Taken For a Ride

In Defence of Trains

Because (as we know) I am a fearful flyer, I elected to travel from Toulouse to Seville the way the Good Lord intended... by train.
The round-trip involved a grand total of 9 trains and 24 hours... which may sound startling to some, but here's the honest truth: it was wonderful.
Of course, if your objective is to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, I will concede that this journey is not the most appropriate. But if, like me, you are prepared to sit back and watch the changing landscapes crawl by and surrender to the slow passage of time, then I can only encourage you to give it a go.

Or, to put it another way (as a good friend of mine and fellow mother remarked): what mother WOULDN'T relish the prospect of 12 hours uninterrupted peace and quiet?!

So here's my empirical thesis for the defence of rail travel:

I set off from Toulouse at 6.17 a.m.: it is dark, cold and raining.
Why, whenever one embarks on a long journey, is it always dark, cold and slightly sinister?
I can only think that the Good Lord, in His role as talented film director, unfailingly ensures that the miserable backdrop is spot-on... just to make the splendid, bright arrival all the more poignant.

The second train of the morning grinds to a halt between Cebere and Port Bou - the two border towns - for the traditional change in wheel spacing to be enacted, with much clunking and banging.
This is a quaint reminder of a fargone time when Europe was divided into many different, totally independent and uncooperative countries which did not see the sense in having rail tracks of the same width.
I love it.

Likewise, as soon as we have chugged into Spain, a handful of angry-looking policemen stride aboard and demand to see our passports.
A thrill of excitement runs through me: for those of us who have never experienced a communist dictatorship first-hand, this constitutes a rather thrilling demonstration of authority.

The atmosphere shifts 180° once I board my first "Ave" (the Spanish high-speed train that will take me from Barcelona to Madrid in under 3 hours).
This top-class train with parquet flooring and a FRESH smell is rail travel at its most attractive.
In true former-budget traveller style, I had wolfed down a plastic-tasting salad at Bacelona station before boarding... so imagine my surprise and confusion when, 15 minutes into the journey, a smartly dressed steward appears offering me apéritif and a 3-course lunch. All for free (well, you know, "free" meaning included in the slightly overpriced ticket price).

And in true budget traveller style, I accept and eat it all.

So now here I am in the last "Ave", on the Madrid-Seville stretch and actually nostalgic that it's nearly over.
As I sip my complementary champagne and watch the quintessential Andalousian landscape flit past (arid fields, olive trees, brick-red earth, little white houses with arched verandas...), I feel I'd happily set up home on this train for the next 6 months.
For one thing, just imagine all the novels I'd get through!

So there you have it. With trains like these, you don't need a plane.
granted, I'm biased. But if you're even just a little bit tempted, if you can take the time... try it.
Cross the country. Soak up the view. Enjoy the ride.