded, the freight side of the railroad took virtually all the locomotives, leaving the passenger side with a few elderly locos and little else. Serbia's government purchased a number of Stadler 'Flirt' EMU trainsets for their electrified lines; a decision needs to be made regarding their diesel-hauled services. It's a system in disarray, at best; at worst, it's bordering on near-chaos, operating in spite of itself, in my opinion.
As opposed to Serbia, their neighbors to the east, Bulgaria, really have their act together in comparison. BDZ (Bulgarian State Railways) trains were clean, most of the stuff worked, and the trains ran basically on time. The fact that unlike the Serbs, Bulgaria has embraced the EU concept (as has most of their neighbors) and is even now benefitting from reduced interference and greater commerce. Serbia? Not an EU member. No plans to join. The bad apple in the European apple orchard, as it were. Their railways are in desperate need of rebuilding, and they are doing that, albeit really slowly.
Other parts of the former Yugoslavia (namely, Croatia and Slovenia) seem to have their acts together; granted, they weren't bombed by NATO, like Serbia was. Good lesson to the rest of the world: take heed when the combined nations of NATO are stepping in against you. Anyways...
Looking back at the trip almost 90 days later, I'm glad I did it now. Before politics of the world and time's inexorable march combine to make this trip even tougher than it was in the summer. Onto Winter...sadly...
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Of writer's block, European thoughts, and nightmares (real and imagined)
Hello, folks. I gotta get more readers here.
Anyways... still trying to finalize the book about the Paris-to-Istanbul trip. But I feel I should put more in about what went on. But, for some reason, I can't. I don't have enough pictures to back what I say up; the Paris section is sorely lacking (in my humble opinion). Also, there were sections when I shot lots of pictures, then there were some where I have next to no pictures at all.
But I didn't go to Europe to look thru a lens (or thru an iPhone) for three weeks: I went to see Europe first hand, with real experiences with the everyday folks. I did get plenty of that; some good, some bad, most at least a little interesting. But some things were quite obvious to me:
Most Europeans were healthier than two of the three Americans who did this trip. The nephew-in-law, only 24 years old, was far and away the healthiest of us all. Even though I was warned by a number of people that I needed to walk more, I was ill prepared for how much walking was involved in just the day-to-day of living and getting around. I got more than a few crazy looks in a few cities when I asked for assistance.
Food is not a problem in Western Europe, and gets kind of dicey in Eastern Europe. In the former Yugoslavia, even the basic (bottled water) is a hit-and-miss proposition; readily available in some locations, and nearly impossible to obtain in others. As the world shrinks, and transport options allow for ordinary people to travel to places one would never dream of 20-30 years ago, the basics of life need to be addressed. People need to eat, sleep, and travel from place to place comfortably and easily.
But trying to obtain those items in certain locales? Good luck with that. You could be a commuter in Belgrade, Serbia, for years and never find a bottle of water to enjoy on the trip home.
More thoughts as I get them sorted out. But it will be a while for that, as you can imagine...
Anyways... still trying to finalize the book about the Paris-to-Istanbul trip. But I feel I should put more in about what went on. But, for some reason, I can't. I don't have enough pictures to back what I say up; the Paris section is sorely lacking (in my humble opinion). Also, there were sections when I shot lots of pictures, then there were some where I have next to no pictures at all.
But I didn't go to Europe to look thru a lens (or thru an iPhone) for three weeks: I went to see Europe first hand, with real experiences with the everyday folks. I did get plenty of that; some good, some bad, most at least a little interesting. But some things were quite obvious to me:
Most Europeans were healthier than two of the three Americans who did this trip. The nephew-in-law, only 24 years old, was far and away the healthiest of us all. Even though I was warned by a number of people that I needed to walk more, I was ill prepared for how much walking was involved in just the day-to-day of living and getting around. I got more than a few crazy looks in a few cities when I asked for assistance.
Food is not a problem in Western Europe, and gets kind of dicey in Eastern Europe. In the former Yugoslavia, even the basic (bottled water) is a hit-and-miss proposition; readily available in some locations, and nearly impossible to obtain in others. As the world shrinks, and transport options allow for ordinary people to travel to places one would never dream of 20-30 years ago, the basics of life need to be addressed. People need to eat, sleep, and travel from place to place comfortably and easily.
