England

London

They have good trains in Europe. Even in England (where they don’t consider themselves part of Europe).

The only time I was ever “across the pond”, I remember checking in our rental car in Newcastle upon Tyne in the north of England, and being worried about making sure we were in time to catch the train to London.

Hell, the train comes every thirty minutes. It is electric and fast. Not as fast as one of those super trains like the ones in France or Japan, but still fast enough. It runs down the track from Edinburgh to London along the eastern side of the country; in four and a half hours. A distance of some 400 miles, making the train speed an average of at least a hundred miles an hour with stops and all.

I remember also sitting on the toilet in the train car, and fiddling with the panel of buttons at the side of the seat. One of them opened the sliding door of the cubicle where I sat. While I sat. Big door opening on two sides around the corner. Where the people were queued in line waiting. If not to applause, but at least to laughter. (Someone had to show me how to close the door whilst I maintained a stiff upper lip.)

Cornwall

Northern England (Alston / Lake District)