Dave And Carrie Have An Adventure (1)
... seen above on the platform side of the buildings. But if we turn through 180 degrees ...
But they are not going by train!
This is La Belle France and Dave and Carrie are going on a bus trip which begins in the station travel centre. Here they found a local bus map on display ...
... racks of printed (note UK big bus groups, printed) leaflets ...
... of which more anon. They were able to obtain a little timetable book for route B which would take them off into the wide blue yonder ...
... and there was a very nice lady who explained to them all about the fares system. You pay one euro for up to one hour's bus ride. fbb guesses that, in practice, you must start any rides within the hour. So for a pittance you could, in theory, ride for one hour and fifty nine minutes. For one euro.
You use a smartcard ...
... on to which you load you fares. For odd journeys like Dave and Carrie, you upload, say, four single journeys.
A day ticket is four euros ...
... and there are other more extensive (and cheaper) bulk buy options. If you are desperate to pay on the bus, one trip is 1.5 euros.
Nobody does!
But before they set off (see tomorrow's blog) fbb must correct a bludner. His pictures of a war torn station were of the other railway station in Cherbourg. We can find where it was by a close perusal of an aerial view of the present terminus, top right.
An overgrown and obviously disused single track crosses the main road to the north of the present terminus.
It runs past a very modern supermarket building ...
... then crosses the next road to the north ...
... then threads its way through some newer housing and tower blocks before veering off to the east.
But, in the past, it did not just veer; part continued north to a building just visible beyond the cars in the above shot.
Its terminus was the Gare Maritime, opened as a modest building in 1910 ...
... but in 1933 replaced with something much more opulent.
It was, of course, only for those wealthy enough to wish to cross the Atlantic to reach the Americas ...
... but also provided for those seeking a new working life there - the steerage passengers!
It was this station, not Cherbourg Ville, that fbb showed as badly bombed during the latter days of WW2.
Much of the building was repaired and rebuilt, but, sadly not the tower; but its use for "classic" transatlantic passengers rapidly declined after the 1960s.
These days it provides a minimalist terminal for cruise ships.
The main station hall is now a maritime museum ...
... with the submarine Redoubtable as an exterior exhibit.
fbb hopes to publish a few more pictures over the weekend, but we must digress fron the digression and join Dave and Carrie for the trip to the beach.
P.S. In case you aren't sure, here is where you will find Cherbourg.
It is about half way along the top of that sticky-out bit outlined in red ...
... and its correct name is Cherboutg-en-Cotentin.
THE USUAL WARNING
Saturday and Sunday are the fbb's monthly fellowship meetings. Blogs may need to be reduced in scope on Monday and Tuesday due to fatigue and a slight touch of associated insanity.
Next Bus Adventure blog : Saturday 2nd September
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