Tagged With "railroad stations"
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Re: London- multiple questions
Thank you for all of the information. I am finally ready to finalize some things since we leave at the end of this month! We have decided not to do Liverpool...seems like we should come back and do that someday. I am thinking the Megabus option may be the way to go to Salisbury and catch the shuttle to Stonehenge from there. That way we can see the cathedral while we are there. Do you know if it is a short walk to the cathedral or will we need to take a taxi from the Megabus stop? Do you...
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Re: Gallery: Bicycles, Lucca, Italy
These small views, with their varied backgrounds and very personal bikes, give me a sense of knowing Lucca, even though I haven't been there yet. It seems a quieter energy than what comes from bicycles in huge masses...consider this shot from Copenhagen's Osterport rail station:
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Re: London- multiple questions
I can only help with one of the questions...but GarryRF, one of the TG Gurus, lives in Liverpool and can certainly help with that part. For Stonehenge without a car, there are really two main options. There are a number of tour operators who run coach tours from London to the site; or you can take a train from London to Salisbury and take a bus from the station to the Stonehenge visitor center. The visitor center is new since I was there; it's about 10 minutes by shuttle from the stones...
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Re: London- multiple questions
Hi Chickpea. The train from London to Liverpool will take 2 and a half hours each way. You can check out the times and which trains are direct - no changing - at www.thetrainline.com It's always cheaper to book well in advance ! It's over 400 miles round trip. And it's expensive at peak times. Around £200 return. So if you get the 09:40 from Euston Station (London) to Lime St. Station Liverpool its only £39 with a change at Crewe. 20 minute change time. And return at 19:48 Liv - Lon - Direct...
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Re: Four Days in Berlin
I'll be posting some Berlin blogs in the next few weeks, since we visited last month...but for the moment, I'll start with one of our best experiences—a food walking tour. It's a great way to meet other visitors and to experience local foods and their history. We started at a small cafe/sweetshop and ate our way through breads and meats and pastries and ended up at a beer garden run by a small artisanal brewery, where the owner/brewmaster sat with us and then took us on a tour of his...
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Re: How loooong does it take to get to your airport?
There's certainly a lot of variation, as I also noted above. And sometimes the planners don't help much either, as is the case with all three of our New York airports, where the whole AirTrain concept is completely botched. At Kennedy, the AirTrain's stations are not in, but sort of near, the terminals. That means you have to drag your stuff outside, across the roadways, and then up stairs or elevator to the train. And then, you have a choice of going to the commuter rail station (about 3...
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Re: Signs of Boston
Lovely walkable city. The trains were a great way to get around too. Just move along one station at a time and pop up out of the underground railway for another look around. Around Quincy Market was very strange. It was St Patricks day and the sun was shining. The sellers were wearing shorts and T-shirts. But around the corner the sun hadn't made any impression. It was still in the shade after a long winter. Snow was everywhere and the market traders wore hats and coats. Around the next...
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Re: Iceland's newest museum: 23 full-size whales!
Yes, and perhaps we’d better leave the double entendres at this point… But yes, in 2012, the collection was moved to Laugavegur 116, just near the Hlemmur bus station.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 23, 2015: First Class, Nanning Train Station
I suspect "stabling" refers to the train being at the station -- like horse returning home. But I love the sense of mystery and imaging you did to, PM! Nothing quite as much fun as a terrible translation!
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Re: Belles lettres et de belles choses: A wanderer's gallery
Another find for the Belles Lettres category: The 19th-c sign atop the older part of Madrid's Atocha rail station.
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Re: Best Ways To Reach Heathrow Airport Quickly In London
I just noticed this morning in TravelGumbo News that Heathrow Express is cutting its fares because of competiton with train service that wasn't mentioned here. That's what used to be called Heathrow Connect, and is now called TfL Rail, and will soon be called the Elizabeth Line. It's only 15 minutes slower than the Express, and the price is the same as the Tube. Both of those go only to Paddington Station in London, way in the West End, but once TfL Rail is connected to the new Crossrail...
