I took this photo while waiting out a long layover at St. Pancras International — not enough time to see London, but just enough to get lost in the details of the station. Between trains, rain and coffee, I kept circling back to this sculpture. In the end, I left with one of my favourite photos — and a small story wrapped in bronze, platforms and a touch of Harry Potter.
The statue in the image is The Meeting Place by Paul Day — a nine-metre-tall bronze sculpture that stands directly in front of the Eurostar platform. As you step off the train and look up, you can’t miss it. At first, it seems distant, then suddenly immense when you’re standing below, head tilted back. Behind it rises the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, seamlessly integrated into the station’s grand Victorian architecture.
St. Pancras is one of the most beautiful railway stations in Europe. While waiting, I had time to explore almost every corner — inside and out. Eurostar trains leave from the upper level, while Thameslink and high-speed lines run through lower platforms. Just across the plaza stands another iconic London terminal: King’s Cross, home to the legendary Platform 9¾ — and yes, there’s a shop full of Harry Potter souvenirs for those looking to step into that world.
The Meeting Place statue was unveiled during the station’s renovation, which transformed St. Pancras into a key Eurostar hub linking London with Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. I remember watching passengers come and go, thinking: Someday maybe...
That someday came a year later. After travelling through Brittany and Normandy, I changed plans, left my group early, and booked a return via Paris and London — this time, on the Eurostar. Despite border checks (Britain was outside the Schengen zone), it turned out to be the fastest route home.
On that day, I had breakfast in Paris, photographed the Louvre at sunrise, walked the Champs-Élysées, and boarded a train to London. After lunch near King’s Cross, I wandered through the Harry Potter shop, caught my train to Luton, flew home — and sat down to supper with my parents in Warsaw. All in one day.
