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Rocking and Rolling into the Millennium

© Mary Ellen Bradshaw

This series of article cover a 3-month journey by train and ship From Vancouver Canada to Santorini, Greece. It is a journey of discovery, of family reunions, of new adventures, new friends. It is a voyage of surprise and wonderment for my mother who has not traveled extensively and myself, who has. My mother will celebrate her 90th birthday in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Vancouver to San Diego First Leg

Departure day dawns wet and Grey. Did I say dawns? Not quite! We have to rise at 4 AM. to catch a 6:30 train. Having traveled with my mother before, I knew she was not what one would call speedy in the morning. I had warned her the night before of our early departure and to my surprise, when I go to wake her, I find her in bed, fully dressed right down to her shoes.

Peter drives us down to the train station only to find that we must take a shuttle bus to Seattle. It seems the train does not come to Vancouver every day. I assumed the "bus" on the ticket was an abbreviation for business class.

Even though it is cold and wet, for some reason the bus has the air conditioner on. I would kill for a cup of coffee as we freeze our way south. At the border all passengers with their luggage, must get off the bus and are herded like cattle through American Customs, then back on the vehicle for the rest of the trip. (Because of my mother's wheelchair, bought for the trip, mother and I get a private visit on the bus by a customs agent) Mother is fortunate; she manages to sleep most of the way to Seattle.

From Seattle we board the famous " Starlight Express" supposedly a luxury overnight trip, with gourmet food and excellent accommodations. Not! The bed sitting room is as expected, small but comfortable, with a tiny bathroom/shower. The service is excellent and the staff is friendly and helpful. The sleeping accommodations are something else. Because the Amtrak trains are double deckers, the top bunk is so close to the ceiling one may not sit up. Being claustrophobic, I find I cannot sleep with my face so close to the ceiling, so I must share the so-called lower double with my mother. We must sleep head to foot so we have adequate room. The food is okay but not gourmet.

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