Hi,
This is my first attempt at blogging and hope whoever reads it finds it a. interesting, b. humorous, c.informative, d. not too boring!!
My wife and I recently sold our business in UK and retired after 30 successful years. To get away so we could get our brains into gear on this new experience of not having work responsibilities we decided to set off to our apartment in Sotogrande in Spain. This time by train!!
London - Paris - San Sebastian - Madrid - Malaga, then car to Sotogrande
Thursday 17th March 2011. Eurostar to Paris, done this trip a few times which all went smoothly.
Paris huge, spent 3 nights there and walked our poor feet off, shopped till we dropped and got some decent pictures at night but not during the day as it was very overcast. Used a new Leica D-Lux 5, compact camera that produces great results, but my photography skills are poor!!
Eurostar departure lounge poor, they are missing a trick as most people have a least an hour's time to wait before train departs - limited space, poor shops, poor seating & poor bars. Paris departure lounge a big improvement except when busy, then space is again poor.
Stayed in Hotel Banke, excellent position close to the Opera house and main shopping area, good Metro service to get around. Only negative comment on Metro is it is even dirtier than London Tube!!
Hotel room decent, bar good, breakfasts excellent, staff very helpful and friendly. Negatives on hotel - very dark due to being decorated by what I can only call a "goth" designer!! Also very expensive!
Thursday evening, had a wander round local area to get our bearings, found a decent local bar that served a French version of Tapas with each round of drinks. Football on so all in all my kind of bar even if it was a bit basic. However made up for it by charging decent prices for Paris!
Friday 18th March
Did the usual tour bus trip to familiar ourselves and see the main sites, good tour, lousy traffic and very cold on top!!
Pictures not exciting as very overcast and misty.
So cold when we finished the first stop was Galleries Lafayette to warm up, good news we never bought anything!!
Had a wander round some other shops and only thing we bought were our train tickets to San Sebastian. Young girl said we could only have 2nd class as 1st all sold out, difficult to believe!!
Planned to take bus again to get some pictures at night but this was cancelled as even colder and also raining!!
Decided to have evening meal in what looked like a decent restaurant opposite hotel, big mistake as rubbish meal and rubbish prices with average service. Strange as busy on both nights we passed!!
Saturday 19th March
Shopping day!!
Traipsed round the expensive ones first, did some serious window shopping but did not buy until wife found a decent shop at much more sensible prices!!
Me ripped off in Gant store, more money than sense!!
Evening, caught Metro to Eiffel Tower and got some great pictures, walked to Arc de Triomphe, again some decent night pictures, a very impressive camera!!
Halfway down Champs Elysee, the present Mrs Scott decides she is hungry and would like a pizza!!! Huge ones were duly served at huge prices at what can only be described as a closely seated table, they had to be moved apart to get in !!!
On way back to the hotel a slight detour took us past American Embassy (accidental). serious security outside with both large numbers of Yanks and French police (heavy mob). Think Mrs Clinton was there for a conference on bombing Libya (another story)!!
Got back with sore feet so quick nightcap and off to bed!
Sunday 20th March
Up early to have breakfast before catching train to San Sebastian.
At station I decided to test the lady who sold us the tickets to see if she was correct about 1st class being full!!
Wrong, no problem getting an upgrade - so 135 euros in total for 1st class Paris - San Sebastian, 5.5 hour trip, where are we going wrong in Britan???
To be continued.........
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