Woke up at 7AM today. Neither of us got enough sleep. Our bags were packed and we were out to the hotel around 7:20AM. We didn’t know for sure how early we should arrive for our EuroStar train to Brussels, so we decided to skip breakfast and go straight to the train when we were ready. It turned out to be a good decision. The process was much like that of an airport. First we had boarding passes printed, then our luggage was x-rayed, and lastly our passports were stamped for entering the EU. I was happy about this because I now have stamps for entering the EU via 3 different types of transport: plane, car, and now, train. The stamps have cute little pictures denoting which means you used to enter. The train is definitely the cutest! So that made me happy.
I bought us some food at an overpriced food stand in the train station while we waited for permission to board our train. We had no problems boarding or finding room for our heavy luggage. Then we just sat quietly for the two hour ride. We were both exhausted so we enjoyed the ability to rest awhile.
We arrived in Brussels at 11:30AM. It was a two hour ride and a one hour time change. We then found the track of our connecting train to Cologne. Our next train was a DB: ICE. The ICE was much more comfortable than the EuroStar. The seats had more room, recline, and have an electrical plug! Davin was thrilled about all these things. He was too cramped on the EuroStar and with the plug we could watch ST: Voyager on the train rides. We were able to watch one and a half episodes before we arrived in Cologne.
We got off with no problems, but we now had the added challenge of figuring out how to transfer to a nearby train station Cologne Messe/Deutz to catch our next ICE to Nuernberg. We found a ticketing machine and figured out how to buy a ticket, but it refused our credit cards so we needed to gets cash. We used an ATM but were only given bills in 50 Euro denomination. So we decided to break the bill by getting some Bratwurst. Our delicious Bratwurst purchase gave us all the small(er) change we needed to buy a local ticket to Messe/Deutz. Honestly, or perhaps I should say dishonestly, we really didn’t need to pay for the ticket because Messe/Deutz is the first stop only two minutes from Cologne’s HBF so there was pretty much no chance of getting caught riding without a ticket. But paying was the right thing to do, so I don’t feel bad about it.
At Messe/Deutz we waited a half an hour for our train to arrive. On board yet again, we were now on our way to Nuernberg. It was a three hour train ride which we spent watching more ST: Voyagers. I’m really enjoying Voyager, but we have to watch in moderation or we will run out of episodes before our return cruise and train trips! Then we would be really bored!
We arrived at Nuernberg at 7pm. Using the arrival time board we were able to find the track of our next train. We had to wait until 7:45pm. I took part of the time to go find a restroom. I took my 2E coin with me because I knew I was likely going to have to pay to use the toilet. First I had to walk all the way from Track 19 to Track 1to get back to the main hall. There I didn’t see any signs for the restroom, so I walked across and took the escalator down to the lower level. Finally I saw a WC sign and followed that to a restroom. As I suspected it had a 50 cent admission fee. I always think it’s hilarious when toilets have a machine with a turnstile entrance. It’s always makes me think, “Yay! It’s time to go on the Toilet ride!!” :) Unfortunately I didn’t have 50 cents and the machine didn’t give change. So I went to a bakery nearby and successfully used my German to ask for change. Go me! *Pat myself on the back* (I love it when using German doesn’t go wrong!) I then used the Toilet Ride, which I’m pretty sure was the Men’s Ride cause of the urinals, but I wasn’t about to walk even further to find the right one for me! Anyway, I was fast and noone caught me! Satisfied with my little adventure, I returned to wait for our last train of the day.
This train was a simple RE, so no plugs or anything fancy. The train split apart half way, one half going to Hof and one half going to Bayreuth. So you had to make sure you got on the correct half of the train. We didn’t have any problems with that though. There was a sign explaining that the train ‘geteilt’ so we weren’t taken by surprise. An hour and seven minutes later we arrived in Bayreuth.
Our Step-mom Baerbel was waiting for us. We shared greetings all around and then drove to my Dad’s house. I have to say it’s really great to be back again. I love it here. It’s a great house, and a great town. I can’t wait to do all my favorite things again! Some of Baerbel’s friends who were visiting for the weekend were over. My little brother Jonathan was playing Fooseball with the husband, Klaus, downstairs, so I snuck up on him and took him by surprise. I’m so happy to have six weeks to spend with my little brother. I used to come to Germany to visit my Dad, but now I come to visit Jonathan. Sorry Dad! :) This is the first time in 15 years that the three Tenhunen siblings have been together in Germany. (My little brother is turning 16 this year, so last time Davin was here, Jonathan was only a tiny baby!) Anyway, Baerbel ordered Davin and me some pizza for dinner so she could spend some time with her friends (they were leaving the next day). And the three siblings spent a couple hours talking about the trip and sharing funny stories. All around a good time.
Davin and I also sorted through our luggage. The big black bag is in sorry shape. We absolutely filled it to bursting and it is showing it in the form of tear holes! Aiyiyiyi. We moved into our rooms downstairs. Davin gets to sleep in the downstairs apartment/computer room/Dad’s office. I am sleeping in the former Kickers (Fooseball) Room off the pantry with the downstairs refrigerator. It’s actually really nice, but I always get a kick about telling people that when I visit my Dad he makes me sleep in the basement. :)
Anyway, we have FINALLY made it to Germany. It is only now that we are here that it has sunk in that we came all this way without flying. I think it’s because the other 11 times I’ve visited Germany I had to go through the whole ordeal of the 15 hour flight. Now I’m here again for my twelfth visit and I didn’t have that hellish flying experience. It’s really kind of amazing. The way our ancestors used to travel was so different than the way we travel today. In the past the journey was as much of an experience as the destination itself. On the journey here, I’ve been bored, and stressed, but also have had a lot of fun, and have never felt as miserable as I’ve been during, and after, a 15 hour flight. Of course, it’s obviously more convenient and cheaper to be miserable for a mere15 HOURS, rather than to be reasonably happy for eleven DAYS. Anyway, it has definitely been an experience. I went to sleep a happy girl, cause I’m home again, at my home away from home.
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