Entrance to London's Chinatown 2:30 pm March 1 2013
I am off to China again in May and spent some time today dealing with Visa issues, and trying to get a train ticket from Shanghai to Beijing. Rail is always my preferred form of travel if there is time. The newish ultra high speed train from Shanghai to Beijing takes just short of five hours - and much more fun than schlepping from city centre to airports and vice-versa.
The problem is to get a ticket......well at least I now know that it will take some ingenuity and I have time to figure it out. The top China specialist in London cannot get it done - so my visit to London's Chinatown - located between Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus - was fruitless.
But between that and the excellent CIBT visa agency in Victoria, whose Chicago office I have used successfully for the last 13 years, I managed a short trip on the top of a 24 bus up to Leicester Square. It is a grey day today - but not freezing.........
Parliament Square from the top of the 24 Bus - 2:15 pm March 1 2013
Tomorrow it seems that the whole of London's music world will be watching the Met's HD transmission of Parsifal. The superb cast the Met has assembled will make this a very special event - 5 hours 40 minutes all for a mere £12 in the multiplex in Wandsworth!
And on Sunday afternoon at last I get to see Peter Konwitschny's controversial but universally acclaimed Traviata production at the English National Opera.
Hi Brian, regarding getting a train ticket, have you tried the following website:
http://www.seat61.com/China.htm#.UTIAzFdtaq4
it is by far the most comprehensive train travel website worldwide and most helpful.
Best regards from Berlin - do let me know when you are next coming here,
Zenaida
Posted by: Zenaida | March 02, 2013 at 01:41 PM
Great thanks!! So helpful!!
Posted by: BD | March 02, 2013 at 02:05 PM