But trying to obtain those items in certain locales? Good luck with that. You could be a commuter in Belgrade, Serbia, for years and never find a bottle of water to enjoy on the trip home.
More thoughts as I get them sorted out. But it will be a while for that, as you can imagine...
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Catching Up with Myself...
It's been a while since I've actually taken time to blog on here, folks. I've been busy travelling, recovering from that travel, watching my favorite sports team (NHL Minnesota Wild) start to tank the 2019-20 season, and trying to enjoy a wet, soggy fall in Minnesota. Besides, I'm writing a book.
A book? Yes, about our recent Paris-to-Istanbul trip. Lots of things went right. Lots went wrong (Including me in a few instances). Lots just went. But I've managed a 60-page book without photos (so I'm looking at a 72-page book) which I should publish late this year or early next year (depending how fast I get around to it). Like the trip itself, it's dot every 'I', cross every 'T', you know the drill by now.
I guess intercontinental travel took more out of me than I realized. I still cannot bring myself to fly anywhere nearly two months after the start of that journey. There are places that I'd like to go to at this time of year; but the fact that fall is Minnesota's best season, in my opinion, and the local football teams are doing relatively well, means why would I want to leave? Besides, I've a book inside me. Really feel the need to get that out.
And, its somewhat trying to find the time to do that, amongst just living and doing the things you do every day. Although the fact I am retired leaves me my days basically free, I still have my chores to do, and trying to keep up gets hard when you can't move as well as you should. I had friends tell me I should have moved more before the Europe trip; of course, they were right. Did I listen to them? Not for a minute. I just thought there would be assistance everywhere, similar to what it is in the US and Canada. Not so in the European Union. It's 48 hours advance notice for any assistance, anywhere in the EU. Even the somewhat forgiving SNCF (French National Railways) requires 36 hours notice to get a wheelchair (I was that bad by the end of this trip).
Now, how bad did it get? I delayed not one but TWO trains trying to get assistance in Milan. I missed FOUR trains in 3 days in Paris by oversleeping. I came home exhausted, worn out, but with memories that will last a lifetime (or so). The average European is much healthier that the average American, I deduced after being amongst Europeans for three weeks. Most that I came across in my travels were nothing short of pleasant. A few (a certain SNCF employee in Boulogne comes to mind) were outstanding and unbelievably pleasant. (Bonjour, Nina.)
Of course, there was one exception to the rule, and we were more than happy to traverse this country and not look back at it: Europe's poor cousin. The last European country to get bombed.
Serbia. We had nothing but problems in the largest of the Balkan countries; but a lot of the problems stemmed for the fact that they are still trying to get over a disastrous war in the 1990's, while the former Yugoslavia was breaking up under Slobodan Milosevic. A hot inbound train to Belgrade, the most disjointed major terminal I've ever seen (my wife and nephew-in-law almost got lost going to buy tickets at Belgrade Centar, the new Belgrade terminal, opened in 2018); a three-car local train which turned into the Shopper's Special; and finally, a train which had to wait an hour for the diesel locomotive to show up...from where we were going to...and a leisurely 25MPH (40 KPH) speed to boot.
It's all in the book folks... stay tuned. But right now, it's my bedtime. Good night.
A book? Yes, about our recent Paris-to-Istanbul trip. Lots of things went right. Lots went wrong (Including me in a few instances). Lots just went. But I've managed a 60-page book without photos (so I'm looking at a 72-page book) which I should publish late this year or early next year (depending how fast I get around to it). Like the trip itself, it's dot every 'I', cross every 'T', you know the drill by now.
I guess intercontinental travel took more out of me than I realized. I still cannot bring myself to fly anywhere nearly two months after the start of that journey. There are places that I'd like to go to at this time of year; but the fact that fall is Minnesota's best season, in my opinion, and the local football teams are doing relatively well, means why would I want to leave? Besides, I've a book inside me. Really feel the need to get that out.
