Steam train

We've been waiting for this for weeks. Today, we caught a steam train from Canberra railway station to Bungendore.

The train is maintained and run by the Australian Railway Historical Society (ACT), who are entirely volunteers. Flavia (the organised) booked tickets for us all some time ago, so Lilly, my Mum, Flavia Gabriel and I would have a train trip. It's Lilly's first train ride. (and its also Gabriel's - but at 10 weeks everything is his first, and so it gets a bit monotonous observing firsts)

I make the observation that I'm just (yesterday) back from San Francisco, and so slightly faded after several hours of United Airlines.

So we arrived 45minutes before the train was due to depart - giving Lilly a chance to wander around the station platform and the train. The staff were extremely friendly, and let the kids go up on the locomotive. Lilly was keen, right up to the point of being there, and then I think the fire and the surrounds were a bit much. We got on the train (having had our tickets checked on the platform) walked to our seat and ta-da! double booked. Some grandparents and their little one sitting in the seat. After much too-ing and fro-ing ("that carriage" "no seats here" "that one..." ) we walked the length of the train. Were placed on some temporary chairs near a window.

Lilly thought it was amazing. Gabriel slept.

As I write this it is 12 hours after the train ride, and Lilly (who has only just gone to bed) has been shouting "Toot-toot, all aboard" for about 6 of those hours. Interestingly, no-one actually shouted all aboard, except for Lilly.... The ride was brilliant - staff were helpful and friendly and although it was teeth-shatteringly freezing walking between carriages, we did so to find snacks and coffee.

Three tunnels, much smoke, half a pack of tiny-teddies, and an hour later, we arrived in Bungendore. Which is damn cold at the best of times. We walked from the station to the Cafe Woodworkers, had a decent lunch. They burned the pancakes. I mean, how hard is it to cook a pancake?!? I think the staff got overwhelmed by a marauding group of steam-trained up pensioners.... We finished our lunch, and walked back to the station and little Miss 3 fell asleep in Nanna's arms.

Gabriel is at the stage of saying "wooooh" and so (since he was awake all the way home) he responded to the train's whistle every time. Train-whistle, Gabriel "wooh-woooh" and so on. I'm not sure if he ever got the answer he was looking for.

So now we are home, and Miss 3 and Small dude are fully flaked - a good day had by all.