a million times a trillion more (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dolorosa_12) wrote2023-09-08 02:53 pm
dolorosa_12) wrote2023-09-08 02:53 pm
Entry tags:
Friday open thread: memorable journeys
These Friday posts are making a tentative return. We'll see how long I can maintain the momentum.
I've got journeys and transport on the brain at the moment due to my summer of train travel, and that's what's sparked today's prompt:
What are some of the most memorable journeys you've undertaken? I'm not asking about the destination, I mean the journey itself, by any mode of transport.
Trains are far and away my favourite form of transport (other than my own feet ... or my own arms and legs, I guess, since swimming is technically a form of transport that I enjoy), so I guess it's unsurprising that train journeys are my most memorable. The one which always sticks in my mind is that from Bergen to Oslo in Norway — six hours through the most incredible, snow-covered mountains, little houses with roofs covered in grass, and just this endless sweep of magnificent land and sky.
I don't particularly enjoy travelling by car, so weirdly my most memorable car journeys are the ones that happened so frequently in my childhood that they became habitual, and memorable because they caused me to remember every contour in the land, every twist and turn in the road: the three-hour trip between Sydney and Canberra, the winding route down the mountains from Canberra to the NSW south coast, my endless trips back and forth from my high school to my house, to my gymnastics club, to my piano teacher's house, and so on.
I don't think I travel enough by boat to have much to choose from here, but nothing beats a journey across Sydney Harbour in a ferry.
In contrast I travel too much on foot (both just walking around in my daily life, and on hiking trips) to ever be able to narrow things down to the most memorable journey.
My memorable plane trips are all memorable for the wrong reasons...
I've got journeys and transport on the brain at the moment due to my summer of train travel, and that's what's sparked today's prompt:
What are some of the most memorable journeys you've undertaken? I'm not asking about the destination, I mean the journey itself, by any mode of transport.
Trains are far and away my favourite form of transport (other than my own feet ... or my own arms and legs, I guess, since swimming is technically a form of transport that I enjoy), so I guess it's unsurprising that train journeys are my most memorable. The one which always sticks in my mind is that from Bergen to Oslo in Norway — six hours through the most incredible, snow-covered mountains, little houses with roofs covered in grass, and just this endless sweep of magnificent land and sky.
I don't particularly enjoy travelling by car, so weirdly my most memorable car journeys are the ones that happened so frequently in my childhood that they became habitual, and memorable because they caused me to remember every contour in the land, every twist and turn in the road: the three-hour trip between Sydney and Canberra, the winding route down the mountains from Canberra to the NSW south coast, my endless trips back and forth from my high school to my house, to my gymnastics club, to my piano teacher's house, and so on.
I don't think I travel enough by boat to have much to choose from here, but nothing beats a journey across Sydney Harbour in a ferry.
In contrast I travel too much on foot (both just walking around in my daily life, and on hiking trips) to ever be able to narrow things down to the most memorable journey.
My memorable plane trips are all memorable for the wrong reasons...
no subject
I went to Cardiff the other week and spotted the Uffington White Horse from the train on the way there, that was also utterly delightful :)
I have gone by car from Oslo to Bergen (in 1998) on a family trip and I remember it very well, it was during the summer and the scenery was wonderful. at times I was very annoyed there were so many trees because often I couldn't see the scenery for the trees!! it was very 'ten year old child who grew up on iceland and has seen 5 trees in their life is now annoyed they can't see the mountains for trees', lol.
all my ferry trips have been memorable for the simple reason that I've been seasick on every single one of them. I hate travelling by ferry - it often is very convenient and a cheaper alternative to flying, and I do like being outside on the deck and watching the sea and whatever landscape passes by, but all the rest of it is awful. given how seasick I get I don't make the choice to travel by ferry lightly when I do make it. (and I'm actively looking into ferry connections to Europe atm for going home for Christmas because I don't want to fly but I also don't want to pay an arm and a leg for the Eurostar when it's neither cheaper nor more convenient than flying; I still have to turn up early and go through security and once I add that time on the journey time, I've taken the same bloody time getting to Amsterdam as it would flying, but it cost more. so might as well do the slower but cheaper thing with the ferry. if only there were decent ferry connections...still mourning the Harwich-Esbjerg route, and it's been dead ten years.)
no subject
I have gone by car from Oslo to Bergen (in 1998) on a family trip and I remember it very well, it was during the summer and the scenery was wonderful. at times I was very annoyed there were so many trees because often I couldn't see the scenery for the trees!! it was very 'ten year old child who grew up on iceland and has seen 5 trees in their life is now annoyed they can't see the mountains for trees', lol.
This anecdote is adorable!
I've travelled by ferry from Wales to Ireland but I've never done cross-Channel ferry trips. My in-laws always do, but the ferry connections between the Netherlands (they live in Germany fairly close to the Dutch border) and the UK are better than the options you have available.
Admittedly with Eurostar you don't have to show up as early as you would do with a flight, and the train stations are in the city centre rather than on the fringes as airports are, and security is less (just metal detectors, you can take liquids in any volume, don't have to remove laptops etc), and of course you have your bags with you at the other end, so everything is ultimately a bit quicker than in an airport, but it is a lot more expensive, as you say, and it's not so much more convenient that the cost is justified.
no subject
I've always wanted to try to travel on the orient express - I've heard that part of the route is going to get shut down, which makes me sad because it looks like I won't be able to do the whole route at all before it vanishes altogether.
no subject
I've always wanted to try to travel on the orient express - I've heard that part of the route is going to get shut down, which makes me sad because it looks like I won't be able to do the whole route at all before it vanishes altogether.
Oh no, what a terrible shame!
I hope you find a reasonable ferry option for Christmas.