Melanie Heinrich Artist
Melanie Heinrich, Artist
Travel Destinations

Italy

Orient Express - London to Venice

Europe 2008 Trip - London / Paris / Venice / Orient Express / Italian Country Side

I boarded the Orient Express Pullman car at Victoria Station in London. We were escorted to our own private dining room, and as the train rolled down the tracks to the Chunnel, we ate a fabulous lunch including champagne, wine, and an assortment of delectable sweets. It took us a couple of hours to get to the Chunnel and board a bus. On the bus we boarded the Chunnel car and went under the English Channel. Once in France, we traveled onward to an original 1929 Orient Express car. We were greeted by our personal porter and escorted to our cabin. It had a long seat that stretched across the cabin and when folded up turned into a sleeping berth, with one bunk bed on top of another. A basket of fruit and sweets was placed on the table along with a bottle of champagne. The cabin also had a closet-like area that open up with a small sink for sponge bathing—no showers on board and no lavatory in the cabin. There was one restroom per cabin for each of the cars.

We readied ourselves in black tie attire for another amazing meal and made our way down to the dining car along a long, narrow hallway with windows on one side. We returned to our cabin to find that our bunk beds had been prepared by our porter, an Italian gentleman who spoke English. It was late, so we retired into our respective bunks. I slept most of the night lulled to sleep by the rocking motion of the train. Clickity-clack, clickity-clack, down the tracks we flew, rocking at times and stopping once in a while at random stations. This was not a good ride for anyone suffering from motion sickness.

We awoke to breakfast served by our porter in our cabins. From there we dressed and readied for a casual day of sightseeing from the train windows. I shot still images and video, despite the overcast day. We passed through the Alps in Switzerland and the Dolomites and entered Italy from the north, traveling south through the countryside and on to Venice, where we disembarked.

 

 

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