And, its somewhat trying to find the time to do that, amongst just living and doing the things you do every day. Although the fact I am retired leaves me my days basically free, I still have my chores to do, and trying to keep up gets hard when you can't move as well as you should. I had friends tell me I should have moved more before the Europe trip; of course, they were right. Did I listen to them? Not for a minute. I just thought there would be assistance everywhere, similar to what it is in the US and Canada. Not so in the European Union. It's 48 hours advance notice for any assistance, anywhere in the EU. Even the somewhat forgiving SNCF (French National Railways) requires 36 hours notice to get a wheelchair (I was that bad by the end of this trip).
Now, how bad did it get? I delayed not one but TWO trains trying to get assistance in Milan. I missed FOUR trains in 3 days in Paris by oversleeping. I came home exhausted, worn out, but with memories that will last a lifetime (or so). The average European is much healthier that the average American, I deduced after being amongst Europeans for three weeks. Most that I came across in my travels were nothing short of pleasant. A few (a certain SNCF employee in Boulogne comes to mind) were outstanding and unbelievably pleasant. (Bonjour, Nina.)
Of course, there was one exception to the rule, and we were more than happy to traverse this country and not look back at it: Europe's poor cousin. The last European country to get bombed.
Serbia. We had nothing but problems in the largest of the Balkan countries; but a lot of the problems stemmed for the fact that they are still trying to get over a disastrous war in the 1990's, while the former Yugoslavia was breaking up under Slobodan Milosevic. A hot inbound train to Belgrade, the most disjointed major terminal I've ever seen (my wife and nephew-in-law almost got lost going to buy tickets at Belgrade Centar, the new Belgrade terminal, opened in 2018); a three-car local train which turned into the Shopper's Special; and finally, a train which had to wait an hour for the diesel locomotive to show up...from where we were going to...and a leisurely 25MPH (40 KPH) speed to boot.
It's all in the book folks... stay tuned. But right now, it's my bedtime. Good night.
Sunday, August 11, 2019
'Suppose we should have told him it's a WC in Europe?'
Ah, yes. The joys of international travel, with a newbie to it along. This will be an adventure.
Between the three of us, besides English, I speak a little (tres petit) French; my wife can understand more German than she can speak; and the nephew-in-law took Spanish in high school, and did decently. Unfortunately, in some of the countries which we will traverse, we will encounter Italian, Slovenian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian (with Cyrillic characters, just like mother Russia) and at the far east end, Istanbul and its' 15 million, Turkish-speaking inhabitants.
And to think, the late Congressman from Minnesota's Iron Range, Jim Oberstar, spoke EIGHT languages fluently. I admire people who apply themselves like that. Unfortunately, my life never worked that way. I'm lucky some days that I can put three coherent sentences together. But at least I'll admit it. And speak the local language, like 'I need three tickets on the train to...'
And, of course, I get a notice from the US Embassy in Ankara, reminding all that the Embassy and all other consular functions (including the Consulate office in Istanbul) are closed the entire time we are there for Turkish Victory Day (August 30) and US Labor Day (September 2).
And then, there's other, more personal details we have to get straight. Like what we, in the US call a toilet. In the UK it's a WC (water closet). In Spain? El Bano. In France, it's Le WC. I'm thinking it's a real good idea that all three of us have iPhones along. We will be wearing out translator apps quickly, especially in the Balkans.
We had a sit-down dinner last week and hashed out a lot of the little things, especially about Paris (I discussed that in the last post). Over BLT sandwiches, I'm afraid we kinda put the fear of God in the poor boy; he doesn't totally realize what he's getting into. Yet. Soon, though, he'll figure it out. He'll have to. Besides, he'll only be there a week.
Hopefully, we'll provide the best experience possible. The real fun of the week he's with us, we will be seeing Europe thru his eyes. All the history, the architecture, the societies that have developed, how the conflicts over the centuries have dramatically shaped the map of Europe, and the fortunes of mankind. All this from a train window. Or two. Or, maybe, eight.
What Obi-Wan Kenobi said to young Luke Skywalker in the original STAR WARS will hold true for our young charge on this trip: 'You've just taken your first step into a larger world.'
