So far? Boarding was easy; no queue at all, just a quick pat-down for guns, and the usual x-ray/metal detector set-up. The departure area isn't much worse than most (Stanstead is still the nicest in UK), and the beer is cheap; £2.40 for a pint of Stella, and the train wasn't too crowded (it was a Sunday). You do have to pay extra for snacks/meals (the menu isn't too comprehensive, 1st class should be better); I had "Italian Rigoletto", which was basically a Tesco macaroni cheese&ham ready-meal. Interesting how the buffet car only had tables to stand at, you could always take your food back to your seat, but the Orient Express it is not.  Coming back I had quite a nice sandwich (plus some very passable wine), and was interested how the French security didn't scan my luggage, just checked passports.  Differing priorities?   The English don't care who leaves, and the French don't care if people going to England (the Philistines) get blown up?!

What really makes you wonder is how nice the train is compared to the usual crap London carriages. Smooth, quiet, air-conditioned, fast! Basically all the things you don't get commuting. What also totally amazed me was that I went into Waterloo, and then came back via Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye, and Nunhead! Despite the Eurostar ads, it is not in the same class as flying, the carriages aren't as well maintained or cleaned. The service is only adequate (especially compared to Cathay Pacific, or Air NZ), and the overall impression is of lower quality; although not the "cattle mentality" you get from some airlines when travelling economy...

Got to the hotel, and it is reasonable. The bathroom I could happily transpose to our flat in London, such a great shower! (and a very funky sink unit). Oooooo, breakfast is here <chomping sounds ensue> The next few days passed in a blur, mainly from work and sleep. Went eating a drinking a couple of times with Roz and Melissa, and on the Wednesday I made an effort and did some touristing; The Arc de Triumph, Eiffel tower, River, Champs Elysees, Louvre and a couple of monuments. In order these were; weighty, tall (queuing for the 3rd "floor" is a little annoying), calming, wide green and long, massive. There were some really great portraits of medieval/renaissance people, but it seemed like two had been photographed, or they are not popular and so don't get put into books or even postcards. My feet were real sore at the end of the days slog, but I had that buzz of achievement. After a quick Italian meal and a carafe of wine I was feeling totally ready for some well deserved sleep. Why? because I didn't get any the next night, the <expletive, expletive> update from London ("Just do it that evening when the users leave") took a mind-boggling amount of time, I crawled back to the hotel at breakfast time, and got a couple of hours of sleep enabling me to stagger through the coming day. All the crappy little jobs ballooned, and we had a series of close-cut timings to get to the train in time.