Antwerp

The collonnaded waiting area at St Pancras International is not a peaceful place. Three parties of children, one sporting white baseball caps another maroon and the third red are waiting in excited groups their chatter echoing harshly across the unupholstered space. We are an hour and a half early, this only because we managed to waste considerable amounts of time wandering slowly between LK Bennett, WHSmiths, Paperchase, Accessorise.....and eating a barely acceptable Scotch egg and sausage role at the extortionately expensive Purdeys and Byrne. Check in and customs were relaxed experiences until I was forced to hurriedly empty my pockets at the metal detecting arch. I had not recently taken stock of how much it was possible to fit into a pair of reasonably generous trousers. I now know. My companion knits while I write. Only an hour and fifteen minutes to go.





-- posted abroad