Between the three of us, besides English, I speak a little (tres petit) French; my wife can understand more German than she can speak; and the nephew-in-law took Spanish in high school, and did decently. Unfortunately, in some of the countries which we will traverse, we will encounter Italian, Slovenian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian (with Cyrillic characters, just like mother Russia) and at the far east end, Istanbul and its' 15 million, Turkish-speaking inhabitants.
And to think, the late Congressman from Minnesota's Iron Range, Jim Oberstar, spoke EIGHT languages fluently. I admire people who apply themselves like that. Unfortunately, my life never worked that way. I'm lucky some days that I can put three coherent sentences together. But at least I'll admit it. And speak the local language, like 'I need three tickets on the train to...'
And, of course, I get a notice from the US Embassy in Ankara, reminding all that the Embassy and all other consular functions (including the Consulate office in Istanbul) are closed the entire time we are there for Turkish Victory Day (August 30) and US Labor Day (September 2).
And then, there's other, more personal details we have to get straight. Like what we, in the US call a toilet. In the UK it's a WC (water closet). In Spain? El Bano. In France, it's Le WC. I'm thinking it's a real good idea that all three of us have iPhones along. We will be wearing out translator apps quickly, especially in the Balkans.
We had a sit-down dinner last week and hashed out a lot of the little things, especially about Paris (I discussed that in the last post). Over BLT sandwiches, I'm afraid we kinda put the fear of God in the poor boy; he doesn't totally realize what he's getting into. Yet. Soon, though, he'll figure it out. He'll have to. Besides, he'll only be there a week.
Hopefully, we'll provide the best experience possible. The real fun of the week he's with us, we will be seeing Europe thru his eyes. All the history, the architecture, the societies that have developed, how the conflicts over the centuries have dramatically shaped the map of Europe, and the fortunes of mankind. All this from a train window. Or two. Or, maybe, eight.
What Obi-Wan Kenobi said to young Luke Skywalker in the original STAR WARS will hold true for our young charge on this trip: 'You've just taken your first step into a larger world.'
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Planning the trip: Dotting 'I' 's, crossing 'T' 's...
For many international travelers, this is old hat. Making sure your travel insurance is in order (you better have it; your USA-based health insurance won't work well in, say, Serbia). Having the right currency, for the location(s) you'll be visiting. Visa for that far-away place? Check, times 3. Be sure the cell phone plan you have at home, can carry you thru the wilds of beautiful Downtown wherever. Obtaining new clothes, so that if you want to go out on the road, you aren't an embarrassment to yourself, your country, your religion (if you are so inclined), whatever.
And then, there's the information you need. The one piece of info you want is in one language, and that language? It's not yours. You have to use various interpretation websites (there are several), or you know enough of the language (one way or another) to interpret the info that is there and available. (Mind you, they'll come up to you later, and ask: "Where did you find THAT?" You will also have to sort out three different versions of the same info, to produce the correct info for your needs and desires.)
Our trip planning continues in earnest, as we are now under four weeks before departure day. The day that it all comes together. That the dream (well, at least mine) is realized. Or, that everything absolutely goes to hell, in the biggest fireball in the history of passenger transportation.
(Hey! I write; you decide.)
As we go on, I am like a newlywed; something old (my camera, which we unearthed in my disastrously messy den); something new (new suitcase, replacing my 15-year-old Samsonite); something borrowed (a copy of Lonely Planet's Best of France, courtesy of one of my wife's co-workers), and something blue (blue will be my predominant color on this trip). Hopefully this will bring good luck for all of us. I believe that luck favors those who properly plan, a fact that has borne itself out over many years of travel.
As the days dwindle relatively quickly, I try to make sure that everything is set well in advance, so as to leave nothing to chance, in the final week before departure. Get everything ordered so that nothing comes in the last few days before departure. This will be a very tightly weighted trip, as once we leave home we basically have to carry-on everything, for up to three weeks. Staying close to the starting weight, will be key to any hope for a good experience. You really don't need to take everything you have ever owned when you go on vacation, especially a trip when you will be 'on the run' for most of the first week. I just hope I can communicate that to everyone else.
Time to go to Walgreens, to hit up the travel-size health and beauty supplies...See you later...
