Adventureous Train Trip back to Germany....

I have to say au-revoir to my dear friends Ken & Yvonne (and the dogs!).  Thank you for having me, for looking after me and sharing your home, introducing your friends and showing me parts of Slovenia!  I thorougly enjoyed myself!

Our last trip together is to Graz train station on Saturday morning 21 Jan.  My train leaves at 11.37 a.m. and is scheduled to arrive in Friedrichshafen, Germany at 20.30 p.m (around 650kms).  I quite like the European trains, quite comfortable... and great scenery....

We say goodbye for now... who knows when and where we will see each other again..... I board the train, get settled into my seat and off we go.....

And there it is again.... winter wonderland.... so absolutely magnificant!

The poor cows... they must be frozen.....

I am relaxing, taking lots of photos (as you can see here...)... when suddenly the train stops in the middle of nowhere.... so we sit there.... every 15 minutes or so there is an announcement, that there is some problem ahead and the train can not continue to the next station - it'll take another 10 or so minutes.  1.5 hours later, we are still sitting on the train waiting... People start talking and complaining.... then another announcement, please everybody get off the train, take all your belongings, we have buses ready and waiting for you to take you to the next train station.  Oh well.... I am glad I am travelling light!!! only 1 suitcase and a computerbag and backpack! 

I have to carry my luggage through the snow, which is ankle deep.... it's fun (except for the luggage part....)... we are all hurried onto the buses and off we go at snail pace..... I am horrified.... it is snowing, there are piles of snow everywhere, the roads are not cleared and it is icy.... The bus driver is used to it..... and drives very very slowly!  I hold my breath.....

But we make it in one piece..... now what?  There is no information at the station, everyone is confused - there is one staff member at the counter and a long queue....Long story short, I am given a train time and direction ....  start talking to a couple of other women who are also confused... apparently we are all sent to Salzburg.... we all have our doubts about this info and direction.....  The staff on the train don't care and say: we don't know what the Germans are doing, this is an Austrian train.... I text my wonderful brother Michael to check a proper timetable for me.... and he does - Hamdullilah. 

So I get to Salzburg, where I have 1 hour stop-over. It is freezing cold!!!!  I drag my luggage to the kebab restaurant and have a bite to eat.  Then onto the next train.  I get to my parents @ 11.30p.m. - 3 hours late!  What fun travelling is.....

It was an exhausting, but quite exciting trip with all the snow landscape.....

Here is signing out for the night....

S & D & L