To The Hague And Back
On Tuesday, I took the Eurostar to see a friend in The Hague. This is a picture of me, eating a gluten-free breakfast in Premium Economy on Eurostar.
Eating A Gluten-Free Breakfast On Eurostar
I know it is only a snack, but it is nice to get something if you’re a coeliac and need gluten-free food.
I had orange juice, yoghurt, as much tea as I wanted, some Dove Farms biscuits, gluten-free bread, butter and a small pot of Tiptree jam.
This leg of the journey cost me £107. That may seem a lot, especially as I could have flown to Brussels on BA for £59, if I’d have booked earlier. But I would doubt, I’d have got such a nice breakfast and I would then have to get to and from the two airports at Heathrow and Brussels.
I actually booked a few days ago, but Standard Premier, always seems to be the same price of £107. I could have travelled in Standard for less at less than forty pounds or to any Belgian station for just £44. Standard Premier to any Belgian station is £116. For many travelling to the southern parts of the Netherlands, that will be a good option, as you can go to Antwerp and travel on from there. You’ll also get to see the triple decker station.
If you’re on an evening train, I’ve usually found the dinner and free wine to be excellent.
I had booked a connection in Brussels, that gave me over three hours in the Belgian capital, so I had time to do two things. One was to take an excursion to get some lunch and the other was to see if I could get a ticket on the InterCity train to The Hague.
I tried the Information, and the guy there said that the train had been discontinued. He did offer me a local train, that went via changes at Antwerp and Rosendaal, but I didn’t want to go on a mystery tour of the Low Countries. There were no machines to try out, so I decided to stop being a nuisance and use my ticket on the Fyra high-speed train to Rotterdam. Incidentally, there does seem to be a few teething problems with the organisation at Brussels, with Eurostar and Thalys up one end of the station and the Fyra at the other. They also changed the platform about fifteen or so minutes before the train departed. The carriage numbers are a bit confusing too, if you’ve been used to the old British Rail system of A-K and First generally towards London. Sometimes, I think the EU should lay down a few standards that would help us all.
Fyra Arrives At Rotterdam
The picture shows the train after arrival at Rotterdam.
The train is a typical boring train, where in Standard Class, you get comfortable seats with only minimal leg-room. It was no more comfortable than the Mk 3 coach, I ride in to Ipswich. But one thing that was disconcerting was that there were quite a few thumps coming from the suspension. My neighbour on the train; a Greek physicist, said that that was common. Incidentally, she’d paid the same €22, that I had for my ticket. It was just a sheet of A4 paper. More on this later.
I then took the local train to Den Haag HS station. I stood all the way, as I was talking to a Swiss lady with a Canadian accent, who worked for Rotterdam police.
I actually arrived earlier than I’d expected, as the Den Haag train I got was an earlier connection, so I had a look round the station, as the next day, I would be getting a ticket from there to Schipol for my flight home. I did find an automatic ticket machine, but it only took debit cards and not even cash. I couldn’t find the ticket office either.
Going home, I was dropped at Den Haag Centraal station and the machines were the same; debit card only. After a twenty minute queue at the ticket office, I eventually used cash to buy a ticket to Schipol to take my flight to the jewel of the Essex coast; Southend. If the Dutch are serious about attracting visitors, they need to look at their ticket machines.
The take-off time was 18:00, but we left early and at 18:05 or sixty-five minutes later because of the time difference, I was on the train towards Liverpool Street. I was sitting watching the television with a cup of tea soon soon after seven.
That six o’clock easyJet flight is certainly the fastest way to get back from Schipol to East and Central London, if you have no baggage, as they always seem to be early at Southend. It also cost me less than forty pounds for the ticket and I had a nourishing gluten-free tomato soup on the journey. Not to Eurostar’s standard but who could serve a meal properly in less than forty minutes. I even got an apology from the stewardess about the soup, as she couldn’t give it enough of a stir. But there were other passengers to serve!
The Engineers Get To Grips With Food
This report from the BBC, would seem to suggest that the Institute of Mechanical Engineers are venturing into areas that are none of their business. This is two key paragraphs.
The report found that between 30% and 50% of the four billion tonnes of food produced around the world each year went to waste.
It suggested that half the food bought in Europe and the US was thrown away.
I don’t think it is a surprising set of findings, but what are governments doing about it. Nothing! Which is a total scandal.
