We have here minus 12° (or, as they describe it nowadays on the Weather App: "feels like minus 17°).
Can you imagine that at these temperatures the Netherland and the German Trains broke down on Tuesday. 1. March, (I came from Amsterdam) - a breakdown of energy - so we had to leave the train in Amersfoort, and stood there - hundreds of people! - for over an hour in the biting cold - without shelter, without information, and all they said was "There will some busses come to take you to Bad Bentheim".
The people: very civilized - the busses came not quickly one after the other, yet almost nobody pushed in rudely.
The busses brought us to - Apeldoorn. Out again.
Then a small train to Hengelo.
From there busses to Bad Bentheim - Germany. The only official person there saw us - and buggered off!! No waiting room for us, no toilets, no informations - but half an hour icy wind.
Then came out of Nowhere a little train. Someone said: "Those who want to go to Berlin should leave in Rheine - a slow train will bring you from there to Hannover, and from there you can go by taxi to Berlin."
The distance between Hannover and Berlin is 286 kilometers.
And I said: "Oh no. I will not leave in Rheine. I go to Osnabrück and take a hotel there."
The others left the little train obediently in Rheine, I clung to my seat.
In Osnabrück it was weird: a station like a Hopper-painture - and a small empty glass-box in dark colours: the Information-Point.
I pushed the glass door. It opened!
Behind a desk hid a little man.
"Do you see any chance to go to Berlin tonight?" I asked him (more a rhetorical question, to be honest).
"Nah!", he said, and scrolled listlessly through his computer.
Then - after a pause - he exclaimed:
"I can't believe it. Never ever before has an ICE stopped in Löhne (40.000 inhabitants!) - but now one will. Take a little train to Löhne, you will catch it."
To cut a long story short: I did! Arrived in Berlin a quarter after midnight at the main station.
That was my very private "Miracle of Löhne".
PS: The ones in the slow train could not catch the ICE when it stopped in Hannover.
PPS: Although there were many, many trains affected by the breakdown of energy - in the Netherlands and in Germany - there was not one word in the newspaper about it. Which I think very, very strange...
This is a great story that you will enjoy telling for many years. Unfortunately it was miserable while it was happening. Glad you made it home.
ReplyDeleteI am glad too, Emma! And it was real, real luck! (I prefer funny stories :-)
DeleteThat is really an horror story. (a story that brought me also some memories, my daughter lived some years ago in Osnabruck. )
ReplyDeleteYes, Yael., it was horror.
DeleteSo you visited your daughter there? Did she like Osabrück (I only visited it once - in daylight :-) - before, and thought it a surprisingly nice little town.)
It is a beautiful little town, i've been there.
DeleteYes, a very nice place!
DeleteI cannot imagine standing in icy wind. What a cruel trip.
ReplyDeleteI could imagine it either, Joanne, and I was surprised (honestly) how well I managed. There is evidently more strength in us then we know... Yet I rest a lot even today - the cold has affected me a bit. I was so thankful that I had strong warm boots, an eiderdown cloak, gloves, shawl and a warm cap - and other warm clothes. Deeply thankful in all that misery.
DeleteA story I understand well as a train traveller and all the emotions as well. I once travelled back from Documenta and similar things happened. It is too long for a comment though. xx
ReplyDeleteYes, Rachel, I have thought of you a lot on this trip, knowing that you sometimes travel on trains that are not easy.
DeleteWhat really surprised me were the people - behaving (mostly) well and helpful and calm (that was not to be expected, when the first bus came - one bus and hundreds of stranded people wanting to leave that icy place.
I made a beautiful contact with a young Dutch woman on her way to Bremen (were I come from) - she works as an actress there, speaking wonderful German). I even shared my raisin-roll with her!
With her and a Swiss woman of my age (she came from a trip to London) we managed to have a good time inside a bad time.
I would like to hear your experiences! xxx
So glad you arrived safely --although late-- in Berlin. I hereby name the little train "Miracle of Löhne". Your safety is important to me.
ReplyDeleteOh thank you, Geo., that soothes my (a bit wrecked) nerves and heart! German trains get names (the big ones at least) - and there was a huge discussion recently when they wanted to call a train "Anne Frank" - really no good choice when one considers the awful history).
DeleteNow they choose city-names or landscapes..
But "Miracle of Löhne" - that is a wonderful idea! (And on that little train were the only competent and really friendly two conductors on the whole trip - so moving when people are kind and thoughtful: to wait till I entered the other train: that was really wonderful)
Here, some people spent 17 hours in their cars on frozen motorways during the blizzard. I think I would rather have your train journey!
ReplyDeleteHaha, Tom: there is always something worse to find! For me the described trip was enough :-)
DeleteThat is a horrible trip Britta!
ReplyDeleteOur trains were stuck here too. Much was said about it in the news with headings like,"This ONLY happens in Italy where nothing works!" Also hoping that important heads fall - elections was in the air.
Greetings Maria x
Dear Maria, at least your news reported the difficulties - here it was a bit ...strange... Maybe they were utterly busy with the news about our politics, the GroKo.
DeleteAre you content with the outcome of the Italian election?
Greetings, Britta x
A nightmare of a trip Britta but, as Tom said, the UK came to a standstill for at least 24 hours !!! Our snow has all disappear now and today is very mild. Hope your weather has cheered up. XXXX
ReplyDeleteDear Jackie, yes: a sort of early spring is in the air (though also some snowflakes mixed into the rain). Hope! Warmth! XXX
DeleteNot in the propaganda sheets, sorry I mean the newspapers? Doesn't surprise me. Today's papers like Euronews are for EU propaganda. During the Euronews which I watch now and then for amusement only - I like to see what they put on the ticker - Merkel was mention was on the ticker throughout the bulletin (a couple of trivial un-newsworthy stories - so trivial I can't even remember them) . No other European politician, though. Not even Juncker. That's very very strange too.
ReplyDelete