Time flies…..

……when traveling from place to place. It’s also exhilarating, fun, exciting….and exhausting!

From Wylman in northern England, I hopped on the train and headed south to Brighton, where my good friend Carole has a lovely condo she inherited from her mother-in-law.

Carole and I met when we both worked for the Chicago Cubs. She still does, I went wandering! I have had the pleasure of visiting her in Brighton several times before, but we realized it had been 10 years since the last visit.

This time, we just talked, caught up with each other’s lives, and dined at some of Carole’s favorite restaurants that are all within easy walking distance of her condo. In 3 days, we had an amazing variety of meals. From good ol’ fish ‘n chips, to Persian, Mediterranean, and Greek!

Carole was headed back to Chicago and the Cubs’ Opening Day celebration, while I headed to London and St. Pancras Station to catch my first Eurostar train to Paris.

I love trains and was excited about the Eurostar trip. It’s a ‘fast train’ that travels under the English Channel. The fastest the train traveled was 272 MPH.

This is much less time than traveling out to one of London’s airports, flying to one of Paris’ airports, and then transferring into the city. Flying between the two, on a good day, would take most of a day! And the Eurostar arrives at the Gare du Nord, which is the station right in the center of Paris, in just 3 1/2 hours!

A few asides. If you have ever taken a train in the UK, they announce over and over when boarding to ‘mind the gap’, which means don’t get your foot caught in the gap between the train and the track. Well…..when I tried to hoist my too-heavy suitcase into the train carriage, my foot went into the gap, and I banged it up pretty badly – enough to need several band-aids (which I had in my backpack) and give me a huge bruise that lasted for weeks but was thankfully, not too painful. And I got to see The Shard on my way from Brighton into London – one of my favorite architectural wonders – though the top was hidden in fog.

As for the Eurostar, it was fine, and it was crowded, as it was the end of the winter school holidays. I chose not to upgrade for an additional £100 just to have more legroom and a ‘free meal of nice snacks.’ The price is great, $55 one way. The ease of getting from downtown London to downtown Paris is wonderful. Yes, the train is starting to show its age, but who cares? It is much easier than flying.

I had 3 nights and 2 days to spend in Paris, and this time I chose Montmartre. I planned this trip to specifically tour the famous Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen, a combination of high-end antique showrooms and down-and-dirty flea markets, which is only open on weekends.

I booked this guided tour using Airbnb Experiences. A couple from Ohio and I enjoyed spending 4 hours with Marianna, who kept us from getting totally lost, a very easy thing to do, as the market(s) are huge, intertwined, and a maze of weaving, winding, tiny lanes and alleyways. If only I had a few more suitcases, or even a home to ship things to, I could have really put a dent in my pocketbook. Instead, I looked, oooo-ed, and ahh-ed and had a lovely time. The Ohio couple and I concluded our tour at a restaurant that featured famous jazz musicians playing while you dine!

Since I had taken a historical walking tour of Montmartre the last time I was in Paris, I spent my second day wandering around the Sacre de Coeur, taking the funicular to the top of the hill instead of climbing those stairs!, strolling through the Place du Tertre (where the artists hang out and paint all day), sitting at a sidewalk cafe and people- watching for a few hours, finding the fabric district (whoopee!), and ending my day with a dinner of steamed mouels and frites, a favorite.

A 5:30 a.m. Uber pickup was scheduled for the next morning to catch my train from Paris to Verona – with a short layover in Milano!

Until next time – when rain keeps me inside…..

PS: Don’t forget, you can click on any of the smaller photos to see a full-sized pix.