Day 3 - Traveling by train to Paris

This morning we're traveling by train from London to Paris. It's cheaper and faster to fly but we decided to travel by train instead to see more of the countryside and not have to deal with checking our bags, security, and long lines. It's much easier to just hop on a train and stow your luggage on board without any security checks. They just come by once in awhile and ask to see your tickets. Much less hassle. Plus there's something really cool about traveling by train.

The last time we traveled by train (my first time) we had a deluxe sleeping compartment, and after a night of rolling side to side, I found out the hard way that my motion sickness also applies to trains. So this time, I came prepared with motion sickness tablets. It also helped to be sitting up the entire time and being able to look at the scenery outside, rather than traveling at night in the dark.

We tried to get a photo of Astrid standing next to me on the train, but instead it turned into a rush and tackle game as Astrid just didn't want to stand still. Who has time to take a photo when there's so much to explore?

To keep Astrid entertained on the train ride, we brought books and read to her. When she got tired of her books I'd walk around with her, and hold her up to the large windows so she could see outside, and would point out all of the different things we were passing (i.e., houses, trees, bridges, sheep). And thank goodness for raisins! We brought a 6 pack of organic raisins with us for Astrid to snack on, to last the 3 weeks of traveling in Europe. Thank goodness she loves raisins! They're the best for traveling because they're easy to store, they're healthy snacks, and they last. Here we are in the dining area near the snack bar.

It wasn't possible to let Astrid walk about the train without holding onto her to make sure she didn't lose her balance and bump into something, as the train does sway and jerk from side to side.Like I mentioned previously, one of the great things about traveling by train is being able to look out the window at the countryside you're passing through. (Rather than just flying over it and showing up at your destination.) As you can see, Astrid's nose is healing nicely.Sweet child of mine sitting by the window in the dining car.Playing with Papa's wallet. Always a fun pastime.A nice Japanese lady on the train made this origami crane for Astrid.

That's another nice aspect of traveling by train - you meet lots of interesting people.

Next stop, our apartment in Paris...