A trip to Paris during working hours - who wouldn't want that!
Perry talkes about working for Thalys
Thalys celebrates its 25th anniversary. Perry has been a train manager for Thalys since 2001 and likes to talk about his work on board the train and the changes over the past few years.
"I love France and Paris, so going there during working hours is a treat. I get things in the supermarket that you don't have in the Netherlands, I get inspiration for my photography there and I like to eat out. That has always been so, but apart from that a lot has changed over the years."
Route Thalys
"When I started in 2001, we still travelled via The Hague and Roosendaal. We actually saw the high-speed route that is now in place, being constructed while on the train. For example, at the Moerdijk Bridge. As we crossed it, we saw how the new Hollandsch Diep Bridge for the high-speed track was being built.
"That made us very enthusiastic, because we knew: soon, the travelling time will be cut by an hour."
On board the train
‘We used to have a smoking carriages for 1st and 2nd class. I don't think about it any more.
"There were also two telephone booths on board the train. They worked with a French telephone card that you could get from the bar for a fee in French francs."
Special moments
The Sun-Thalys to Marseille, the Snow-Thalys to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Perry has ridden them all and has experienced plenty.
"The solidarity with which people exchanged information, even without smartphones, when a plane flew into the Twin Towers on 11 September 2001 was very extraordinary.
"But I will also never forget that Princess Maxima and two of her daughters were on board."
Plenty of special moments, but Perry certainly has room for more. "I turn 57 this month, so I still have 10 years to go until I retire. If I can work on board Thalys till then, I'll be a happy man!"