Tag Archives: Train Stations

Ashgabat Train Station, Turkmenistan

Tuesday Train – Ashgabat in Turkmenistan

Back in 2018 I undertook a single train journey in Turkmenistan, from the capital to Mary in the east of the country. We were informed that we were not allowed to take photos. I however got permission to take just one, though as you might expect I sneaked a few more in! Ashgabat has many […]

Haydarpasa Station, Istanbul

Severely Delayed Tuesday Train – Ankara, Turkey

In 2009 I experienced one of my favourite ever journeys. Istanbul to Ankara by the Dogu Express, on to Adana on the Toros Express, bus to Antakya, and finally taxi over the border to Aleppo in Syria. The journey started with a frog march from our hotel to the port to catch a ferry across […]

Tuesday Train – Narvik in Norway

The picture is from January 2018 as we took the train to Abisko just inside the Swedish border. The line forms part of the Iron Ore Line between the ice-free port of Narvik and the mines of Gallivare & Lulea in Sweden, whose Baltic port is frozen in winter.

European Train Tour #1 – Spain

Europe is a wonderful continent. Culturally & geographically diverse and incredibly easy to navigate from the Arctic to the Mediterranean or even the Atlantic to the Pacific. The best way to explore the region is by train with a vast network of train tracks criss-crossing the continent, connecting amazing cities and countries. Arm yourself with […]

Ukraine in 2011

Ukraine is never far from my thoughts these days. One can only imagine the fear & hardship that innocent citizens are facing. Ukrainians are our friends. A proud & hospitable nation that made me feel so welcome in 2011, less than a year before they hosted Euro 2012 with their great Polish neighbours. Here are […]

Scandinavian Tour Part 5 – Narvik in Norway

The North Atlantic port of Narvik is right at the end of the Iron Ore/Ofoten line from Lulea on Sweden’s Baltic Coast. You can read parts 3 & 4 of my tour to read about our journey there. My fourth visit to the strategically important town was my first from east to west, with my […]

Scandinavia Tour 2022 Part 4 – From Sweden Into Norway

Kiruna to Narvik When my travelling companion and I were learning geography at school, we were taught all about the Swedish iron ore industry and how a train line was built to Narvik so the ore could be exported. You see, the shallow Swedish Baltic Sea port at Luleå that was the main route out […]

Scandinavia Tour 2022 Part 3 – Iron Ore in the North of Sweden

I left off part 2 with us being stuck in Boden waiting for a rail replacement bus to take us to Gällivare. To our surprise our ticket collector travelled with us and proceeded to give us a guided commentary on the journey. As bus journeys went this was not too shabby! The three-hour journey sped […]

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Scandinavia Tour 2022 Part Two – Luleå in Sweden

Luleå  The bus journey from the Finnish border would take 90-minutes and flew past despite the frequent stops, the small settlements acting as brief interruptions from the golden forest and lichen covered rock. We soon found our hotel and then took to the Baltic coastline. Luleå in Norbotten County is a key export centre for Swedish […]

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The Statue at St Pancras Station in London

The 9-metre tall Meeting Place statue at St Pancras is a wonderful piece of art. Sculpted by renowned sculptor Paul Day and unveiled in 2007, the piece will have been seen by millions. The attention to detail of the frieze is astonishing. The depth and feeling of each section deserves a long gaze. I always […]