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Re: Belgium: International trains causing delays
When our son came for a visit to see us in the early 1990's, he had to change trains in Hamburg which has many stations. He wasn't sure where to get off, so he asked the German conductor. The conductor pointed to our son's ticket and said your arrival time is 12:10, so at 12:10 get off the train and you will be at your correct station. Guess that doesn't work anymore.
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Re: We're more than Tokyo, Japan tells tourists
A few simple items to remember when transiting Tokyo ... In Tokyo, JR/Subway maps are available for the asking (FREE from the station attendant) with stations listed in either English or in Japanese. Get a copy of both. Have someone write your destination in Japanese. When approaching someone on the street with a "Please direct me towards xxxx" written in Japanese I have ALWAYS been given good directions. (A mix of English and Japanese does NOT often work) This includes traveling solo in...
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Re: Is a stopover in Iceland worthwhile
A lot of questions! Let me try a few answers... Absolutely I'd say stop in Iceland. Every place in the world is unique, but Iceland is more so, geographically, in climate, and in history. Half a week (or even a week) won't do more than scratch the surface, but you'll be able to visit incredible waterfalls, climb on glaciers, see evidence of recent volcanic activity, and realize that under it all is a huge pool of thermally heated water that provides over 70% of the nation's energy. If that...
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Re: Is a stopover in Iceland worthwhile
Well, I said so much about Iceland, I decided to leave the rest for another post. Getting from Barcelona (or Madrid) to Lisbon: the only practical way is to fly. Train takes too long for this one, and costs more! From Barcelona to Lisbon, flights on Vueling, Iberia, TAP, etc. run from $35 one-way to about $80 before you hit the high-priced ones. I just looked in May; Vueling and Iberia have $68 in the morning and $35 at 7:30 pm. Madrid-Lisbon, there's a $40 mid-day flight, but most other...
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Re: Need help planning Morocco trip
If you're passing through Europe and plan to go directly on to Marrakech, keep in mind that the low fare carriers more often than not use secondary airports which will add to your travel time if go straight on. For instance, if you fly into London's Heathrow airport a low fare airline will likely use either Luton or Stansted. I believe British Airways has flights from Heathrow so check on the variables and you may find that with time and costs involved to change airports a bit more expensive...
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Re: Road Trip: The Movies and the Cars
I always liked that goofy Vacation Station Wagon. Mainly though I like it when they use regular cars.We have an Edsel and got a kick when we saw one in Pee Wee's Big Adventure.
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Re: La Dolce Vita (Part 6) Murano and Burano
Dr. Fumblefinger, Nice slideshow with great pics. We were in Venice in 2012 for 6 or 7 days and made an excursion to Burano as a day trip. The first thing we noticed was that tourism has reached the tiny island. There was a new docking station for the vaporetti and all sorts of kiosks selling the usual stuff. The first time we were there was in 2008 and it was a sleepy island that time seemed to forget. In fact, we came across four elderly ladies sitting on a bench gabbing and knitting. I...
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Re: Classic American Cars #7
No - you ask for a ride and your gone for a couple of hours. Drive to the Gas Station and fill it up !
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Re: Finding Reiner #6: Frozen Grave
Whitney. I was just emailing TravelRob. Maybe you could contact a TV station here in England. The Centenary of WW1 is big news across Europe this year 1914 - 1918 and we have many programmes looking back at all the wars since. Have you seen the "Great Escape" Movie. ( Steve McQueen - James Garner and all ) ? Some facts are true - some "based" on the true story. It's very late here in England. Contact you tomorrow.
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Re: Alternative London Tube Maps.
On the subject of "ghost" stations, tours are offered of Aldwych station, used for movies now, including the latest incarnation of 'Sherlock'. Find out how here .
