It's Not Always the Journey That Counts

Getting to Augsberg was certainly an adventure!  I’m really quite surprised that we made it – 4 hours late, but we made it.  The obstacles began popping up in Berlin, where we waited for a half hour for the bus that should come every 5 minutes.  I assumed the Germans were better prepared for snow.  We thought it was a stroke of luck then that our train was delayed, so we caught it even though we were late… But the train was full, so we made our own seats out of our baggage: 

and the toilets didn’t work so everyone was kicked off the train at Leipzig with no further instructions.  We found the platform for another train to Munich until the destination board changed abruptly and people started running around wildly.  After nearly losing 3 of my favourite toes to frostbite standing in the cold, we did get on a train and bullied our way into two open seats.  I cannot even begin to describe how glad I was to have a real seat once the German girl beside me translated one of the announcements: a tree had fallen over the tracks so the train had to take the long way around.  I’m pretty sure the condructor was making up the route as he went along because everyone seemed surprised each time the next station was announced.  The one fantastic thing about this arduous journey was how helpful some of the other travelers were.  They tried to explain all the delays the changes to us and made sure we got off at the right stop.  And in Augsberg itself, a local girl saw us looking lost outside the station, took us along with her on the tram and dropped us off right at the hostel door.  After a long and hectic day, that was a fantastic way to renew my faith in Germany.

*I realize that I’ve been complaining about train travel a lot.  I still generally like them, and even on a day like today, German trains kick French trains in the head.