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Train #9 : Paris Austerlitz to Paris Nord M5
After very little sleep thanks to the extremely late running train last night, I was up and out of the hotel by around 07:30. I admit that I was a bit concerned that the Metro may be somewhat crowded because of the early hour but, colour me surprised, it wasn’t. I had no difficulty getting on and sitting down. In fact, the carriage was only a third full.
The pleasure of the journey across Paris is tempered by the absolute shithole that is Austerlitz station at the moment. It looks like someone decided to smash the place up with a very big and vengeful hammer to make walking as difficult as possible.
And that’s the nice bit.
I really do not want to revisit this station until they at least have the promised escalators working. You really appreciate Paris Nord when you arrive. Now that is a nice Metro station. And easy to navigate without construction works hindering every step and suitcase wheel.
Speaking of Paris Nord…there were the usual crowds that would vanish when a train was announced. I waited for my Eurostar train to Cologne with a growing crowd of fellow passengers. I’d worked out which platform it would probably leave from based on incoming Eurostar trains and was one of the first at the end of the train where my carriage was.
Train #10 : Paris Nord to Cologne
Everything was going beautiful and smooth until we reached Aachen. It was when we came to rest at the platform and I saw a whole bunch of German police waiting for the train that I knew we were in for an inspection.
Oddly enough, the two uniformed fellows who walked through our carriage only asked to see one couple for their papers. I figured they were looking for someone in particular. If so, they didn’t find them because they didn’t take anyone away. The train waved them goodbye as we continued on our way.
We then continued on our way to Cologne. Okay, of course we were late, but it was only by ten minutes which is absolutely nothing compared to my previous journeys this trip.
Arriving in Cologne hbf and following on from my other experiences this trip, I decided to catch the U Bahn to my accommodation. The walk is half an hour and the train ride is only 15 minutes. Plus, of course, I haven’t been on the Cologne U Bahn before. Until today.
Train #11: Cologne Dom to Friesenplatz U5
It reminded me a lot of the Tube but that could have been because the stock is quite old. There isn’t such a big gap at stations and, when the train is too high, little steps emerge at the bottom of the doors. Very good idea and works a treat.
But, believe me, I am not complaining. It beat the hell out of walking. And I’ll be using it again tomorrow to return with my bag.
At the other end (only two stops) finding my hotel was very easy, and I was soon in my room, chilling for a bit.
I had a loose plan to go back into the centre to check out if there were any museums/galleries open. Being a Monday, I doubted it. My biggest hope, however, was for the Romano-Germanic Museum, mostly to see the mosaic.
That hope was dashed almost immediately upon reaching the building. The whole place is under renovation and shut up tight. I could only see the mosaic through the window.
Most of the museum has moved, however, and can be seen in The Belgian House except for Tuesdays, which is when I’ll be here. So, the next time I’m in Cologne on a Monday, I know where to visit.
So, tomorrow, after checking out and before catching my train to Copenhagen via Hamburg, I’m going to visit the Ludwig Museum which is next to the Romano-Germanic Museum and is open on a Tuesday.
So, rather than count it as a wasted trip, I went looking for the restaurant that Dirk told me about on the retreat. It serves a lot of pig and, obviously beer. I forwent the beer (obviously) but got stuck into some pork steak and fried potatoes. Bloody good tucker.
And then it rained. Needless to say, I was sitting outside at the time, along with a few dozen other patrons. The staff suddenly leapt into action, moving people who were not eating, inside and moving stuff off the tables. They also swung the outdoor waiter station into the doorway.
They all worked around me as I kept eating, being luckily and accidentally under a big umbrella. Eventually, I finished and headed inside to pay. The waiter, who didn’t look a lot younger than me and had equally long hair, told me he saw David Bowie perform at the Offenbach fußball Stadion, in Hesse, Germany in 1983. Lucky bastard, I said. It was unreal, he replied. Possibly because he was on acid at the time, he added.
Given it was, by then, pissing down, I decided to head back to the hotel for an early night, only to be brought up short at the top of the stairs from the U Bahn station by a demonstration. It was for Palestine and the police were out in force as they marched around the left of a busy intersection. Or, attempted to.
Just as they began stretching across the road, the wailing of police cars was heard and a veritable convoy of about eight police vans raced through the demonstrators.
I had a chuckle, along with the other people standing next to me before heading off, back to the hotel. It all felt very obvious. And avoidable.
Oh, and the title comes from a woman on the Eurostar who left a small child with someone while she went off somewhere. She suddenly said “Ah, Mr Banana.” and produced said fruit to give to the child. Odd behaviour. I was always taught not name things you are eventually going to eat.