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Re: The Petite Ceinture, Paris: Where Gumbo Was (#71)
In an e-mail, Jonathan L provides an update—a happy one—on the Gare Ornano. It appears that about a year after I took my pictures, the station was sold, the KFC is gone, and a new cafe+recycling center has renovated the station; a picture below shows a view of the rear very different from the one below the KFC picture above. The site now also hosts food trucks! Thanks to Jonathan L for finding the followup, which can be found at http://www.larecyclerie.com/ It's in French, but if that's a...
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Re: Coastal California: A Village, a Hamlet, and a Wide Spot in the Road
Great pictures, great vegetables, great kids... The San Gregorio Stage Stop...would I be right in guessing that it also served as a gas station at some point? The architecture suggests so...
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Re: Coastal California: A Village, a Hamlet, and a Wide Spot in the Road
The Stage Stop is one of those buildings that's become invisible, even while being half the commercial district of San Gregorio. Maybe this illustrates the fact that we see things differently when we're in the picture zone, that it was the first time I really looked at it. I assume it was a gas station, looks like a pump rusting there on the left. But even I'm not old enough to have seen it in action.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct 7th, 2014: Grand Central Oyster Bar, New York
You won't find me eating oysters there (or anywhere!) but I've always loved the Guastavini tile ceilings. Not only gorgeous, but a lot like stepping back into another time in the station (Jack Finney fans will know what I mean...)
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#48)
Once this started going, it went fast! It is, indeed, Heroes' Square in Budapest, and tomorrow morning you'll know all about which heroes—but I will say that it is not Genghis Khan, nor the 1956 rebels... Congratulations to Lynn for the answer, and to MAD Travel Diaries who obviously knew it, too, from her reference to the station on Budapest's 1896 Metro Line 1.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Apr. 2, 2014: Looking Across Time
Seeing this picture, I somehow assumed that the Gare d'Orsay was the location of Martin Scorcese's movie 'Hugo'. But now I read that the station in the movie was actually a composite of "Gare Montparnasse, the train station where a major part of the film’s action takes place...the Gare du Nord for its façade and the Gare de Lyon for its geographic location and clock tower, an important plot element in Hugo ." Momentarily disappointed, I read on, "... the Gare d’Orsay, provides another...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Apr. 2, 2014: Looking Across Time
Bercy is the one, and the one I had the hardest time recalling. But! SMH, as they say these days, I realized that it is actually No. 7! I left out the Gare d'Austerlitz. The 6 came from a reference online, which I since realized was old enough perhaps not to include Bercy, which was a freight station until 1977, when it was reconfigured to handle overnight sleepers, especially those on which you can take your car with you. The two no-longer operating stations are Orsay (of course) and...
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Re: San Diego Model Railroad Museum: Where Gumbo Was #39
So nice, i love trains And i love to travel by train too, i don't know why but traveling by train makes me more relaxed!
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Re: May 31, An Epic Reenactment in France.
I suspect not. There was a question, a few years back when Eurostar came into London's Waterloo Station from Paris, whether it was to make the point to every French person who bought a ticket.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Feb. 20, 2014:Pennsylvania Railroad
It's just across the street from the Museum Paul - behind the Locomotive on the right of picture. The station certainly is the prettiest and cleanest I've ever seen. The food was better than I expected. And all the folks, young and old, were having great fun !
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 24, 2014: Santa's Wonderland
Santa's Wonderland in College Station, Texas, has evolved over the past 17 years into the largest Christmas light display in the entire state. In addition to the spectacular light show is Santa's Town featuring gift shops, restaurants, hourly...
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A Day in Chartres
If you’re looking for a nice escape from the crowds and chaos of Paris, consider heading to the small city of Chartres for a day or two. Situated 60 miles (96 km) southwest of Paris, just an hour’s train ride from the...
