My adventure, from Belfast to Lake Garda
Jashan Gill
This year, I experienced the trip of a lifetime. A certain type of trip with a certain method of travel that I would recommend to anyone with a thirst for adventure. Train travel can mean so many different things, for some people a more economical way to travel, for others, simply an alternative to flying, for me, it was pure adventure. It had thrills, excitement and fun all packed into one holiday. Every day, a new journey awaited. It was like five or six miniature holidays packed into one. It was such an exhilarating trip. I’ll never forget it.
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Throughout last year, in my mind, the trip was always “the reward”. For example, if it was half past seven on a miserable Monday morning in February all that was going through my mind was “Our trip is only four months away”. I had a lot of conversations with my younger brother and sister about what we expected and looked forward. My brother couldn’t wait to see Paris Saint-Germain’s training ground, and my sister had promised her friends chocolate from the Lindt shop in Switzerland. I loved days when I was off school for a staff day or a bank holiday, where my mummy and I would sit with the map and plan our route. My granny and I loved talking about it too, and she decided to come, also embracing the idea of adventure with her grandchildren. My daddy also enjoyed the planning stage and liked the idea of a holiday without having to drive! We were all beyond ready for the trip and it surpassed our expectations by a mile.
I enjoyed the packing stage, choosing what each of us wanted to bring. We used packing cubes to fit all of our clothes inside. We also packed our travel journals which we were going to fill in every night, highlighting the funny things that happened to us and the places we saw that particular day. We were all itching with excitement for the big day when we would board the Stena Line.
The night before, everyone was full of nervous energy. We were in my Granda’s house for dinner, and I can remember the feeling that I just wanted the seconds to tick faster. When we got back to my house it was an early night all round. I remember lying in bed thinking, “Only 14 hours until the boat”.
I left Belfast on Monday the 7th of July with my parents, brother and sister and my granny along with my hurl at my side and my fishing rod strapped to my rucksack. The joys of unlimited luggage when you aren’t heading to the airport! I was buzzing with excitement at the idea of the trip that awaited as we drove off towards The Docks. Nothing or no one could bring us down as we boarded the Stena Line ferry due for Cairnryan which happened to be a smooth sailing apart from a few bumps around the middle. There was a restaurant, a cinema and a games room on board. I especially loved standing out on the deck taking in the fresh sea air. My brother and sister enjoyed the Sonic 3 movie for the duration of the sailing.
I will always remember arriving in Cairnryan. It was the most spectacular feeling, knowing that your adventure had begun and that anything was possible! We drove for 2 hours before arriving at the airport, where we left the car and got a 20-minute bus into Edinburgh. Right from the very minute I set foot in Edinburgh, it felt that there was a certain mysteriousness to it. From narrow alleyways that wound off the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle itself, it was very eerie but in a good way, and I was keen to explore the history of the city. We settled into the Premier Inn which suited our budget and catered for our family of 6. It was within walking distance of where we arrived and convenient for us. Walking to our first hotel with our backpacks on felt like an adventure in itself! Once settled into the foot of the Royal Mile, we went for some pizza to celebrate our arrival in our first destination. After filling in my travel journal I fell asleep for the night, thinking about what tomorrow would bring after such a great first day.
I adored our day in Edinburgh. It was so riveting to get the chance to explore all the old streets around the Royal Mile. One thing I was very fond of in Edinburgh was the ancient-looking stone that all the buildings appeared to be made of. We had an action-packed day. According to my Fitbit, I’d completed almost 20,000 steps! I would have to say that the highlight of my day was definitely the National Museum of Scotland. There was a very interesting exhibit on Scotland during the Cold War. I really enjoyed reading about that with my grandmother. As we were leaving through the gift shop, I spotted a Tam O’ Shanter which I couldn’t resist trying on.
We had a slap-up meal that evening in one of Edinburgh’s Mexican restaurants and the next morning we boarded the LNER train to London which was by far the best train of the whole trip. The journey lasted around 4 hours in total, and the staff were incredibly kind from start to finish. In particular, there was a very generous Welsh woman who gave us free biscuits to keep us going and lent my sister her electronic fan since it was quite warm on the train. It was easy to put the time in observing the changing views from Scotland to England and pondering the day ahead.
Later on that day, after quickly passing through London it was time to board the Eurostar to Paris. It was unexpectedly frantic getting through security since the crowds were massive. This felt a tiny bit stressful, however, when on the platform, all was fine again.
That evening we arrived in Paris, making our way to Hotel Crystal in the Saint Germain des Pres area. I remember the building was extremely narrow. There was a reception area inside of the front door and a staircase to the basement where the breakfast was served. In the next room there was a lift that was as small as a shoebox and only went up to the 4th floor out of 5. Around the lift wrapped tightly was a spiral staircase that wound its way right to the 5th floor. To be honest, the first thing that came to my mind was how impressed I was with what they had done with such little space. All in all, I liked the hotel. It was in the middle of a fascinating area of Paris, and I’d love to go back.
Benjamin D.
The next morning, we headed out after breakfast, raring to go and explore the city. We had a Hop-on-Hop-Off bus tour later in the afternoon, but the first thing we did was visit the NBA Store. I thought it was unbelievable. My grandmother bought me a Boston Celtics t-shirt, which I wore a lot for the remainder of the holiday.
We then decided to buy some lunch in the supermarket to bring and eat in the park. It was an absolutely lovely thing to do, and to me it summed up the freedom that train travel is all about.
