ON THE WRITE PATH: travel journal for Around-the-World in 2015, 16, 18. |
I know you've seen this photo before Annette but it really captures the emptiness. The landscape was mostly 'boring' from the train between Sydney and Melbourne (for 11 hours). Have you taken this ride Cappucine ? Passing through Gunning If love were a train, would it rumble and sway as it sought its way to destinations we seldom reach? This train bumbles past pasture of land-lice oblivious to us, as we pick up our Devonshire Tea: hot scones and jam, a dollop of cream. Tummy full it would be easy to snooze, perhaps dream. An announcement jars us awake. It grumbles an apology—ten minutes late. But we're making up time. If love were only a dream would we be allowed to take it with us? In time would it become a landscape tumbling out of soft hills? On a soft day of mist, clouds and sun we're passing Gunning, heading south towards the Pole. If this train were like love—would we reach it? clack of rails black and white— magpies in flight © Kåre Enga 11.april.2015. Originally in: "Passing through Gunning " Not anything like the wonderful scone I had at the Ridley in Manchester, UK. Devonshire tea on the train:
Day 4 we catch a Ghan train in Adelaide. Have you ever ridden a train? What was it like? If you haven't ridden a train what do you think it would be like? First I remember: Phoebe Snow (Lackawanna RR) Smooth, comfortable: Estonia. Old, slow: Latvia Old, dirty: Romania. Too fast: TGV Paris - Luxenbourg. Expensive, not worth it: Flåmsbana (mellom Myrdal og Flåm) Worth it in Norway: Raumabana (mellom Åndalsnes and Dombås) and the ride through the Dovrefjell between Dombås and Trondheim. Worth it in the USA: going west out of Chicago the double decker trains sway a bit (one can usually find a seat in the lower area) but the views are lovely going through mountains or along the Pacific seashore. No longer: Train from Cartago to Limon, Costa Rica. Earthquake destroyed part of the line in 1991. Scenic but dangerous. A friend's brother fell off the train in 1975 and died. A joke: current 'trains' in Costa Rica. Well connected: trains in Japan. A bit confusing for visitors but works well. Same system in Taiwan is wonderful. Old, cheap, not necessarily safe: Cape Town to Simon's Town in South Africa. Crowded: Netherlands. Others: Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, England, Italy, Austria, Slovenia? 2,570 |