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Visiting Versailles
Among the many wonderful palaces of Europe, Versailles is said to be the greatest and grandest of them all. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and is on almost every traveler’s list of “must see”...
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Changing Trains in La Serenissima
My English friend and I left the beautiful apartment on the Anfiteatro in Lucca , she home to Bromsgrove in the West Midlands, and I toward Budapest and my old friends with a guesthouse near the famous synagogue. I was treating myself to...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 28, 2013: Northern Pacific Depot Museum, Wallace, Idaho
Wallace is located in Idaho's panhandle near the Montana state line. It sprung to life during a silver mining boom in 1884. Within a few years Wallace was very prosperous and, with 2000 residents, the third largest town in the new...
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Saguenay Fjord — Deep and Long but not very Tall
I’d heard as a schoolboy that the Saguenay Fjord was one of the longest in the world. Years later someone told me the area around Tadoussac was pretty, sparsely developed and inviting. Given a spare day or...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov 6, 2013: The Brooklyn Museum...and Neighbors
Here’s the Brooklyn Museum, in a night view that has the dramatic lighting of a linen-era postcard. The museum is a world-class collection that doesn't get noticed as much as it should because it lives in the shadow of Manhattan’s...
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Walla, Walla: “So nice they named it twice!”
What’s a Walla Walla? It’s a Indian name meaning “many waters”. It’s also the name of a charming city in southeastern Washington; nestled close to the Columbia and Snake River valleys, and with a river of its...
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Capital of Culture Series: Marseilles
Marseille Cathedral, near the Vieux Port I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Marseilles this past June and was very impressed. It really is an excellent example of what the Capital of Culture designation can do for a city. Have a walk...
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Lisbon: Cheap, but Steep!
That’s my short take on Lisbon after two weeks there last summer. A variety of economic factors, not all connected with the Euro crisis of the past few years, have made Portugal incredibly cheap for foreign travelers—but you have to be...
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Cologne Cathedral, Germany. Where Gumbo Was #83
Gumbo was visiting the magnificent Cathedral in Cologne, Germany. The puzzle destination was recognized rather quickly by Roderick Simpson -- congratulations Roddy! I first saw Cologne’s Cathedral on a...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, January 17, 2015: Shakespeare Books, Avignon
I didn’t really need more books, but how could I not visit the English bookstore, Shakespeare Books, in Avignon. I was staying in this great medieval town on the Rhône, on the south side just inside the wall near...
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Left Bank of the Tiber
I’d looked online for an apartment for my week in Rome, until I was sick of the thought of going. At some point I came across a recommendation for a women’s hostel in Trastevere (Tras TAY veree), on what I came to think of as...
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An Hour from Rome
I’d never been to Rome. I can’t tell you why, but for some reason I’d just never gotten around to it. I guess the best explanation would be to point out there are lots of places in the world. After a friend...
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A Day Among the Ruins
I chose Ostia Antica for a day trip from Rome, rather than the much longer trek to Pompeii. Aside from a few school groups, I had this remarkable place almost to myself. I realized that there’s a different crowd on...
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Monterey Bay Aquarium: Oceans Apart
Located directly on the Monterey Bay just south of Santa Cruz is a sprawling complex of nearly 200 exhibits of more than 550 species in a 2 storey building nearly 30 years old: the Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA). Started in 1978, and open to the...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan 20, 2015: Musee d'Orsay Clock, Paris
Paris is well known for its architectural splendor, and one highlight I experienced was a visit to the Musee d'Orsay , situated on the left bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway...
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Silver Plume, Colorado
I love going on leisurely road trips -- the kind where you've several spare hours to pull over somewhere and explore. If a place seems interesting, I like to check it out. So it was this past summer while we were visiting...
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Road Trip, Day 1: City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and The Skunk
Gateway to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas March 9, 2015 In the late ‘80s, I lived in L.A. for a couple of years. My S.O. knew lots of cool L.A. stuff. One of those was something he’d read that...