I now believe in train supremacy. Fine, travel by train takes a lot longer than flying, but I’m sat here in a very spacious seat after a quick trip down to the restaurant carriage for a fresh sandwich I ate whilst splayed out on a sofa. There’s things to look at out of the window, there’s WiFi, and there’s the time and stress saved by not having to navigate airports: the most hostile spaces that humanity has ever built.
My trusty Interrail pass has also helped save me a few bouts of tachycardia. The knowledge that I can just take the next train if I miss my connection is nothing like the stress of running through Doha airport in order to make my next flight. I’d thought that train hopping around Europe was a sport best left for teenagers, but the flexibility of being able to board pretty much any train made for absolute peace of mind.
It also allowed me to visit some friends and places that I’ve been wanting to visit for a while. From the high peaks of Austria to the absolute flatness of the Netherlands, I’ve seen some pretty impressive geographical contrasts, explored some beautiful cities and towns, and beheld breathtaking feats of nature straight out of a National Geographic documentary.
My trip began and ended with a few nights in Paris after passing through Barcelona. I visited a theme park with Danni at the start of the trip and then explored as a solo tourist as the trip ended. During the rest of my three weeks I climbed mountains with Loredana, ate delicious pizza by David, had a washout dinner in Germany with María, and ran around various towns in Holland with Cami. I met my friends’ families, my friends’ friends, and the friends of friends of friends. I also made a few new ones of my own along the way, sometimes in the most unexpected of places. I got chatting to a couple of lost American tourists on a sightseeing tour and wound up closing a restaurant with the waitress and the chef.
After spending my summers in the US for three years on the trot, I did miss the company of my American friends, but I found my European trip a perfect balance of solo travel, reunions, and time spent visiting friends who, for one reason or another, have ended up living in different places across the content. I’ve been wanting to do a trip around my home continent for years, and this year everything fell into place. My accident last year meant that I was still learning to walk at the time I’d usually be looking at US-bound flights, and post-operation travel insurance meant I’d to consider something a little bit more local!
It’s been an awesome summer break, one only made possible by all my friends who welcomed me into their homes and accompanied me along the way. To all of you: thank you. I’ll definitely be catching a train again soon…
