Quirky Traveller's Tales

Setting off on a journey from Carnforth Station is rather like being on a film set – the platform and Refreshment Room are very similar to how they looked on that classic 1940s movie ‘Brief Encounter’ – with an exciting journey into the unknown ahead.  This time I was going on a Railbookers holiday to Switzerland and the idea of travelling across Europe by train was most intriguing.

A few hours hours later I was comfortably settled in to The Montague, a luxuriously quirky hotel in Bloomsbury.  I had chosen to stay here as it is ideally suited for an early start from St Pancras Station and came highly recommended.  My lovely room (a mini-suite really) was delightful, with a big, comfy bed, some very good art work, a desk where I could write and some gorgeous Penhaligon toiletries – bliss.

Up early, after a quick breakfast of fresh fruit, I got a taxi to St Pancras station; highly recommend a glass of bubbly at their Champagne Bar – great way to start a holiday in my view … The station is very well laid out and there are plenty of places to shop, get something to read, buy last minute items you forgot to pack.

Boarding the Eurostar train I got the first real sense of excitement that comes when I’m off into the unknown. The check-in had been so easy and with pre-booked seats we were able to just get settled in and relax.  As well as it being my first time on Eurostar and train across France, it was my first trip to Switzerland so I spent some time reading my guide book and info provided. We were to stay in Interlaken for 2 nights with a trip on the Jungfrau train up to the highest railway station in Europe. Then we were catching the Glacier Express across the Alps to St Moritz for a couple of days of luxury at the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains. What a treat.

Just over 2.5 hours later we arrived into Paris where we went across the city to the elegantly belle époque Gare de Lyon station.  It’s huge, but very well laid out; we found our platform without getting lost and in a matter of a few minutes.  As we had a bit of time before departure, we splintered off to get some lunch –  a fromage et ham baguette pour moi, of course.  Look up towards the ceiling – there are some wonderful pastel murals on the walls depicting scenes from the south of France and other places the trains go to.

If you’ve travelled through the French countryside on that route you’ll know the scenery is not especially interesting; mainly flat with mostly barren fields and the occasional town to create interest.  However, with good company and a glass or two of vin rouge the hours flew by.  As we got nearer the Swiss border we saw a few more villages and even some hills.  Arriving in Basel on the Swiss-French border, the air was noticeably cooler and I was sure I could hear a cuckoo somewhere in the distance …

The last leg of our journey took us from the border south to Interlaken.  Snapshots of wooden gables, dark green firs with a dusting of snow, toy-town church steeples and hazy peaks far off, hazily outlined in the dusky light …  Switzerland was finally coming into focus.  Getting off the train at Interlaken station, high above shone a brightly-lit star – a restaurant sign on top of a mountain.    As I took the short walk to the nearby Hotel Krebs I tried to imagine what Alpine view might greet me the next morning …

For a glimpse of the following day’s Jungfrau train trip and the stunning Eiger read here.

My thanks to Railbookers – they have an excellent choice of Swiss holidays or you can design your own – and all the people from the Swiss Tourist Board, hotels and attractions who created a truly memorable trip.

As a travel blogger, I often get asked what I use to write my articles when I am travelling.  Do I use a Moleskin notebook and pencil? A laptop or old fashioned journal? Well, it depends on how long I am away for and where I am, but here are the two things I use most on blog trips and my travels around the globe.

My Eeepad

I got my latest toy a few months ago and the novelty still hasn’t worn off.  The Asus Eeepad Slider is a tablet with a twist. With one easy movement the screen slides up and a fully QWERTY keyboard appears, giving it all the flexibility of an electronic notebook.  This is invaluable because I can’t write properly for any length of time on a touch screen.  They are great for tweeting, texting, brief emails and all sorts of other things as we know and I would not be without my iPhone (other ones are available!) but when it comes to writing articles or composing a longer email then a proper keyboard is a must.  It’s light 7 easy to carry in my bag and has a really good battery life, another plus for a traveller.  The most I have got out of it so far is almost 7 hours.

There’s loads of memory (mine has 32G) and it’s got a really neat camera which can shoot HD video – mind you, I haven’t worked out how it use it yet!    It took me quite a while to used to the Android system; I have had to tell myself it is not a pc but more like a super-duper phone as it is App-driven. Fortunately the Polaris software is compatible with Microsoft so there’s no problem transferring documents, which I have to do regularly. What I love is the expression on people’s faces when I am using it – it lies there like a regular tablet flat on the table as I scroll through photos, emails, websites etc – then I suddenly flip it up to write something and hey presto – it’s a mini-pc.  Magic …

My fountain pen

For many people the very idea of writing with a fountain pen is an ancient skill, lost in the mists of time … but for me it is the ultimate way to connect with my creativity, although a very inky one at times.  I’m of the last generation that was brought up with the scratchy old fountain pen and inkwell at school; I can still remember the pottery ones we had in our old desks.  The invention of the biro was a godsend to all but I’ve always loved the flow of ink from a good fountain pen and still use one regularly today.