We then boarded the bus tour, where I got photographed almost under the Eiffel Tower. I was able to sit on the roof and put earphones in which taught me about the history of the places I was passing. I especially loved getting off at the Champs Elysées where we got a photo at the Arc de Triomphe and visited the PSG shop. That night we found a nice little pizza place hidden away in the backstreets of Paris behind the expensive designer shops. Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel stopping for a crêpe at a stand on the way.
We woke the next morning knowing that it was time to leave Hotel Crystal and head to Frutigen (near Interlaken) in Switzerland for four nights. We were all definitely ready to move on to the countryside after four nights between two busy cities.
We boarded the double decker TGV to Basel in the morning. It was lovely; one thing we learned was that Swiss and French trains are so efficient and comfortable. After arriving in Basel, we had lunch in the train station eating empanadas from an Argentinian stand and chocolate chip bread from the supermarket. My brother loved how big the chocolate chips were in his brioche roll! We then boarded a regional train to Spiez and as soon as I stepped off the train I was astonished by the Swiss scenery. Snow-capped mountains, extremely fresh lakes everywhere and so much open space, what more could you want? We soon got a 12-minute train to Frutigen station which was very close to the Frutigresort where we would be staying.
I loved the Frutigresort, this was the highlight of our trip. All in one reasonably small area, there was a mini golf course, a chlorine-free outdoor pool with a diving board, an indoor pool and underground tunnels with a playground and a games room, to name a few. In the evening for dinner, there was a menu you could order from or a buffet. For children, the price would be double your age. E.g. I am thirteen, so the buffet was 26 Swiss Francs.
We had some unbelievable days in Switzerland but the best by far, the best of the whole trip in fact was the day when we boarded the cable car to the mountain-top lake Oeschinensee. We got the train to Kandersteg and went to the cable car station. I was very nervous and hated the idea of it. I’m not the biggest fan of heights to be honest! We got in the cable car, and I sat with my eyes closed all the way to the top. However, when I stepped out and saw that picturesque landscape, it was all worth the fear. My grandmother found a picnic bench and sat there for a bit while my daddy brought me and my younger sister to the Mountain Coaster. It was more or less a toboggan that whipped at a high pace around the top of the mountain. It was exhilarating, and I had it on top speed.
We then walked for 20 minutes past grazing cows with huge bells and reached the lake. The water was crystal clear, and I was in swimming. It was the freshest water I’d ever seen. It was just a perfect day. We fished on a boat on the lake for two hours. The surroundings were unbelievable. I’ll never forget it.
Over the next couple of days, we were caught in a thunderstorm in Spiez, explored Interlaken in the scorching heat and got involved in the various activities in our hotel. We could have stayed forever but before we knew it, it was time to head to Lake Garda.
We woke excited as we were heading on to Italy to a campsite in Lake Garda where my mummy’s parents would be joining us. We boarded the train from Spiez to Zürich and then changed over in Zurich to go to Milan. The trains on this part of the journey lacked the comforts of the trains we had taken so far. The train was very warm, it smelt odd, and a woman brought her huge Bernese Mountain dog on and started feeding it spaghetti Bolognese from a takeaway box! This made my sister feel quite sick, so she spent the next few hours in the café carriage having cake with my mummy. This made her feel better of course. We quickly changed trains in Milan, boarded a regional train to Peschiera del Garda and then took a taxi to our campsite, Altomonico Park, which was about 20 mins from the town centre.
We spent a lovely few days relaxing, catching up with my granny and granda and exploring the site. The pool complex and restaurants were spectacular, but the site was so big that you had to get a train from one end to the other.
On one of the days, we headed to Gardaland, where my sister and I got great thrills from riding the rollercoasters. Earlier that day we visited the Legoland waterpark within the theme park which my younger brother greatly enjoyed.
The best day in Garda was when we walked/cycled to the town of Borghetto along the Monico river fishing along the way. The scenery was so beautiful and relaxing, and catching quite a big perch along the way added to the fun.
After six enjoyable days in Lake Garda, it was time to begin the final leg of the journey, boarding the seven-hour train back to Paris from Milan. The highlight of that train was during the period when we were meandering through the Alps, and the train swung round a bend, and there was a second where you could see the front of the train from the café cart at the back. We had lots of fun playing card games, Lego, clay foam and watching some of our favourite programmes when we weren’t taking in the scenery.
When we arrived in Paris for the second time our hotel was on the outskirts beside the PSG stadium which we would be touring the next day. Our hotel was called Hotel Bijou. I remember the room being very spacious and there being a set of bunk beds in the corner which had cool little privacy curtains. Another plus was the Netflix on the TV.
I loved the PSG stadium tour; it was unbelievable to get to sit in the changing rooms where some of the world’s best football players have sat. It was interesting to learn about the club’s history and look at the trophy cabinets, but the best part was getting to hit a shot on the side of the pitch!
The next day it was time to make our way back to Edinburgh and after boarding the Eurostar and LNER we were exhausted when we arrived in our Premier Inn. We found the energy to go for a drink in the bar, reminiscing on our last night about some great times in Edinburgh, Paris, Frutigen and Garda. My brother said the trip made him feel like he could do anything! My sister said it made her feel more confident, and I said it gave me a thirst to travel more!
The next morning before the Stena Line home I visited the Writer’s Museum, where I learned about the history of Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Walter Scott and William Wordsworth which I took immense interest in.
However, after that, it was time to drive to Cairnryan and board the boat home, bound for Irish shores. I was disappointed my adventure was ending, but I was ready for home and excited to think of new travels ahead.