And then, there's the information you need. The one piece of info you want is in one language, and that language? It's not yours. You have to use various interpretation websites (there are several), or you know enough of the language (one way or another) to interpret the info that is there and available. (Mind you, they'll come up to you later, and ask: "Where did you find THAT?" You will also have to sort out three different versions of the same info, to produce the correct info for your needs and desires.)
Our trip planning continues in earnest, as we are now under four weeks before departure day. The day that it all comes together. That the dream (well, at least mine) is realized. Or, that everything absolutely goes to hell, in the biggest fireball in the history of passenger transportation.
(Hey! I write; you decide.)
As we go on, I am like a newlywed; something old (my camera, which we unearthed in my disastrously messy den); something new (new suitcase, replacing my 15-year-old Samsonite); something borrowed (a copy of Lonely Planet's Best of France, courtesy of one of my wife's co-workers), and something blue (blue will be my predominant color on this trip). Hopefully this will bring good luck for all of us. I believe that luck favors those who properly plan, a fact that has borne itself out over many years of travel.
As the days dwindle relatively quickly, I try to make sure that everything is set well in advance, so as to leave nothing to chance, in the final week before departure. Get everything ordered so that nothing comes in the last few days before departure. This will be a very tightly weighted trip, as once we leave home we basically have to carry-on everything, for up to three weeks. Staying close to the starting weight, will be key to any hope for a good experience. You really don't need to take everything you have ever owned when you go on vacation, especially a trip when you will be 'on the run' for most of the first week. I just hope I can communicate that to everyone else.
Time to go to Walgreens, to hit up the travel-size health and beauty supplies...See you later...
Monday, July 22, 2019
Europe 2019: Decisions, decisions...
When you start contemplating a vacation -- ANY vacation -- you must think of the others going along for the trip, not just yourself. This is a key factor in interesting others to come along with you.
But you know it's never really THAT simple, is it?
There's always things that you really don't want to do that the others do, which means either you stay behind, and do your own thing, or you tag along, feeling like the proverbial 5th wheel.
Sounds like that is the way it will be in Paris, as my wife and nephew-in-law will journey to the Eiffel Tower, while I stay behind at Gare de Lyon, watching Europe's third largest rail terminal in full weekend operation. I saw Le Tour Eiffel in 2010, with my wife, as we went up to the second level of the structure, which was as far as we could get on the day we had in Paris. The line for the elevators to the top of the tower were in the 3-to-4 hour wait range, mostly with a large South African tour group. We figured we'd be back. Someday.
One of many decisions we'd have to make was to go on a weekend or during the week; unlike domestic air travel, specific dates are cheaper than others, so we just went for a target date and... voila! We were on our way! We'd hashed the schedules out, so it was time to start getting serious about tickets. Our first train will not depart until 19:15 from Paris to Venezia Santa Lucia, and our flight arrives Charles de Gaulle airport at 11:10, so that leaves about 7 hours (leaving time to get the train) for those two to do their thing. The N-I-L has never been overseas, so seeing this trip from his perspective will be a good thing. I just hope the connections hold...
Rolling with the punches, as it were, is a part of aging, in my opinion. But, I have to keep telling myself this as we go on, that not everyone will understand this concept. Just hope my travel partners will. Everything will be OK, missed connections or not, because we've planned for them. I hope.
But you know it's never really THAT simple, is it?
There's always things that you really don't want to do that the others do, which means either you stay behind, and do your own thing, or you tag along, feeling like the proverbial 5th wheel.
Sounds like that is the way it will be in Paris, as my wife and nephew-in-law will journey to the Eiffel Tower, while I stay behind at Gare de Lyon, watching Europe's third largest rail terminal in full weekend operation. I saw Le Tour Eiffel in 2010, with my wife, as we went up to the second level of the structure, which was as far as we could get on the day we had in Paris. The line for the elevators to the top of the tower were in the 3-to-4 hour wait range, mostly with a large South African tour group. We figured we'd be back. Someday.
One of many decisions we'd have to make was to go on a weekend or during the week; unlike domestic air travel, specific dates are cheaper than others, so we just went for a target date and... voila! We were on our way! We'd hashed the schedules out, so it was time to start getting serious about tickets. Our first train will not depart until 19:15 from Paris to Venezia Santa Lucia, and our flight arrives Charles de Gaulle airport at 11:10, so that leaves about 7 hours (leaving time to get the train) for those two to do their thing. The N-I-L has never been overseas, so seeing this trip from his perspective will be a good thing. I just hope the connections hold...
