Guten tag mein familie!
After two hours of squatting on the floor, leaning against shelves and thumbing through various guides in the bookstore here and a visit to the Hauptbahnhof ticket counter, I have formulated a plan of getting to Southampton by October 30th.
Are you stoked or what?!
I am leaving by night train from Berlin next Wednesday night to Bruxelles, where I will arrive at 6am. I'll stay there two nights with my Mexican friend José Antonio for some beers and French fries (errr, I mean Belgian fries!).
Then I will hop on a short jaunty little ride to Paris (only 80 mins - hot damn! that's barely enough time to find the loo). I'll stay there three nights, and on the morning of the following Tuesday (the 23rd) take the train to Cherbourg, where I have reserved passage on the cruise ferry leaving France for Ireland at 18:00.
The ship arrives in Rosslare Harbour, Ireland at 11:00 am the next day (Wednesday), from where I can take a train to Dublin Connolly arriving at a decent hour of 16:41, from where Kimberlee has said she will be able to meet me.
Then I will spend five nights or so with Kimber and Joe in Dublin, doing whatever they recommend to me, since I know nothing about Dublin or Ireland generally.
Then from Dun Laoghaire I will catch a ferry to England (I haven't booked this, just looked it up), end up in London for one day and boot it to Southampton for the 30th.

Do I rule!??????? YES!!!

YES!!! I rule!!