I have a collection of different pens (and coloured inks) but my absolute favourite and the one I take

on all my blog trips, is a very old Mont Blanc with a gold nib.  For those of you not familiar with the pecking order of fountain pens, the Mont Blanc is considered by some to be the Rolls Royce of the writing world.  I bought mine from a quirky little shop in Kendal, run by the lovely Alan Lloyd, well-known connoisseur of vintage pens, inkwells and writing accessories.  He also introduced me to Italian Visconti ink and I have a vast supply of the turquoise – and you’ll often see my fingers covered in it! I write in a journal and in 2011 published The QuirkyTraveller Travel Notes, which is a lined notebook with favourite quotes, and I made sure it was designed with a spiral binding big enough to take my favourite pen.  (They make great presents and you can buy the TQT notebook online here.)  I’ve no idea how old my pen is, but when I use it I seem to be more creative and connected to my thoughts …

“What’s your name, Prisoner?”

“Zoë Dawes.”

“In Alcatraz, you address the guards as ‘Sir’.  What’s your name, Prisoner?”

“Zoë Dawes … Sir!”

I am about to spend the night in one of the world’s most notorious jails, Alcatraz; situated on a hostile island in San Francisco Bay, but for one week only, in a dodgy looking backstreet in King’s Cross, London.

Having been made to feel completely ill-at-ease, I am photographed; full-face and side on. Now I know how Hugh Grant felt.  Next I have to hand over all my worldly goods, including my iPhone (oh no, they mean business) and am given a pile of dreary looking clothes. Grey sweat pants, white T-shirt and blue shirt (don’t these guys know how important colour is – grey is so last season.)

Whistle … “Prisoner No 1 coming through.”

“This is your cell.  Make your bed, read the regulations and no talking.  If you wish to use the washroom, you ask the guard.”

The metal door bangs shut, the key is turned and I am incarcerated for the next 12 hours.  It’s a tiny, scuzzy cell, 9 feet by 5 feet, ghastly green, peeling paint, flea-bitten mattress, filthy toilet and sink, 2 tiny metal racks and bare electric light.  Oh lordy, what have I done to deserve this?  Outside the cell a guard sits at a table, staring meanly back at me every time I look out.  Better do as the guy says.  Make the bed – undersheet, pillow and 2 blankets – they look a bit scratchy.

Now what?  Let’s have a look at these regulations.

Regulations for Inmates – U.S.P. Alcatraz

Hmmm, wonder just what their Unique Selling Point is …

GOOD CONDUCT means conducting yourself in a quiet and orderly manner and keeping your cell neat, clean and free from contraband.

Don’t really do that at home … well, OK, it IS probably free from contraband.

PRIVILEGES. You are entitled to food, clothing, shelter and medical attention.  Anything else you get is a privilege.

Good philosophy for life really …

DISCIPLINARY ACTION may result in the loss of some or all of your privileges and/or confinement in the Treatment Unit.

Oh, don’t like the sound of that.  Better behave myself …

Whistle … “Prisoner No 2 coming through.”

Guy looks like the head of a drugs ring, or maybe a bird fancier …

Whistle … “Prisoner No 3 coming through.”

Guy looks like he’s a mass murderer, or maybe a tax dodger …

An hour later, I’ve read all the Regs, studied the me

Opening the door of the engine driver’s cabin, the snowscape came as a complete surprise.  From the carriage behind we’d had no idea we were this close to the Eiger, nor how impressively austere it was.  To be trundling uphill towards it full on was quite simply breath-taking. You know how often superlatives, metaphors, similes and other words are used to describe the Swiss Alps – and then you see a sight like this and words can’t do it justice

I was on a railway trip to Switzerland with Railbookers and this train journey to the top of the Jungfrau was to be the highlight – in all senses of the word. We’d travelled on the Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris and on to Interlaken and were now trundling up this mountain range, conscious of the air getting thinner and the scenery becoming more impressive every metre we went up.  From the open cabin window, I could feel the cold, sharp air as it thinned and became pin-bright.  The sound of the cogs clanking rattle out across the valley, causing skiers and tobagganists to look up and wave, as people must have done since the day 100 years ago that this impressive engineering was finally opened.  The skis in front told of the skilled athletes who were planning to zoom back downhill from the Jungfraujoch – the Top of Europe, at 3454 metres Europe’s highest-altitude railway station in a world of rock, ice and snow.

Watching the mountains loom larger and glitter brighter in the winter sun, it was impossible not to be impressed by the vision that those engineers must have had to even consider attempting to conquer these peaks … I was so very glad they had.

Many thanks to Railbookers who organise magical railway trips to Switzerland and around the world and all the wonderful people I met on this wonderfully luxurious and enjoyable trip to Switzerland.  For more on the Jungfrau adventure read my article for Wandering Educators - hope you enjoyed the ride!

