He still hadn't booked a return flight, so I assume I have paid for two person hotel rooms for nothing.
I was at the central railway station well before departure.
As I liked to be at Rotterdam at least an hour before departure of the Eurostar, I took the first train available to Utrecht.
Sometimes catching the next train in Utrecht is a pain, but this morning it went swift.
So I was at Rotterdam very early.
After walking round a bit and waiting I went to the toilets.
My cards refused to open the gate.
So the womn there opened it for me.
My bankcard refused to pay the entrance, so I paid cash.
I was lucky to know the way out without a card. Meaning walking the whole station again to reach the platform of the Eurostar.
As it was unclear when bordercontrol would open (and it didn't happen at the regular time). I walked to the office area.
Met a young man and someone else (maybe his father?). I had spoken with the youg man on another trip to London, so we smiled and wondered about bordercontrol. On our paperwork it said it would be in Rotterdam.
A man walke into the officce, so I asked him for some info.
In perfect scottish I was asked to speak emglish. LOL!
The info on our paperwork was not right: bordercontrol in Brussels.
Then it turned out the Eurostar didn't leave from the regular platform, but from another one. *sigh*
In Brussels the checks went very fast.
I pointed out my sensor and without any hesitation I was taken aside and a lady was called to do the body search. Even the automatic photocheck just took twice the time for other people, but worked.
Then we had to walk to... eh...somewhere.
I was lucky the people from the train walked in front of me.
In the tremendous long line I had a talk with an older couple. They had visited their daughter, who studies at "my" university. It was very nice to meet them.
In the train my seat was beside the window, but a young woman asked me if she...
OK.
She was from South Africa. Needed an explanation of the tube...
It was very nice to sit beside her and when we parted whe both expressed the hope to meet each other again.
Being at St Pancras again felt sooo good.
But instead of taking some time there I decided to take the tube to Waterloo.
Remembered which ones to take.
I was kind of stressed because of the refusal of the Bankcard at Rotterdam, but there was no problem at all. Pfff...
At Waterloo I bought a ticket for the train.
The guy reacte irritate when I didn't put my card at the rigght place.
I told him I had just arrived and never paid that way. He immidiately became very kind when I said I understood working there all day with stupid people was very tiring. So we ha a shrt talk and as an extr he pointed out which gate to take and pointed to the guard there I was coming.
At Basingstoke I couldn't find the busstation. I remembered the look, but didn't know where it was.
I could take the regular bus, but I wanted the other one.
Asked a woman who kindly pointed me in the wrong way.
Two young men were sitting. I asked them.
One said I looked tired. I told him I was travelling since 7 o'clock.
"Where are you from?"
"The Netherlands."
And then he started to speak Dutch! Turned out he was a regular visitor... in the area where I live!!
We had a fun talk.
Then he ordered the other "boy" to bring me to the busstation.
He had a motorized...kind of autoped.
My luggage was put on there.
I felt so free!!!
We had a good talk. He came from Brazil. Was a civil engineer, studying to specialise.
We talked about the army... He was interested.
We parted at the busstation.
Then he had my funride to Andover.
I love to see the sights, the hedges, the peoplewho live there.
Turned out the bus doesn't stop in front of the hotel, but the busstop was quite near.
I asked a nice woman, she walked with me to where I recognised the buildings and knew how to go.
At the hotel I was welcomed far better than in the past.
She recognised my face...
I got a huge room, with a bath, a bathroom as large that it could act as a dancefloor, and a huge bed.
Someone had put on the fan just before I climbed the stairs.
TV, a shower, some rest, a cup of instant soup, bread that had a kind of international touch..LOL!, and some apps to and fro.
Met up with the wife of a friend, had a drink at the pub, and had a very good night!!
.
Photos of the hotelroom >>> here <<<
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