1/6 Train to Kiel

HOW can it be June? As my father said to me “where did all the months go?”. The first 3 months took forever then it went like lightning. In 3 weeks we will be in KL, heading home the next day. Yay.

We took a tram to the station and managed not to pay again – sorry Trans Amsterdam. We had money and everything but there was no ticket seller at the back and we couldn’t get the luggage up to the front (if the driver sells tickets?).

The first train took us out of Amsterdam then we had 4 minutes – yes 4 – to switch to the next Inter City Express. Luckily it was the opposite side of the same platform so we managed it easily. Now we are bowling along at 200km/hr back in Germany again, heading for the North Sea. If you were thinking as you read our travel plans yesterday, did you notice how much we have learned? Once again we are proposing to head off with clothes to cover midsummer in the Med, Alaska, and Cunard! At least we wont need sleeping bags this time.

We just had an hour between trains at Hannover. I had to expend a Euro to get access to the mens room. I couldn’t believe my eyes - when you flush . . . an arm comes out behind the seat, folds down a hand which wipes the seat, and the seat rotates so the whole surface gets cleaned! Now that was worth a Euro.

We are really glad we switched hotels because we have a very nice room (just a bit small) and it was 5 minutes from the station and we just walked to the passenger terminal, which took about 12 minutes. But COLD! The wind had an edge straight off the North Sea. We hope that isn’t a portent of days to come as we go further and further north. Even though it will be mid summer by the time we reach 80 degrees North, it will be around freezing all the time, even though the sun will never set.