Alsace & Lorraine 7th day Back to England again

We said our farewells to the crew of the Madeleine and boarded our coach back to Strasbourg railway station. The journey was interesting to say the least as the driver didn’t know the way so followed his sat nav. This took us by not only minor roads and lanes but also some unmade single file forest tracks, Thankfully we didn’t meet a logging truck. Once he started he was committed as there was no where to turn round or even pull over. 
We had a bit of a wait for our train and Tim the Great Rail Journeys rep watched our bags as we had a short wander round.

Once in Paris we walked to the Gare-de-Nor where we had several hours wait for our Eurostar connection, so again Tim guarded the bags while we went for lunch at Batifol an old Restaurant opposite the station followed by a walk around Paris and a coffee where we met the man on a bike with his dogs.

 

 

 

An old telephone exchange in the passage leading to the restaurant toilets.

We had lunch here as we had a bit of time in Paris between the Strasbourg train arriving and the Eurostar departing

This chap had 4 dogs sitting in the box on the front of his bike

                  

As we didn’t get back to London until 1830 we had to stay the night in the same Travelodge that we stayed in coming.
   
This was the view from our Travel Loge Hotel at St Pancras, London. Very convenient for Eurostar but overlooking 2 underground rail lines that are open to the surface. The receptionist gave us ear plugs when we checked in. We won’t be staying here again if at all possible.
Next morning after Breakfast we got a Taxi across to Victoria Station to catch our coach back to Norwich.
As we crossed the Thames on our way home to Norwich I was surprised just how high the mud bank is below this boat moored to the wall.