We left London on the Eurostar yesterday morning at 8.27, arriving in Brussels at 11.33 after a comfortable, uneventful journey. This train ran exactly on time! We checked our three wheely bags ( two large, one cabin size) into the left luggage at a cost of €3.80 per bag and set off with our heavy rucksacks on our back, to see a little of Brussels. We walked up to a square with the church of St Pierre, where there was also a Market taking plae. The weather was warm so a beer and a coke were called for, and we sat to watch the world go by. We walked back to the station where, at one side, there is a large piazza with a very good selection of caves and restaurants. Here, we gratefully sat down again and enjoyed a lunch of salad for me and omelette for him.....plus a couple of good Belgian beers.
Back in the station we collected our bags and found out the ICE train to Koln was running 10 mins late......I thought all continental trains always ran on time ;) this train was also comfortable and had a trolley service which saved having to hike up the train to buy a drink. We arrived in Koln. 10 mins late at 16.25. This station is also huge, but we found the left luggage again and checked the bags in at a cost of € 5 each this time. The luggage lockers were not large enough for us to use, this all seemed expensive but it was necessary if we wanted to be able to explore a little of Koln.
The Dom (cathedral) dominated the view as we walked out of the station. It is huge, and very dirty! Amazing spire and roof lines, with scaffolding ingeniously set up way up the building. Michael wondered how they had fixed it! Inside it is vast with wonderful stained glass. Well worth seeing.
I had planned to do some food shopping here so we sought advice from the tourist information office and were directed to Rewe To Go, which just happened to be some way up the main shopping street ;). It was a bit like an M&S Simply Food, and we bought some bread rolls, fruit, etc. Form the next part of our trip. Back down the street we found a good selection of cafes with a view towards the Dom, so we sat down again. The cafe specialised in ice cream, but I was very good and just had a zero coke! Eventually we walked back towards the station and later found the Gaffel Kolsch restaurant/beer hall where we had dinner. We started sitting at a table on the pavement, but just as the food arrived, so did the rain......so we quickly moved inside! I am so glad we did, it was a traditional beer cellar with the large copper brewing vessels, and lovely art nouveau glass ceiling light panels. The staff were constantly on the run serving beer in small glasses, carrying them to the tables in a purpose made wooden carrier.
At around 8.0pm we decided to return to the station, we found another excellent small supermarket there called Farm Haus, where we were able to stock up on some beer, milk and water. All this food buying was in preparation for the Moscow train as I had read that there is a very restricted restaurant car service ( I have since found out that we lose it at Warsaw). It was then that I heard the first announcement about the 21.26 Moscow train......it was delayed by 20 mins. We retrieved our luggage and packed up the food and went to sit in the DB lounge, by now the train is 35 mins delayed. Being cautious and optimistic we made our way to the platform for the scheduled time, to find that the train is indeed delayed and there were lots of young people sitting on the platform with their bags....we joined them! There was quite a bit of confusion when another train was put up on the board, and at the last minute our train arrived on the adjacent platform. It arrived just over 35 mins late. We found our coach, presented the tickets to the steward and were directed to our berths. We are in a cabin which can take three, sooo glad we booked it for just the two of us! It was quite a challenge to organise ourselves.
The steward came along to set up the bunks and we made them up using the packs of linen which was ready for us. The cabin has an ingenious arrangement of a table which lifts up to reveal a washbasin with hot and cold water, so in quite a short time we were washed and ready for bed.
Michael went on the top bunk ;) and we set off rattling and rolling across Germany. The train seemed to make a lot of stops as far as Hanover, thereafter we had a much smoother journey and I was able to get to sleep. I slept on and off, waking at about 7.30 at Wprezin (?). Decided that as there was nothing else to do I would sleep again and at 8.30 I woke to see the Polish countryside going by in lovely sunshine. Michael was up and dressed, had found the source of hot water and made tea! We made our breakfast of cereal, bread and jam, coffee and tea, washed up and settled down for the rest of the day. Currently we are sitting in in a small station just after Warsaw, and a man with a hammer us walking up and down the station.........
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