... and none of it on here, it seems.
So just to keep things moving, here's a brief excerpt from an ongoing conversation with my younger son. Boy #2 is, as ever, obsessed with all forms of public transport. His current passion, following a weekend trip to Karelia (click for link if - like me before our visit - you have no idea where or even what that is), is sleeper trains.
His latest plan is to design the ultimate sleeper train that will run all the way from Britain to New Zealand. He is undaunted by the existence of such fiddling annoyances as the Pacific Ocean; this train will simply use the underwater tunnels that are to be built for it, which will have the added benefit of allowing the passengers to view the undersea world around them as they travel.
He has already decided on the placement of the restaurant in the train (in the middle, between 2 of the 2nd class carriages, to allow easy access for all), the location of the offices of the company that will operate it (on the train, natch - why run it if you don't get to travel on it?), and the power source (this will be a maglev, it goes without saying).
He has even decided on his customer base (people who want to travel to New Zealand - duh).
It all seemed very well thought out - until I asked him how long this incredible journey would take. Oh, he answered airily. About... 16 days?
Hmmm. Without wanting to quash his enthusiasm, I asked him - gently - what it was that he thought would make people want to travel by the train for 16 days when they could do the journey in less than 2 by plane. He thought for a moment. How much would an air ticket to New Zealand cost, he asked me. I pulled a figure that seemed likely out of thin air - £800. Well, there you go, he said. It will be cheaper to travel by this train.
Really?
Oh yes. I think it will probably cost - how much did you say the plane was, Mum? £800? - I think it will probably cost about £700 to take the train. Or maybe - £799.
Perhaps it's time to start giving him pocket money in GB£?
So just to keep things moving, here's a brief excerpt from an ongoing conversation with my younger son. Boy #2 is, as ever, obsessed with all forms of public transport. His current passion, following a weekend trip to Karelia (click for link if - like me before our visit - you have no idea where or even what that is), is sleeper trains.
His latest plan is to design the ultimate sleeper train that will run all the way from Britain to New Zealand. He is undaunted by the existence of such fiddling annoyances as the Pacific Ocean; this train will simply use the underwater tunnels that are to be built for it, which will have the added benefit of allowing the passengers to view the undersea world around them as they travel.
He has already decided on the placement of the restaurant in the train (in the middle, between 2 of the 2nd class carriages, to allow easy access for all), the location of the offices of the company that will operate it (on the train, natch - why run it if you don't get to travel on it?), and the power source (this will be a maglev, it goes without saying).
He has even decided on his customer base (people who want to travel to New Zealand - duh).
It all seemed very well thought out - until I asked him how long this incredible journey would take. Oh, he answered airily. About... 16 days?
Hmmm. Without wanting to quash his enthusiasm, I asked him - gently - what it was that he thought would make people want to travel by the train for 16 days when they could do the journey in less than 2 by plane. He thought for a moment. How much would an air ticket to New Zealand cost, he asked me. I pulled a figure that seemed likely out of thin air - £800. Well, there you go, he said. It will be cheaper to travel by this train.
Really?
Oh yes. I think it will probably cost - how much did you say the plane was, Mum? £800? - I think it will probably cost about £700 to take the train. Or maybe - £799.
Perhaps it's time to start giving him pocket money in GB£?
