From Osnabruck To Brussels By Train
On the Friday, I decided that I would go home the direct route, by taking a train to Brussels and then using the Eurostar.
By eight I was on the platform waiting for the 08:37 train to Cologne, for an onward connection to Brussels.
I waited and I waited! The only entertainment was several car carrying trains going through.
Car Carrying Trains At Osnabruck
i could have sworn that the same train went through first one way and then the other.
I did meet a German lady, who was probably a lot older than me and she was on her way to Paris, after a change at Cologne. Like me, she had a First Class ticket on the 08:37. Even with the advantage of her native tongue, she couldn’t even ascertain what was happening. We did get messages like this.
Zugdurchfahrt
Google Translate says it means train passes. Passes what? Wind? We were also treated to the site of trains going to Cologne that seemed to be running normally.
Hamburg Köln Express
But as these were the Hamburg Köln Express or HKX, our tickets weren’t valid. The HKX has Internet-only ticketing and runs what the lady said were clapped-out ex East German carriages. So it would appear that HKX is something like a German version of Grand Central, running trains in competition to the incumbent operator. But looking at the rust-buckets running on HKX and listening to the lady, they appear to be about ten classes below, those of Grand Central.
In the end we sat and waited on some of the most uncomfortable seats I’ve found in a public place.
Uncomfortable Seats
Seats are generally noticeable by their absence on German stations, as I suppose the operators assume that the trains turn up on time and you don’t need to sit down. Uncomfortable seats mean that stations don’t get cluttered with passengers. I suppose though, we could always have played hopscotch.
Hopscotch
But then I never have and don’t know the rules. And anyway like baseball (i.e. rounders), it’s a girly game. The words are Dutch and mean that the train leaves in 40 mins? – no problem.
They should be so lucky!
We waited for well over an hour and a half, before a train arrived. I got in and found that as the corridors were so congested with bags, it was like crawling through a tunnel to get to a First Class carriage, where I did find a seat next to an amiable German electrical engineer, who spoke excellent English. The highlight of the run to Cologne was catching a glimpse of the amazing Schwebebahn at Wuppertal.
A Glimpse Of The Schwebebahn
I think I might have done better to go to Wuppertal the previous day and ride up and down on this amazing train. I’ve ridden it before and there’s a video I made here.
At Cologne, I had to get my tickets endorsed for another train to Brussels, as my intended one was now probably on the way back from the Belgian capital. But I didn’t get the right endorsement, and for a moment, I thought, that I’d be thrown off the Thalys to Brussels. But I found a seat and just sat put, although I did lose my temper with a Frenchman, who said the seat was his. So he stood to Brussels!
For the last part, I decided to stand and moved to the end of the carriage, which like all trains of the past few days was full of luggage. But sitting on top of it, were a group of Canadians, who had ten minutes to catch the Eurostar out of Brussels.
At Brussels, I stood by, as cases went everywhere and just piled up on the platform.
But I’d made it back to civilisation from the hell of German railways. And for the first time since I took the Underground to Heathrow, reasonably on time too.
I’d also made it back from Osnabruck, without one word of apology from any of the staff I met.
All I expected now, was for Eurostar to get me to St. Pancras.
I
German Trains Don’t Have A Coach 13
German stations like a lot of continental ones, have a poster showing where your coach will be on the platform.
German Trains Don’t Have A Coach 13
It looks to be a good idea, but just imagine the system at somewhere like Clapham Junction or Crewe, where we seem to run many more trains than our European cousins.
Incidentally, I don’t think we have a coach 13, as we give coaches on long trains, like those out of Kings Cross and Euston, letters rather than numbers. Several times though, I’ve travelled in coach M. Is that unlucky?
The Floods In Central Europe
A few weeks ago I was in Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna and Southern Germany.
Now it seems that much of the area is under water, as the BBC reports.
I know it was only luck, but I certainly got my timing right.
I’ve never ever been flooded out in a house and I don’t ever want to be.
My hearts go out to all of those who are suffering.
A German Barbecue
I saw this tent by Exmouth Market.
A German Barbecue
After my experiences in Munich lately, I went to investigate and he could have fed me something tasty and gluten-free.
