Anna on XPT

When I was in primary school, the XPT used to zoom past while we waited for the regular train to take us to our swimming lessons. The boys in my class used to go "oooooohhhhh.... the XPT!!" with great excitement. I used to think... hmmm.. it's just a train.

Well yesterday, I got to see what the excitement was all about when booked myself onto the Sydney to Melbourne service as it stops in Goulburn on its way through. I still stand by what I thought all those years ago... it's just a train. The BFG saw me off at Strathfield station and no, it was nothing like this:

I will hold you in my dreams

Although I did have these romantic notions of wearing a 1940's cloche, a travelling coat and gloves while waving goodbye as the steam train pulls away from the platform. Instead, I hopped onto the train, waved a quick goodbye to the BFG as he trundled off to catch a regular Cityrail service into the city and whipped out my ipod and ...



Anna's shawl!! In the two and a half hours it took to get to Goulburn, I managed to work out where I was up to (which required ripping back a couple of rows) and get into the rhythm of lace knitting again as the countryside sped by.