Dear You,
On Saturday I "hopped" to Berlin by train.
Because I can. 😄
I am now owner of a BahnCard 100 - which I think is incredibly expensive, but that depends on how often you use it.
For one year from now on I can take every train in Germany - ICE, IC, Regio - and every public transport - bus, tram, underground, ferry etc I want without - and as often as I want to (haha: I might even consider living in a train!)- from now on, after bleeding a very big sum (in my eyes) - "without paying" anything.
Son convinced me: such a card gives me spontaneity and freedom.(Hopefully no nervous breakdown - no: I see it as a chance to travel before I am no longer able to).
I used it first to visit the Oktoberfest in München: my train was too late when it arrived in Nuremberg - but "One man's meat is another man's poison" - this time I got the meat: an ICE train coming from Hamburg arrived 47 minutes too late - and I could just hop in and arrived in Munich at exactly the planned time.
(Our once oh so proud icon of punctuality has become a ruined business - so very often late, so often chaotic - since it got admission to the stock exchange).
Thus I now could go to Berlin - and stayed in my huge flat for only 3 days (hahaha: part of that Me-time is cleaning...) - well: arrival day = half a day, leaving day: half a day...
Why not longer?
Well, Son had on the Tag der Deutschen Einheit (Day of German Unity) a decadal birthday, and being invited of course I wanted to join. So I returned - and enjoyed a beautiful Birthday Party. (Brain still works: I recognised a man who asked: "Do you know who I am?" "Of course", I said, "you are Niklas." I have a very good memory for faces - last time I had met him was the day they got their A levels of their grammar school... "Well, I doubted because I have less hair these days" he muttered - yes, yes, maybe - but I don't suffer from less imagination :-)
I am highly interested if I will use my card the way I want to. In Berlin I was very happy: I could visit the exhibition on Edvard Munch - and will tell you in the next post.
Yours Truly
Britta
That sounds good value to me. Any train or bus. Any time. Wow!
ReplyDeleteYes, if I do have the stamina (and I think I have) and the time, it is worth its money!
DeleteI agree with Tasker and another Wow from me! I would love such a card.
ReplyDeleteIt is the first time I have it, and I still think it very, very expensive (for me).
DeleteYour card sounds like a good investment because I know how you love to travel even on short trips. Don't you just hate it when someone asks if you know them? I too am good with faces but lousy at names. My stock answer is, "Of course I do. How are you?" As they catch me up on their lives they forget that I didn't mention their name.
ReplyDeleteHaha, Emma - I love your answer! Helps in an uncomfortable situation. But this guy I remembered, because as a friend of our son from kindergarten and school he was so often our guest.
DeleteThat card will bring you many trips that could be fun. Are there any ferry boat rides you could enjoy?
ReplyDeleteThere are only a few ferries - for example in Hamburg you can go by a lovely ferry boat that we used like a bus.
DeleteHopefully because you will use the card so much, it will turn out to be a bargain. That's a bit sad to hear about your train service. It is not like as we understand it overseas.
ReplyDeleteYes, train service was something one was very proud of. Now I can write a little book with the "excuses" they serve us for being late - a marvel is: "Sorry about the delay - the reason for it was a preceding train." Hahahah!
DeleteYour son was right to convince me to buy a card! It does give you spontaneity and freedom in choosing transport.
ReplyDeleteAnd _you_ were very wise visiting the exhibition on Edvard Munch; I wish I could have.
I would have liked you as company in the Edvard Munch exhibition, Helen - it was a real good one.
DeleteThis is indeed a wonderful idea of your son's. I find it hard to believe that trains are late in Germany, I remember how jealously we looked at their punctuality during the years we visited the grandmother there.
ReplyDeleteThe punctuality of trains in Germany were so good that it became a winged word. But the last decade there wasn't invested very much - now they try to repair that, many construction areas, many delays (especially annoying when you have to catch another train...) In 2022, statistic tells us, only 65% of the trains were punctual - that makes 35% which are late...
ReplyDeleteI love train travelling and your Bahncard sounds such a grand idea ... so long as, of course, you have the leisure to put up with the unGerman unpunctuality! Not quite hell in a handbasket territory yet, but who can gnash their teeth too much when the price is so attractive? I'm very keenly awaiting my, ahem, Seniors Gold Card for travelling about my city and it's environs at a capped $2.50 per day. Only 2 and a half years to go!!
ReplyDeleteDear Pip, I hope too that I will find the time to get the equivalent to 5.971 Australian dollars worth that they asked in a special offer only for pensioners.
ReplyDeleteSince half a year everybody in Germany can travel to every corner of the country and use all public transport in cities and villages for only 49. Euros a month with the regional trains or busses, NOT ICE.
At the Rolling Stones concert there sat a pair beside me who came from Hamburg to Munich that way - it takes almost all day...and they wanted to go back the same day the same way.
But: safer than hitch-hiking which I did with husband in student days very often - though of course (honestly) we were "noble hitchhikers", meaning we almost ever drove with BMW and other classy cars. :-) -
The 49 Euro-ticket is really good, because in all cities or towns I don't have to use (and pay extra) ticketautomats.
I think you will be even more busy and even more occupied when you reach the Senior Card - but that has time, youngster :-)