It's 1910 in Paris and I'm sitting in a busy Gare de l'Est - a short walk from the Gare du Nord where my Eurostar arrived nearly an hour ago - anxiously looking at the departures board every few minutes. It is stubbornly refusing to display anything beyond the 2004 to Rheims. My Deutsch Bahn sleeper is due to leave at 2020. I have a delicious ham and cheese baguette and a pain au chocolat to console me while I wait. The place seems packed with young, off-duty, muscular, cropped, tanned, heavy-pack-carrying national service types.
Of course the train is eventually displayed, and is the DB train at Platform 5 I had already guessed it would be. I had to - for the second time today - walk the length of the platform to my carriage right behind the engine: the benefits of booking early are not just a cheaper fare, but a fast egress from the train at the terminus, not that that matters much to me on this journey.
On board the attendant points me to my compartment. I am slightly disappointed that the bunks are already down. Do I feel sleepy yet? Nope. As I'm sitting gingerly on the lower bunk, wondering who my roommate will be, in comes a white-haired gentleman in a check shirt. He is Erich, a retired German living in Paris. He will be getting off at the only stop on the way to Berlin, at Hannover at 0700, so at least I will have the last two hours to myself, hopefully in a seat if I can persuade the attendant to rearrange the compartment when he brings breakfast.
We talk a little - in English, as my German is rubbish - then after the train gets under way, bang on time, there's not a lot else to do but get ready for bed. I've taken the top bunk, so there's an amount of arranging of stuff to do in a confined space. If you've ever slept in a tent, you'll know what I mean.
It's a bit noisy and a bit rocking, and some people next door are obviously planning to stay up late talking, but I think I shall sleep well.
Of course the train is eventually displayed, and is the DB train at Platform 5 I had already guessed it would be. I had to - for the second time today - walk the length of the platform to my carriage right behind the engine: the benefits of booking early are not just a cheaper fare, but a fast egress from the train at the terminus, not that that matters much to me on this journey.
On board the attendant points me to my compartment. I am slightly disappointed that the bunks are already down. Do I feel sleepy yet? Nope. As I'm sitting gingerly on the lower bunk, wondering who my roommate will be, in comes a white-haired gentleman in a check shirt. He is Erich, a retired German living in Paris. He will be getting off at the only stop on the way to Berlin, at Hannover at 0700, so at least I will have the last two hours to myself, hopefully in a seat if I can persuade the attendant to rearrange the compartment when he brings breakfast.
We talk a little - in English, as my German is rubbish - then after the train gets under way, bang on time, there's not a lot else to do but get ready for bed. I've taken the top bunk, so there's an amount of arranging of stuff to do in a confined space. If you've ever slept in a tent, you'll know what I mean.
It's a bit noisy and a bit rocking, and some people next door are obviously planning to stay up late talking, but I think I shall sleep well.
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