In Transit Part I

Thursday, March 24, 2016 - Osnabruck/Hagen, Germany

RING RING RING goes the alarm. It is 5:45am. We seem to be making no progress towards sleeping in, but there is always tomorrow. Sure, today is another long day, but also one of my personal favorites of the trip. Today we are travelling from the Netherlands to Germany by high speed rail. Our destination is Berlin, but along the way we are stopping in a place that is my sanctuary. No matter the turbulence of the world around me there is a special place, in the middle of nowhere and barely visible on any map, with special people who for over a decade have always welcomed me with open arms. Today we are visiting dear old friends, the Rutsch family. True to form, our fast paced trip only leaves us with a window for lunch and sightseeing in the German countryside, but this is an opportunity not to be missed. Now I get to share this place with my mom. Just perfect.

Same routine: get up, pack, hit the executive lounge for an excellent complimentary breakfast with lots of yummy options. Jump in the pre-ordered taxi and head to the train station not 15 minutes away. European train stations are something to behold, but more about this later when we describe the Berlin Haupbanhof (main train station). We stroll into the station and stock up with a few to go sandwiches and waters (always be prepared) and grab a couple of seats in the first class car of our 8:15am departing train. Today’s itinerary has us taking the regional IC or “Inter City” train 45 minutes to Amersfoort Netherlands, and connecting to our IC to Osnabruck Germany, which is another 2 hours.

As a Rochesterian train travels means asking the agent how late it will arrive. “The Lake Shore is horrible. There are certain other trains, especially coming from Buffalo, that are horrible. Expletive deleted, three hours wait is normal. Trying to get to New York, it's nuts," said an unnamed Rochester passenger one day last week as he waited for a train.

So, it was a new experience to have on the platform large, visible, digital announcements of the arrival time - in seconds! And this train was traveling to another country!  Wow, these folks really have train travel down to a science. I am impressed - more later.

As we made our way through the narrow train aisle to our first class compartment there was a distinct feeling of living in a movie. Four seat and six seat compartments, behind glass with doors. Murder on the Orient Express? We settled into a six seat compartment with passengers who were part of a large tour group visiting Berlin to enjoy a philharmonic concert series. Great seats with a convenient table on which to set books and food, and we greeted the other riders with smiles and head nods -  without knowing that we were in the wrong compartment and the wrong seats. We did not yet know how lucky we were that one of the passengers spoke English.

We waived the Netherlands goodbye and arrived, as expected, on time at the first station in Germany, about 1 hour from our final destination, rural Osnabruck, Germany.

Then we waited. And waited. And waited. There are train announcements in Dutch and German and you hear people talking, but you don’t know what they are saying because you don’t speak German or Dutch. People are in the aisle and moving back and forth and we look at each other, and them, and try to figure out what’s happening. The woman in our compartment who speaks English, listens and slowly translates but it’s not clear.  Finally a voice of authority booms, in English, over the speakers, “the train is broken. The first class cars will be decoupled. Everyone in first class will need to disembark and… gurgle gurgle gurgle.”

So now we have half the information we need and are totally and completely not in control. Well, in our case, we follow the herd. Collecting our belongings, we disembark and start walking toward the front of the train, wondering are there other 1st class cars, do we go to any 2nd class car, what do we do, where do we go? And our familiar seat mates are nowhere to be seen.  English anyone?

Deciding any car is better than being stuck outside a train as it pulls away, we along with other 1st class refugees sit in any open seat in a 2nd class car. No nifty 4/6 seat compartment behind glass. Shortly after we take our seats we are moving again and arrive at our first destination at 1pm, about 60 minutes late. The seats are large and comfortable but I do miss the familiar clickety clack of the American trains. These trains glide along on well manicured rails.

Mom Tip - We said it before and I’ll say it again, carry a 20” suitcase that you can easily put into an overhead rack and carry up and down steps without assistance. And - the train stations have stores that only carry ‘to go’ items. You will never regret buying your ‘to go’ food before you get on the train.

Sprung from the train we walk 5 feet before we see, waiting on the platform, a tall, thin, blond haired, blue eyed smiling German. His name is Fred, and he is here for us.

A memory lane moment. Let me explain about this seemingly random friendship. Fred and I met for the first time in 2000. I had arrived in Brasil on my AFS exchange, and was waiting in the Sao Paulo airport with the other Americans. AFS students from around the world bound for Brasil arrive at Sao Paulo airport  on the same day. Eventually students get sliced and diced into groups based on their homestay region, and then slowly shipped off via domestic flights or bus to their new home. I clearly remember looking up and seeing the march of the Germans, as they arrived from their international flight. Hoards of them, in lock stop, coming down the terminal.

At the time AFS Germany sent the largest contingent of students to AFS Brasil, and with their commanding presence that day, it showed. After some time, and a lot of hurry up and wait, Fred was added to our small group of students going to Brasilia and the surrounding area. Fred and I developed a close friendship over our year in Brasil, and that continued long after our exchange.

In undergrad I would visit Fred and his family often, and Fred would reciprocate, visiting me in Chicago, and then with his girlfriend in New York, and then as husband and wife in Los Angeles. Hayley and I attended Fred and Katrines wedding in Germany. These kind of relationships speak to the value of exchange programs.

TO BE CONTINUED....