[Later] I paid my 3 euro and bought a cup of StarBucks coffee to get 2 hours free Internet. I did not know they offerred this, or maybe only at Cologne.
Photo The ceiling of the stairwell in the Vienna Art History Museum (the Kund.....).
Photo The glorious stairwell itself as the "entrance" to the picture gallery.
Photo the Vienna skyline from the steps of the Gallery, inside the Museum district.
[Later again] Made it to Brussels and got to the EuroStar (They have free WiFi at the EuroStar terminal). No Sleep yet, Cologne Station was as scary as last time, but I found the Starbucks coffee shop and camped there, nursing my one cup of coffee and using there their free WiFi. I had to move ultimately but I went to the McCafe and had a cheap cup of coffee there until time for my train to Brussels. I was in the very front carriage of the ICE train just behind the driver. There was only a semi-opaque panel between me and the drivers cabin, really cool!
I had previously checked-out the Brussels EuroStar terminal so "Knew" the ropes or so I thought. Despite the UK being a member of the EU and a signatory to all the cooperative travel agreements it turned out I needed to fill in an extra UK immigration form (that I have not had to fill in for any other European EU country). I found that out when I reached the point just before the line was to get through to board the train. Back to the beginning of the line and fill-in their damn form! (UK are not really part of the EU!) Finally through to the customs/immigration booth and I was given the 3rd degree (proof of exit ticket, passport, etc.). I am close to the end of the 90 day tourist Visa so they were being careful? Who knows.
I had to race to board and only realised halfway up the escalator that my day-pack was still sitting next to the booth. Mild-severe panic as I tried to get back (one-way security) but when I explained to an official one of the customs staff grabbed the pack and sent it up the escalator on its own. Very good people.
Despite all my pre-planning I was in my EuroStar seat with only 5 minutes to spare. No sleep, paranoid, and now not at all happy!
[Yet later again] EruoStar was a good trip, crowded and noisy in the 2nd class but still very comfy seats. We got through to St Pancrass Station in London on-time, no problems with immigration this side. I "re-charged" my Oyster Card for the Underground and I went to find a Piccadilly Line train. Located the right line in the rabbit warren of tunnels and was off to South Kensington to make my change to the District Line to get me to Barking. It was a very long trip!! I am understanding why the Barking Hotel is so much cheaper than the "Central" hotels.
Barking was/is a diverse community with a lot of Caribbean immigrants. I had not printed off a Google Map, trusting to my memory and the fact that the station was close to the Hotel. I walked for a long while in circles (there is a moral here) finally got directions from a parking attendant. There was a street market set-up in the square in front of the Hotel and I had walked past it a number of times!!
Booked in after 24+ hours of no sleep, had a shower and crashed.
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