These are the true tales of the rail and the wing, seen from the vantage point of train stations, dressing rooms, airports and the not-so-glamorous back of a cab. Buckle up in the jump seat for this caffeine-fueled 15-day tour of Italy, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, France, England and Ireland. Don’t forget your passport.
April 30: Bristol To Manchester
Sometimes the gems of rail travel aren’t where you’d expect to find them. Such is the case in Bristol, England. Underneath the stone sprawl of the station, you’ll find Hart’s Bakery. It’s just off the beaten path as you drag your luggage up the hill from the main road. Hart’s boasts some out-of-this-world pastries and coffees. I’ve been tipped off that I need to experience the Saturday Bread. It’s a sticky square of soft bliss. The bakery is a unique space, its ceiling rounded like a Quonset hut, with shiplap walls in a cool minty green. I’ve been here once before and tried the cheese-and-onion pasty, a hand-pie that was perfected in Cornwall, and I never forgot it.
The service is friendly and fast. With a brick of Saturday Bread in my backpack, we have a train to catch. Because of the bankers holiday, the train is oversold. Passengers brace and wedge themselves into the aisle, fights are on the verge of breaking out. The loud pop of a cork alerts me to a group of woman just in front of me. It’s noon, and they are seriously imbibing. One has an iPhone cranking the Bay City Rollers. So much for that nap. Tonight I’m at The Deaf Institute—the club named as such because the building actually housed services for the hearing and speech-impaired at the turn of the century. No more trains from here on out. After today’s cramped journey, I won’t be missing them. In the morning I’ll fly to Ireland.
