December 22nd 2010
Wow- it’s my birthday and I’m in the UK! Surreal, surreal, surreal.. Had a great time in Paris last week (unsurprisingly nearly froze to death and yes picked up a winter cold), and was booked on Eurostar for today, but having seen chaotic reports on Monday due to weather, and not one to sit back and let disaster happen, decided to try and make it to UK yesterday. So set off on 8am train from Paris to Calais…managed to get the last seat on the train ((£40)...well actually no seat, so sat on top of luggage in a cubby hole for the whole journey (2 hours)….cold, draughty, but at least moving in direction of UK. Told there was a shuttle from station to port, but nothing there, so jumped in a taxi with 3 others…the good thing about this type of day is that the old ‘Dunkirk spirit’ comes through, everyone talks and helps each other out. Rich Russian oligarch, well I don’t know for sure, but he was Russian, about 70, extremely ugly but with a gorgeous girl of about 20 picked up the tab for taxi for us all, so zero cost. Expecting crowds and chaos at ferry terminal, but strangely empty, bought ticket for crossing (£30), boarded immediately and ferry moving by 11.30am. Longest queue of the day was for the English breakfast on the ferry…sadly really enjoyed by me, and even better followed by two rounds of marmite on toast.
White cliffs in sight 1 ½ hours later, another taxi, shared again with three others, and again covered by non-Russian oligarch….bargain, and on train to London 10 minutes later (£20). Didn’t realise it was the one that does the tour of every town/village in Kent, but so used to waiting for everything Kenya, was dead relaxed and 2 hours later arrived at Victoria. Up to Watford (£12) and holed up at Liz’s by 6pm, with red wine and Chinese takeaway. Total cost of travel £102 – not bad considering all the tales of woe, stress and cost of stranded people everywhere. Have you noticed that people try and play ‘trumps’ with their tales…. One person describes being stranded in US, got to France, two days at airport, etc etc, next person has been via three countries before arriving in France, 3 days at airport, on standby 20 times, in Eurostar queue for 10 hours, twice over etc etc etc. Me, well felt a bit of a fraud and had no tale of woe, in fact I nearly got to the stage where I thought I’d better make something up so I could join in the game of trumps.
Even more brilliant was Lee and Suzanne tracking me down last night and coming round for a drink – so, so good to see them again – we couldn’t stop hugging each other!
So, sat here at Liz’s (yes she’s still asleep, and unsurprisingly I’m up), wrapped in a blanket (is that because I’m a granny or because I’m still cold?!), listening to Chris Evans on radio 2, enjoying all the texts, calls and messages coming in via phone, skype and facebook (mmm…. Seem to remember berating facebook when at work, what a life saver it has proven to be whilst away, and all messages make me feel very yummy) – thanks everyone!
So looking forward to the rest of my day, seeing my boys (sorry boys, I know you’re 25 and 23 but you’ll always be ‘my boys’!) and Megs this afternoon, then 17 of us meeting up for a Chinese (yes, more Chinese food required before going back to Kenya), and then a whole day with my sister tomorrow and having lunch with Dad. Cross fingers, should be back on plane to Kenya tomorrow night.
Whirlwind visit but so, so worth it! xx
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