John Bedford
@bedfojo.bsky.social
🇧🇪🇪🇺 ex-🇬🇧 Brussels.
Mathematician, lawyer, trade negotiator. Currently "resting". Opinions own.
Interests: linux, trains (I try not to fly around Europe), travel, rugby (Harlequins), cricket (Surrey).
He/him
Mathematician, lawyer, trade negotiator. Currently "resting". Opinions own.
Interests: linux, trains (I try not to fly around Europe), travel, rugby (Harlequins), cricket (Surrey).
He/him
If this means that Trenitalia run from France to Brussels, I'd be happy
October 30, 2025 at 11:43 AM
If this means that Trenitalia run from France to Brussels, I'd be happy
Quite the reverse for me - I'm a 6 foot tall straight man and for a long time I had a string of girlfriends who were basically my height. It was definitely an attraction. That said, my partner of 16 years is 5'2"!
June 4, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Quite the reverse for me - I'm a 6 foot tall straight man and for a long time I had a string of girlfriends who were basically my height. It was definitely an attraction. That said, my partner of 16 years is 5'2"!
Sigh. No Brussels. Means Eurostar will jack up prices even further on it's monopoly on Brussels - London and Brussels - Paris
April 8, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Sigh. No Brussels. Means Eurostar will jack up prices even further on it's monopoly on Brussels - London and Brussels - Paris
I've had lunch a couple of times in the Bistro Lyonnais, 6 Rue Michel Chasles nearby, good both times
March 31, 2025 at 6:21 PM
I've had lunch a couple of times in the Bistro Lyonnais, 6 Rue Michel Chasles nearby, good both times
Having just been running around the sunny streets of Brussels this morning, I'm about to inhale a large kofte sandwich at my local Lebanese place
March 19, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Having just been running around the sunny streets of Brussels this morning, I'm about to inhale a large kofte sandwich at my local Lebanese place
No, the goods would still be EU goods. International trade has "rules of origin" specifically to deal with this kind of trade deflection
February 3, 2025 at 12:04 PM
No, the goods would still be EU goods. International trade has "rules of origin" specifically to deal with this kind of trade deflection
Grow your own
Germinate with extreme prejudice
Germinate with extreme prejudice
December 22, 2024 at 8:06 PM
Grow your own
Germinate with extreme prejudice
Germinate with extreme prejudice
Eurostar is becoming increasingly passenger unfriendly. Astronomical fares, worsening ticket conditions, poor reliability, appalling queues at the terminals
December 15, 2024 at 12:24 PM
Eurostar is becoming increasingly passenger unfriendly. Astronomical fares, worsening ticket conditions, poor reliability, appalling queues at the terminals
Midi also means south in French. See definition 3: www.larousse.fr/dictionnaire...
Définitions : midi - Dictionnaire de français Larousse
midi - Définitions Français : Retrouvez la définition de midi, ainsi que les expressions, difficultés, citations... - synonymes, homonymes, difficultés, citations.
www.larousse.fr
December 15, 2024 at 12:17 PM
Midi also means south in French. See definition 3: www.larousse.fr/dictionnaire...
Why would you go to Paris to connect for London? Id have thought Berlin - Brussels - London would be quicker
December 13, 2024 at 10:32 AM
Why would you go to Paris to connect for London? Id have thought Berlin - Brussels - London would be quicker
They achieved the impossible. They bought the European Voice and actually made it worse
December 12, 2024 at 1:53 PM
They achieved the impossible. They bought the European Voice and actually made it worse
Agree that on BRU-LON, the high prices result from a set of factors, but are still very high. BRU-PAR prices are outrageous
December 9, 2024 at 10:57 AM
Agree that on BRU-LON, the high prices result from a set of factors, but are still very high. BRU-PAR prices are outrageous
The operator of course charges what it can get away with: I'm looking from a user perspective. Competition is badly needed on both routes out of Brussels. Compare it with trains to NL and DE where prices are much more reasonable
December 9, 2024 at 10:31 AM
The operator of course charges what it can get away with: I'm looking from a user perspective. Competition is badly needed on both routes out of Brussels. Compare it with trains to NL and DE where prices are much more reasonable
I understand well the problems on that route. But still Eurostar tickets can be more than double a flight to LHR! And there's no excuse for the astronomical prices on a 1h20 Brussels-Paris ride
December 9, 2024 at 10:21 AM
I understand well the problems on that route. But still Eurostar tickets can be more than double a flight to LHR! And there's no excuse for the astronomical prices on a 1h20 Brussels-Paris ride
Also things do change. Competition in Spain is driving down prices
December 9, 2024 at 10:16 AM
Also things do change. Competition in Spain is driving down prices
Sure, I've not taken that many trains in Eastern Europe, and would agree with you there. But from a western and northern European perspective (and I travel a lot too) it seems broadly accurate
December 9, 2024 at 10:15 AM
Sure, I've not taken that many trains in Eastern Europe, and would agree with you there. But from a western and northern European perspective (and I travel a lot too) it seems broadly accurate
I'm not so critical of this report. I decided to stop flying around Europe 5 years ago. The rankings seem broadly accurate in my experience. Eurostar's price gouging is now so bad I now think about flights to London, and change in Lille for Paris
December 9, 2024 at 10:11 AM
I'm not so critical of this report. I decided to stop flying around Europe 5 years ago. The rankings seem broadly accurate in my experience. Eurostar's price gouging is now so bad I now think about flights to London, and change in Lille for Paris
Also, if you are going to run a "classic" train, don't make it reservation only and not usable on interrail
December 7, 2024 at 10:34 AM
Also, if you are going to run a "classic" train, don't make it reservation only and not usable on interrail
But Belgian politics would require ninja-level skills. We've still neither a federal nor Brussels region government after the 9 June elections...
December 4, 2024 at 6:14 PM
But Belgian politics would require ninja-level skills. We've still neither a federal nor Brussels region government after the 9 June elections...
You're also half French. A country where, when entering a restaurant for lunch at 1345, you'll be gleefully told that "la cuisine est fermée"
December 3, 2024 at 10:04 PM
You're also half French. A country where, when entering a restaurant for lunch at 1345, you'll be gleefully told that "la cuisine est fermée"
Hope the queue was shorter than for the 1851...
November 22, 2024 at 7:39 PM
Hope the queue was shorter than for the 1851...