Rolling with the punches, as it were, is a part of aging, in my opinion. But, I have to keep telling myself this as we go on, that not everyone will understand this concept. Just hope my travel partners will. Everything will be OK, missed connections or not, because we've planned for them. I hope.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Back off the Deck ... and preparing to roll again
It's been a long, long time. Been busy living my life as I entered retirement. Some things have indeed changed, but one thing hasn't for me:
The want for me to share my experiences with my friends and the blogosphere in general. Not sure how to really start this, but here goes nothin', as it were...
The fact of the matter is that some things in transportation never change. Things get screwed up, accidents occur, politicians interfere in the best-laid plans of others, etc., all the time. Yet, people still manage to travel around the region, state, country and world, despite the best efforts of man to interrupt the free movement of others, for whatever reason(s) exist. But, sometimes we as human beings just have to suck it up, strap in and go along for the ride. We all have to. It's a basic human need (at least that I believe).
So, with that bit of soapbox-opera out of the way, welcome to my readership. This 2019-based series of posts will deal with my 20-day European train vacation, celebrating my 15th wedding anniversary. Besides my wife (who will only be on the trip for the first 14 days, due to work requirements), my nephew-in-law (wife sister's oldest), a 24-year-old pre-med student, will also tag along for the first full week of this excursion.
I've had this dream since I was in high school, so it's been a long time 'bucket list'-esque item for me to ride the route of the Simplon-Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul. But, since the last regular through train for the regular public was discontinued in 1977, I knew it was going to be difficult to recreate it in any form or fashion. I just put it aside, as we all do with things and thoughts that we believe 'I'll never EVER get to do THAT, not in my lifetime'...
But, a few years ago, I was putzing around on eBay and found a listing for 3 Thomas Cook Continental Timetables at a price which, quite frankly, I could afford. So, I bid on them and won the bid; a few weeks later, my exasperated letter carrier dropped a large package at my door step. They were here! At last!!
As I was paging thru, the listing came across my mind: 'Direct-Orient Express'. Yep, I had found the schedule for the train I had so wanted to ride way back then. The train of dreamers, mystery writers, intrigue and legend, had died a long, torturous death as it was cut back from Paris-Istanbul to Paris-Belgrade (then Yugoslavia; today, Belgrade is the capital of Serbia). Then it was cut even further back on the west end, as SNCF (French National Railways) introduced the high-speed TGV trains on the west end of the route, and on and on. In the end, the final train named 'Orient-Express' was a joint Strasbourg-Vienna operation overnight thru Germany, and even that was finally dropped in 2009.
So, back to today: I retired in 2018, after 38 years' service in transportation. There, after all that time, I finally have the money, time and sanity to tackle an undertaking like taking my wife with me across Europe from France to Turkey. Now, how to put it all together? And there's that trans-Atlantic thing to deal with (after all, I'm over here in the USA, and it's all so far away...)
With a lot of kind assistance from any number of sources, and a lot of computer time, I can finally say that we will be doing this massive undertaking in a few weeks. Not all the details are final, but we have a rough idea of how things SHOULD work out. SHOULD. Not necessarily, WILL. Need to keep planning, scheming, hoping and dreaming of things to come. Backup plans to the backup plans. Like anyone on vacation, you plan for what's there; and you expect the unexpected.
And that they all don't come crashing down on us. After all, I'm responsible. And that's a bit scary. A bit heartening, but a bit scary, given the world's geopolitical situation right now. We will go on regardless of what happens; I just hope I make it back in one piece. My wife says this could be 'Murder on the Route of the Orient Express'. This trip will cover 12 countries, over 3500 miles on the ground (and another 8,400 or so in the air), all in the course (for me at least) of three weeks.
Sounds like something right out of the TV show, 'The Amazing Race', only without the detours and the road blocks. (There will be more than enough of those, trust me on that.) Only I'm not Phil Keoghan and there's no red carpet, definitely no million-dollar prize for my trip, nor will I be eliminated for coming in last at Nis, Serbia. (I might come in there first, come to think of it...)
