Cambridge for breakfast – London for Lunch – Paris for tea – Grenoble for dinner

I decided before the volcanic ash excitement that I needed a trip back to France to stock up on French bread and cheese and so yesterday I caught the train down to London to get the Eurostar to Paris. Travelling with Eurostar is just what travel should be like – convenient and pleasant. You start at St Pancras, which is such a nice station. It’s incredibly easy to pick up your tickets you booked online from the ticket machines. The barriers which only allow you through when it’s time for your train are simple automated ones. The security people allow you through with bottles of water and are unfailing polite. The whole station is modern, clean, well cared for and user friendly. There are plenty of seats to sit on once you get through the security check as well as counters for laptop users with UK and European plug sockets. I was over an hour early and yet it was enjoyable just sitting there waiting for my train.
Once in Paris I got the RER line D to the Gare de Lyon and got on a high speed train to Grenoble. Three hours later I was the other side of France and sitting drinking café au lait in the somewhat down at heel centre of Grenoble. Due to a tram strike we had to catch at train and walk to K’s student residence which was worth coming to see. Out of his window – the Alps and at the moment there are beautiful white clouds hanging low just in front of them. He has a sweet little flatlet here – everything you could want in what seems quite a spacious room.
Today – International Workers Day – it’s raining despite all the promises that were made about the weather here. Luckily K stocked up on bread yesterday so I have spent a very pleasant morning scoffing it. Of course it’s totally un French to eat bread from yesterday so I guess I should get my shoes on and go and see if everything really is closed today.