This morning, Ted and I took the Eurostar from London to Paris.  We did that in 2016 and the high-speed train was a great experience.  We had first-class tickets, so we were served a lovely French lunch—with wine, of course.  We enjoyed the relaxing two-and-a-half hour ride through the French countryside.

Unfortunately, getting onto the train was far less enjoyable.  The London train station was crazy busy.  Maybe all those tennis and cricket fans were leaving town today.  The signage was terrible and, although we remembered the process from last time, it was difficult to find where “over there” was in such a big station with so many people crammed together.  When we got to the check-in line, we were told there were too many people waiting on the platform, so check-in would be delayed for the later trains.  First, we were delayed for ten minutes, then ten more, then ten more, . . . Finally, we were allowed to get in line.  Surprise!  One ID/passport check wasn’t sufficient; everyone had to do that part twice. 

It was a relief to find ourselves next in line to go through the gate that would allow us to take the escalators to the platform, but the relief was short-lived.  The electronic gate didn’t recognize Ted’s ticket and wouldn’t let him through.  A helpful attendant took him around the gate, and we proceeded to our train.  It took more than 90 minutes to get checked in and to arrive on the platform, and we had only ten minutes to spare before our train left.  Whew! Just breathe. . . .

The transfer from the Paris depot to our hotel went smoothly.  We unpacked a few things in our room and went immediately to the Tuilleries across the street to enjoy the park and to relax.