Anyhow, please indulge me by following along over the next two months as I chronicle this timeless endeavor. We'll start next time by organizing air travel, and figuring out what train goes what way on what day. Until then? Enjoy July. It's warm out there. Stay cool.
The want for me to share my experiences with my friends and the blogosphere in general. Not sure how to really start this, but here goes nothin', as it were...
The fact of the matter is that some things in transportation never change. Things get screwed up, accidents occur, politicians interfere in the best-laid plans of others, etc., all the time. Yet, people still manage to travel around the region, state, country and world, despite the best efforts of man to interrupt the free movement of others, for whatever reason(s) exist. But, sometimes we as human beings just have to suck it up, strap in and go along for the ride. We all have to. It's a basic human need (at least that I believe).
So, with that bit of soapbox-opera out of the way, welcome to my readership. This 2019-based series of posts will deal with my 20-day European train vacation, celebrating my 15th wedding anniversary. Besides my wife (who will only be on the trip for the first 14 days, due to work requirements), my nephew-in-law (wife sister's oldest), a 24-year-old pre-med student, will also tag along for the first full week of this excursion.
I've had this dream since I was in high school, so it's been a long time 'bucket list'-esque item for me to ride the route of the Simplon-Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul. But, since the last regular through train for the regular public was discontinued in 1977, I knew it was going to be difficult to recreate it in any form or fashion. I just put it aside, as we all do with things and thoughts that we believe 'I'll never EVER get to do THAT, not in my lifetime'...
But, a few years ago, I was putzing around on eBay and found a listing for 3 Thomas Cook Continental Timetables at a price which, quite frankly, I could afford. So, I bid on them and won the bid; a few weeks later, my exasperated letter carrier dropped a large package at my door step. They were here! At last!!
As I was paging thru, the listing came across my mind: 'Direct-Orient Express'. Yep, I had found the schedule for the train I had so wanted to ride way back then. The train of dreamers, mystery writers, intrigue and legend, had died a long, torturous death as it was cut back from Paris-Istanbul to Paris-Belgrade (then Yugoslavia; today, Belgrade is the capital of Serbia). Then it was cut even further back on the west end, as SNCF (French National Railways) introduced the high-speed TGV trains on the west end of the route, and on and on. In the end, the final train named 'Orient-Express' was a joint Strasbourg-Vienna operation overnight thru Germany, and even that was finally dropped in 2009.
So, back to today: I retired in 2018, after 38 years' service in transportation. There, after all that time, I finally have the money, time and sanity to tackle an undertaking like taking my wife with me across Europe from France to Turkey. Now, how to put it all together? And there's that trans-Atlantic thing to deal with (after all, I'm over here in the USA, and it's all so far away...)
With a lot of kind assistance from any number of sources, and a lot of computer time, I can finally say that we will be doing this massive undertaking in a few weeks. Not all the details are final, but we have a rough idea of how things SHOULD work out. SHOULD. Not necessarily, WILL. Need to keep planning, scheming, hoping and dreaming of things to come. Backup plans to the backup plans. Like anyone on vacation, you plan for what's there; and you expect the unexpected.
And that they all don't come crashing down on us. After all, I'm responsible. And that's a bit scary. A bit heartening, but a bit scary, given the world's geopolitical situation right now. We will go on regardless of what happens; I just hope I make it back in one piece. My wife says this could be 'Murder on the Route of the Orient Express'. This trip will cover 12 countries, over 3500 miles on the ground (and another 8,400 or so in the air), all in the course (for me at least) of three weeks.
Sounds like something right out of the TV show, 'The Amazing Race', only without the detours and the road blocks. (There will be more than enough of those, trust me on that.) Only I'm not Phil Keoghan and there's no red carpet, definitely no million-dollar prize for my trip, nor will I be eliminated for coming in last at Nis, Serbia. (I might come in there first, come to think of it...)
Anyhow, please indulge me by following along over the next two months as I chronicle this timeless endeavor. We'll start next time by organizing air travel, and figuring out what train goes what way on what day. Until then? Enjoy July. It's warm out there. Stay cool.
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