Steam trains

One of the cousins my wife mentioned on Facebook that her nephew, the youngest one of the family, had his first steam train ride recently. He is only a toddler. I commented: "I envy him,: it took me 37 years to have mine." Which is rather incongruous, as I always loved trains. I did it last summer, twice. The first time in the journey from Dartmouth to Paignton. The picture on this post is from that time. The engine is aptly named Hercules. I actually found this first experience rather underwhelming. It was on my second journey, on another line (see my post about it here), that I was truly taken away and absolutely smitten. Now for the young boy, of course he loved it. There is just something about trains in general and steam trains in particular. I still don't know what.

Longing for long train journeys

This picture was taken on the steamed train line between Dartmouth and Paignton. It was not nearly as nice as the other steamed train line we traveled on, because we went through it we barely saw Dartmouth which seemed lovely and Paignton is one of the tackiest, tasteless towns I ever saw in my life, but anyway, it illustrates this post's topic. And it allows me to publish another photo of my holidays.

So yes, as it happens sometimes, I am longing for long train journeys. I commute daily in trains, but a twenty minutes commute to go to work, while pleasant enough as it is quick, is hardly a way to truly appreciate the train as a mean of transport. I want to travel by train and to travel for leisure. I have some holidays coming in the next few months, so I might get my wish. We'll see. What I love with train travels, when they are comfortable, is that the journey in itself is an experience. I don't think any other mean of transport, except maybe the boat, can provide such feeling.

The Fish & Chips craving again

I took this picture near the sea in Paignton, during my time in Devon. It was the last time I had fish and chips. I had wanted to have fish and chips by the sea for ages and thought a town by the sea Devon was the ideal place for it. I was hungry so I enjoyed the food enough, as I always do when I eat fish and chips, that said it was overall a disappointing experience. The fish had a strange aftertaste of curry and Paignton may have been the most vulgar town I have ever seen. I guess this is what happens when you are looking forward too much for an experience: it ends up being underwhelming. And I had far better fish and chips, even though I had them far from the sea.

But anyway, it struck me tonight that this was the last time I had fish and chips. In the middle of August! And I am craving them again. It is Friday, so it would be a perfect evening for this kind of dinner, or at least customary. But I am trying to fight the craving. Soon it will be time for eating excesses, so I am trying to eat healthy, or at least not too much and too fatty food. All the same, I am craving fish and chips.

Les pieds dans l'eau

Cette photo a été prise à Paignton, enfin sur la plage de Paignton. C'est un autoportrait/selfie de mes pieds dans l'eau, donc j'ai les pieds dans la mer, jusqu'aux jeans. Paignton est la ville la plus quétaine, la plus vulgaire, la plus tape-à-l'oeil que j'aie vu depuis bien longtemps. J'imagine que c'est le cas de bien des stations balnéaires. Mais au moins, il y a la mer à côté. La plage est envahie par une foule quétaine, vulgaire, tape-à-l'oeil, à l'image de la ville, donc, mais bon. Il y a la mer. Et lorsque j'ai vu la mer, je n'ai pas pu m'empêcher d'aller y marcher. Je ne sais pas pourquoi. Cela dit, c'était très plaisant.