Google the word ‘blogging’ and today there are over 53 million results … so, what does that tell you? Well, probably not a lot more than you already know – blogging is out there and there’s a vast amount of stuff being written about it.  Note my use of the word ‘stuff’ – I’ll come back to it later.  Now, assuming you are reading this because you are interested, and not just because you have stumbled across the page by accident, you might want to know WHY you should blog and what it’s all about.  Well, this is a short ‘post’ (blog-speak for article) so all I’m going to do is share a few reasons why it’s a good thing to try.

Before we start, JIC (just in case, in case you don’t know) BLOG is short for WEB LOG = diary/journal

1. Everybody’s talking about it … so you’ll be in the zeitgeist
2. It’s easy – you’re reading this you already have the skills to get started
3. You can be a blogger with absolutely no training or qualifications whatsoever
4. Being ‘real’ and using everyday language is OK (see ‘stuff) because it’s your writing
5. Connecting with others is easy with a blog – people can comment and interact with you
6. It’s really neat way to market/sell/promote your ideas, services, products etc
7. You MIGHT be able to make a bit of money directly from your blog
8. Creativity can take many forms – writing, video, photos, podcasts all have their place in blogs
9. Blogs can be any length and done anytime – your choice
10. People may actually read what you write – and how good is that?!

If you want to start blogging a couple of sites to try for free are Blogger (Google) and WordPress There are loads of easy tutorials out there and plenty of help to be had – just ask or search on-line.  Social media is a great medium to help get you some readers – Face Book, Twitter, LinkedIn etc – they all have tools to support blogs.

So, whether you want to start blogging to promote your business, share your hobby or interest with like-minded others or simply try something new, give it go – it’s fun!

I run seminars, workshops and give 1-1 coaching on blogging and social media. Read more here and do get in touch if you’d like some help getting started …

Gazing out across the bleak container base alongside which we’d berthed an hour earlier, looking at the sheeting rain against mist-shrouded mountains, I was not the least bit tempted to go ashore …

I’d had a sleepless night being bounced up and down and side to side as we sailed south from the stunning Sognefjord & Geiranger – most definitely not in the throes of a passionate encounter.  The good ship ‘Queen Elizabeth’ had encountered a quite awesome storm and been deftly steered through it to arrive unscathed in Bergen – but too late for our tour of the old town & surrounding area.  Looking at the weather outside, I decided to snuggle up in a cosy corner with a book and simply enjoy a bit of peace and recover from the previous night’s excitement …

After an hour or so, I had relaxed enough and decided it was silly not to go ashore; after all, I live in NW England and Bergen has been likened to Manchester, because it rains so often.  A short coach ride out of the container port and … a step back in history.  Although it’s Norway’s second largest city, Bergen has the feel of a provincial town, with all the sights, shops and attractions within easy walking distance.  Because of the mist and limited time, I reluctantly decided not to go on the Funicular up to Mount Fløyen, where apparently you can enjoy “a spectacular view of the city and fabled seven mountains” – weather permitting. (How come cities are always surrounded by SEVEN hills, not six or eight?)

So I headed off to the harbour area of Bryggen, a collection of colourful old wooden warehouses. The Hanseatic merchants used to live and trade here but in 1702 a major fire (always a hazard in Norway) destroyed most of the building so these are the newer 18^th century ones,  now tastefully restored.  There are plenty of inviting restaurants and quirky little boutiques selling chunky Norwegian sweaters, hats, scarves, gloves and other knitted paraphernalia and slightly less tacky than usual souvenirs.  My favourite was The Moose Shop, which is a bit funkier – got son socks decorated with blue moose (mooses … moosie?) and a couple of sturdy little notebooks for my journey jottings.

At the end of the wharf was an absolutely gorgeous 3-masted ship, with a beautiful gilded prow and complicated rigging. It’s the ‘Statsraad Lehmkuhl’, originally built as a training ship for the German merchant marine and now chartered by the Royal Norwegian Navy for the same purpose.

Opposite is the sternly imposing 12^th century St Mary’s Church, the oldest stone building in Bergen.  Wandering back past the shops I found a little alleyway – by just going off the main street you suddenly feel as if you are in a time long gone and can almost hear the cries of the fishermen as they unloaded their catch to sell in the nearby fishmarket – another fascinating place to visit.

The rain started to come down heavier as I returned to the ship, but I stopped to admire a large statue of a musician playing his violin beside a carved pool.  It’s of one of Norway’s most famous musicians – Ole Bull (should’ve been a matador …) – and as he played, oblivious to the rain, he seemed to epitomise the brief glimpse I’d had of this maritime city.  A charming and evocative place – whatever the weather …

Many thanks to all the wonderful crew aboard Queen Elizabeth and the team at Cunard for a memorably wonderful Norwegian cruise.