Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Mythical Orient Express

If you come to Paris before the end of August and want to see what the original Orient Express train looks like, you only need to go to the IMA (Institut du monde arabe) and visit the exhibit they're having at the moment. The Orient Express is still a mythical train for us Europeans. It used to go from Paris to Istanbul (Constantinople before 1930)  in "as little as"  80 hours or so! No wonder it stopped in 1977... The SNCF (French railway company) wants to reopen the line eventually and turn it into a high-end "cruise".   

13 comments:

  1. The engine does look quite grand!

    As little as eighty hours.... plenty of time to commit a murder on board, as long as the murderer takes care of that pesky detective first!

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  2. The Orient Express is still in operation. It goes from London, through Paris and ends in Venice-or the other way around.

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    1. Linda, in fact the train that still runs is the "Venice Simplon-Orient-Express", which is not the original "Orent Express" that this exhibit is all about (I know it's a little confusing!).
      Have a look at this link to understand everything (it took me a while LOL!).

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  3. Mythical is the word !
    There where the famous movie and book took place;.... Murder on the Orient Express......
    Anyone in a murder mood today ? Could be the place to go ;)

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    1. I'm ALWAYS in a murder mood Flore LOL!

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    2. OK I believe you .... You KILLED me on that one ;-)
      LOL

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  4. I was just there... but I didn't see you ! I wanted to take the tour of the inside of the train but the lines were way too long. Maybe I'll go back another time.

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    1. I agree, way too long. I thought because it was Sunday. Maybe during weekdays it's less crowded.

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  5. Have always wanted to ride it. Saw the Venice-Simplon train up close in Bologna once—it's also beautiful, all black and shiny brass.

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  6. Great, Eric !
    In the picture, it looks like the engine is pulling the building we can see in the background, doesn't it ? Really beautiful ! So many beauties in this world, past and current in fact, if only we think of them and let it go.

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    1. sorry for my mistakes (*isn't it) and (let it go or let them come)... I am feeling a small thing... but I keep smiling....

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