But he was from Cologne!
The Final Insult From Germany
The only thing, I consumed on the train was water, Coke and an orange juice in the morning. But others were luckier!
The Final Insult From Germany
The muffin could have been nice. The notes say the following.
Contains colouring. Contains antioxidant. Contains preservatives. With presevative, curing salt. Contains sweetener. Contains caffeine.
Nothing at all is said about gluten.
I suppose gluten is compulsory in Germany!
The Sleeper From Munich To Paris
It takes over ten hours, but as I wanted to be back in London in time to get to Ipswich for the Hull game on Saturday, it was the only way I could do it.
I had booked the sleeper on Deutsche Bahn’s excellent web site at bahn.de. I had a self-printed paper ticket, that worked well. These are some of the pictures I took on the journey.
We arrived in Paris on time at 09:30. I had slept reasonably well.
The Problems Of Eating On The Move For A Coeliac In Germany
Just because I’m a coeliac, it doesn’t mean that I don’t want to eat gluten-free food on the move.
In the UK, there are a lot of options.
I can get gluten-free bars like EatNakd or Eat Natural in many places.
At stations, there is usually a good choice at Marks and Spencer of various snacks, which often include sandwiches.
There is also the coffee chains, like Starbucks, where I can usually find a bite of something.
And on top of that most pubs can probably rustle up something to go with half of decent cider or a glass of wine.
But in Germany, I found little to eat on the move.
As I returned from Ulm, I was very hungry, as I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. But there was nothing obvious at the station. So I looked at this vending machine.
Vending Machine At Ulm Station
I got a bag of crisps, which at least said they were glutenfrei.
Note though there is only one flavour in the machine and they were paprika. But I was so hungry, that I ate three packets.
Back in Munich, I had time to kill, as the sleeper to Paris didn’t leave until 22:50.
I should have done the sensible thing and go to the pizza restaurant, but I thought that I’d find something. I did and it was this salad.
A Revolting Salad At Munich Station
It was one of the most revolting I’ve ever tried to eat. Especially, as the only implements were my fingers. The picture doesn’t really do justice to the salad and especially the cheese and ham mixture on the top. Alternative layers of revolting cheese and ham had been sandwiched together and sliced up. In the end I gave up and put it in a bin.
I should have been entitled as I was on a First Class sleeper, to use of the DB Lounge. But after installing myself there at about 20:50, I was promptly turfed out, as it shuts at 21:00. So I was left to fend for myself in the cold for nearly two hours.
Incidentally, I could have gone back to the hotel and its warm bar, but there had been an altercation in the subway linking the station to the city centre, so I had to stay put.
It was then, that I met half a dozen Watford supporters on a stag do. They were trying to buy a sausage without bread from a fast food stall and not getting much joy, as apparently, it was against the rules. They were just getting fed up with their restricted diet of beer, bread and sausage.
I had been in Germany for two days, and I’d never found anything acceptable to eat on the move.
If it hadn’t been for the wonderful pizza, I might have starved. I can’t live by coffee with two sugars alone.
I think the rule is you must plan, where you are going to eat. Germany doesn’t seem to be like the UK, Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium and France.
On the other hand, I tried to plan at Ulm and that didn’t work out! Years ago, I didn’t plan in Berlin, but the hotel was good and sorted out two of the best gluten-free restaurants I ever went to with C.
Ulm Minster
Ulm Minster is the tallest church in the world and the spire dominates the city.
I effectively walked in a circle round the city and was never out of sight of the Minster.
Exploring Ulm
The train station at Ulm is close by the centre and I walked in a circle round the city.
I finally got a bit of sun, but as before, I didn’t find anything to eat. My chosen restaurant was apparently a long walk from the part of the city I was in.
The Strange Lady
The litter bins on the platform, are large three hole ones, so that passengers can sort their rubbish for recycling.
A Typical DB Litter Bin
One of the strangest things I saw, was an reasonably well-dressed elderly lady ferreting through one of these litter bins and removing any glass bottles, which she then put in her bag. Whilst we waited at the station, she came back a couple of times, after someone else put a bottle in the bin.
The Anonymous Widower 