Perhaps, it’s about time we had more engineers at all levels in Government, all over the world. Waste is anathema to every engineer I’ve ever met!
I wonder if there has ever been a President or Prime Minister anywhere, who has had an engineering qualification? Even an O Level or equivalent in Technical Drawing would be rare. The nearest I can think of is Jimmy Carter, who was deeply involved in the clearing up of this nuclear incident in Canada. After his presidency he has shown himself to be a very practical man.
Express Fish
I did my fish recipe last night.
I didn’t do any potatoes, but the food was on the table about ten minutes after putting the fish in the oven.
The biggest delay was waiting for the oven to warm up. Where is an AGA, when you need one? But I couldn’t get one up the stairs here and Jerry’s building might not take the weight.
Concord, Massachusetts Bans Small Water Bottles
This story on the BBC web site shows how people get their green priorities wrong.
We should probably drink tap water and the only time, I drink the bottled stuff, is if I need water on a train, plane or on the street.
They have banned water, but not fizzy drinks, which unlike water make you obese. But then if you did ban fizzy drinks, the cola manufacturers would have something to say about it.
I did have a drink out today. it was a lemonade at Leon in Kings Cross station. This is the nutrition details for the drink. It did come in an appropriately sized plastic cup.
It is good to be green, but you must be scientifically green and make sure the science and the economics stack up.
I have an aside here on the subject of lemonade. In the 1970s, we were driving across the United States and needed some petrol. We pulled into the garage and the pump attendant asked if we needed lemonade. It was his slang for unleaded petrol.
Is This Going To Be My Worse New Year’s Eve Ever?
I don’t know, but let’s face it the weather doesn’t get any better as the day rumbles on. When I went to Otto’s Pizzadrome, it wasn’t raining, but when I left God was sending every bit of water, she could in our direction. As I got the bus home, intrepid tourists from Asia were braving the rain on a tour bus.
Intrepid Tourists
I can never understand people using tour buses in London, as you get almost as good a view from some of the regular buses, like the 38 with its New Buses for London and the 9 and 15, with its fifty year old Routemasters. And of course you never get wet! Surely someone must have written a book about touring London by Oyster on buses, trains, trams etc.
When I went out an hour or so ago to get a few bits at the littleWaitrose at Highbury Corner, it was still raining madly and I got wet in the short walk to the shop.
So I did the lazy thing and got the first bus I found, which was a 43 going past Carluccio’s at Upper Street, but in the wrong way to get home.
I just had a coffee there and then sneaked down the side of the building to the Essex Road to get a 38 bus home. It was a bit of a detour and it cost me the price of a coffee, but at least I got home in a dryish state.
I doubt, I’ll venture out again, unless it really does stop raining. I have a fish pie, if I need something substantial, but otherwise, I’ve some eggs, bread and a small tin of beans. And of course, plenty of beer and Aspall’s cyder.
So does this look like it’s going to be my worst New Year’s Eve?
I think not! Unless of course, a Jumbo Jet should land on my house or some other serious disaster happens!
I had some pretty bad ones as a child, as my parents didn’t really do New Year, although I did have a couple of good ones in my late teens serving in The Merryhills at Oakwood. The least said about one evening there, the better!
C generally wasn’t in to New Year either, except when we used to go hunting as a family on New Year’s Day. We also had some good ones when we managed to get away to places like Majorca or Venice, but for the last twenty years or so with horses, they usually came first. And a couple of those in particular were pretty grim, as it never stopped raining, and there were masses of horses to muck out and feed.
So on a scale of one to ten, I suspect tonight will be about five, whilst I’ve had a few very low scores in my time.
I hope, I haven’t spoken too soon.
To Notting Hill For a Pizza
As a coeliac, I don’t get to eat pizza very often. In fact the last time, I ate one, was in Naples in 2009. But that was rather special in that the restaurant was one of the best in that wonderful city in Italy.
Otto Pizza is a short walk from Notting Hill Gate station. I found it on the web last night, after I felt that after seeing the poster in La Porchetta, that I ought to have found gluten-free pizza in the over two years, that I’ve lived in London.
So this lunchtime, I took the Underground to Notting Hill Gate station and then got a 328 bus to outside the restaurant at the Artesian Road stop. Not only did I have a delicious double-flavour pizza, I had a gluten-free beer as well.
The only problem was that streams of Wonga-encrusted buses kept stopping outside.
