Jemima Tabeart

I originally read this as "the nomadic lifestyle is good actually" and almost rage threw my phone across the room 😂

I just clicked submit on this review and a new request dropped into my inbox at the same time. I guess I really am an Assistant professor now!

Friday afternoon reviewing challenge: translating "this seems very loosey goosey" into a coherent and helpful comment 🙃

As someone in week 4 of a new job/organisation/country who had a bit of a flail last week this is very reassuring 😂

I've resorted to asking on Twitter in the past because the official tfl info is so hard to parse! When travelling with a laden bike I can bump down 2 stairs or a large drop to the platform but not go up a whole flight of stairs. It would be awful having to do this for every journey

Stena Line: Hoek van Holland to Harwich and back again I've taken the Harwich - Hoek ferry twice now and, spoiler, I am a big fan. With somewhat limited Eurostar connections in the evening, and the other companies holding solo travellers hostage, the Sten...

My latest travel blog is all about how great the Stena Line UK-NL ferry is, and advice for how to book it now I have persuaded you it is the best way to travel.

lerabotproblems.wordpress.com/2023/10/16/s...

Don't, I just moved internationally and it feels like my boxes were 30% crafting 25% books, 10% outdoors gear, 25% cushions and blankets and 10% useful things like clothes 😂

I wrote up my very silly journey with prices, times and a selection of my personal gripes with UK trains in case you want to do the same (tl;dr once was sufficient!) lerabotproblems.wordpress.com/2023/10/03/e...

10 trains later (just call me Ten Train Tabeart) and I am home 💪🏻 very excited to collapse for a bit and not do something this silly for a long while

On my final train which has level boarding. I am so happy and ready for this journey to be over! 1km cycle the other end and then I can collapse.

It also doesn't help that not all carriage have bike spaces (fine) and it's hard to work out the best place to stand on the platform to maximise boarding time. Both trains so far I have had to run along the platform with all my crap 🤦🏻‍♀️

Photo of the door onto a train. There are 2 large steps between the platform and the carriage. The train livery is blue and yellow

2 steps might not seem like a lot but my loaded bike is so back heavy and my suitcase is not secured against its own weight (i.e. it keeps tipping off and dragging behind). Kind people are helping me, but it's so stressful trying to board in a short amount of time.

Day 3 is going less well than hoped. Metro to Schiedam was smoothish (level boarding but awkward bike parking). I couldn't find a lift to the train platform so I carried my stuff up. Then came disaster - Dutch trains are not level boarding even in bike storage compartments?

And it's almost time to dock in Hoek van Holland! Level of exhaustion: accidentally ordering 2 coffees (in English). Just 3 more trains and a metro between me and home 💪🏻

My bike is locked on the car deck with most of my luggage and I am in my cabin ready for a shower and a sleep.

And I'm on board! I had to cycle a few hundred metres from the train to the cycle boarding (not that obvious but lots of helpful people). I also had to cycle up a pretty steep ramp (and then descend) and onto the ferry - staff held cars back so I wasn't under pressure.

Photo of a silver specialised bike with turquoise panniers and a small suitcase attached to the pannier rack. The bike is leaning against some folded up seats and is clipped in. There is a silver metal thing sticking out from a wall with a hole shaped like a pedal - but it is in line with the front wheelc even though the bike is parked as close to the protruding wall as possible

Final train of the dayyyy. I am very excited for a shower and bed, and very happy that the 17 minute connection to Harwich International has roll on bike parking (although I'm not sure how you are supposed to get your pedal in the pedal thing unless you turn the front wheel side on?)

Photo of grey specialised bike on a train in front of 3 folddown seats. One pannier and the blue suitcase are visible from the side. The bike is clipped in with a green seatbelt

I'm now on my penultimate train of the day to Manningtree. Nice roll on bike spaces near the ticket barrier so I don't need to unload and reload all my luggage again. I'm not sure how effective the wee seat belt is but so far everyone is upright

Photo of a sloping lift track with cables and ladders. On the right there are silver safety stairs. The photo is taken through class, so there is a slight reflection of a light and the photographer

Managed to sneak through at 6.50 and make it to Liverpool Street - good as it takes a while to get to platform level! Plus the final lift was out of action so I got to do some lifting. One lift that wasn't out of action was the diagonal funicular-esque middle lift (which was very fun haha)

Oops: image description a very heavily laden bike (2 turquoise panniers, one small suitcase bungeed to a pannier rack) and a backpack to the side with a d lock and a helmet attached

It should be more relaxing the other side! (At least I seriously hope so!)

This is my current luggage situation - the bike is rideable but not very manoeuvrable when pushing. I've just started a 50 minute wait at Paddington to get to the end of the peak period - going to be cutting it fine for my connection...

I realised today this was probably a bad idea, so I tried to book on an earlier train. Problem: no bike spaces and Oxford ticket office closes at 4.30. I decided to board without a reservation and risk it: the only other passenger with a bike got off at Didcot so it was worth it. But v stressful!

My issue: I need to make it to Harwich before 22:00 and my ferry sailing. There is a direct service from Liverpool Street, but I can't get there in time given bikes on the Lizzie line are banned between 4 and 7. I originally booked a 6pm train from Oxford thinking I could cross London in 28 mins...

It's the second part of my ludicrous journey to my new home! This time more stressful and with more luggage yay.

Photo of a bike hanging by its front wheel from a rack on a train

I forgot to update on train 2: overhead bike racks (boo) but I arrived on time, so could have been worse.

Made it to Birmingham! Bit of a delay but thankfully the original connection time was long so I will make it. I'm not excited for the bike storage situation on Cross Country especially after Avanti was surprisingly stress free.

Train 1: avanti Edi-Birmingham New Street. The good news is that the bike storage is wheel on (not my nemesis the overhead hanging rack) and is locked during the journey. 2 reserved spaces for cyclists in carriage A near the store. Gorgeous views through the Lakes and a quiet carriage

On train 1 of 10 (plus a bonus ferry) on an epic journey to clear my office in Oxford and move myself and my bike to Eindhoven. All going to plan it's going to take just under 72h (with a compulsory 2 night stop off in Oxford due to rail replacement buses)