In fact in one short period of time, of the eight buses that stopped, five had adverts for the barely-legal loan shark. And of the three that didn’t, one was a half-size bus and the other was still an advertising virgin, unmarked by commerce.
As to the unusual pancetta and sprout pizza, it was something I liked a lot. But C, would have really turned up her nose at the Grapes of the Devil.
This is a restaurant that deserves to succeed big time, if only because it doesn’t follow the rule book laid down by big chains.
Keep Calm And Eat Pizza
I saw this sign in the window a La Porchetta restaurant.
Keep Calm And Eat Pizza
I keep calm most of the time, but I can’t find anywhere to eat pizza in London. Unless anybody knows of reliable gluten-free pizza in the city.
Faggots Anyone
I’ve never eaten faggots and was surprised to see them advertised outside a Wetherspoon‘s pub in Wolverhampton.
Faggots Anyone
I wonder if you can buy faggots outside of the UK. Where lets face it, they are not always common. I don’t think they’re gluten-free either, as they are rolled in breadcrumbs.
Incidentally, the pub was reserved for home fans only.
The Friendly Wilfrunians
I went to see Ipswich play Wolverhampton Wanderers yesterday.
After a sort of brunch in Carluccio’s in Islington, where I had a gluten-free eggs florentine with a portion of pancetta added to mop up the egg yolk and sauce, I took the 12:23 train from Euston.
The ticket was good value in that after my Senior Railcard discount, I paid just £15.50 each way for the direct train. That would have been good value in Standard Class, but I was travelling First both ways. And like most First Class in trains timed for three o’clock football, there was plenty of space both ways. Compare this with the nearly 80 Euros I would have been charged for one way between Brussels and Den Haag.
It was a ticket, that I’d bought a few days ago on-line, but then if you’re going away to watch a football match, you have your schedule days or even weeks before. It would certainly cost you more than £31 to go by road, and you wouldn’t be sitting there doing nothing, except read the paper and drink free coffee.
We arrived on time in Wolverhampton and it isn’t the longest walk to the ground from the station. Especially after directions from a friendly local policeman, who was pleased to give me excellent directions. Not a feature of all places in the UK.
But I’d forgotten my ticket, so I had to buy another one. The supervisor said that if I returned the unused ticket to Ipswich, I might get my money back.
Molineux is a good stadium, with wide comfortable seats. Not that I need the wide bit! The view was good too!
Inside Molineux
Wolves too, followed the tone set by the city and were very friendly. So Ipswich left with a two-nil victory.
The only unfriendly thing, was the loud booing of the home side by their own fans.
I don’t think I’ll return the unused ticket, but at £24 to the £14 I paid on the day, it wasn’t as good a value.
So perhaps on large grounds well away from Ipswich, it might be better to buy the ticket on the day.
I finished the day by getting a 30 bus to the Angel and having a curry in the Angel Curry Centre. This is ideal after a trip that ends in one of the stations on Euston Road, as the bus stops just a few metres from the door.
An Early Morning Raid On Waitrose
This morning I needed the usual Saturday morning shopping and as I’m going to Wolverhampton later this morning to see Ipswich play, I went to Waitrose early.
Or should I say two Waitroses, as due to their stocking policy, neither stocks all of my favourite gluten-free brands. First it was a visit to the littleWaitrose at Highbury Corner.
Highbury Corner littleWaitrose
All I bought was a Genius brown loaf, as my previous one was past my view of an eat-by date. It was then on a 43 bus to the Angel.
A 43 Bus To The Angel
And a walk round the corner to one of the smallest proper Waitroses in the country.
Waitrose At The Angel
I got the rest of my shopping here.
Just One Bag And A Loaf
It was just one small bag and a loaf, when I got home.
I suppose I could go to another bigger Waitrose, but then I’d have the problem of finding things in an unfamiliar store. And the Genius brown bread, seems to only be in the littleWaitroses. and decent gluten-free sausages don’t seem to be in any shop in London.
I think the bread and sausage problem is the same. Waitrose believes it’s own brands are good. They are very very wrong!
At least today, I didn’t have to get any EatNatural cereal, as you can only get the vinefruit flavour in Sainsburys. At least it’s at the Angel next to the Waitrose.
The chuggers were also still in their beds.
Where Are The Chuggers?
Or at least they hadn’t arrived yet!
The Anonymous Widower 