Just a note about our return home plans. We are due to arrive in Phoenix at 3:40 pm on Delta Airlines, flight 899 from Minneapolis, September 26. Gerald and Anne have offered to pick us up.
We ate breakfast, checked out, and took a taxi to the Prague train station, got there early and stood inside at the electronic departure board. Our train was listed, but not a platform yet, so we waited for one to be posted, watching people. Finally platform 3 appeared on the board beside our train and we took our luggage to the train. I checked for the first class car, as sometimes it is in the front and sometimes the rear. This time it is front, so we find the car, board and get to our assigned seats. This was all so much less stressful today than it has been in the past, and we do not even have to change trains. The first class car is comfortable and even has a table between the seats.
We pull out on time and chat for a while with the woman across from us, who is Chek, but employed by a German medical equipment company. We chat about her work, travel in Europe, and the economy. This train is an express, but does make stops, so gradually the car becomes full of people. Part of the car is divided off for the club car. A waitress comes to take orders for drinks and we are ready for coffee and tea.
A couple boards with a baby who is well behaved, not yet talking, but trying to. A man behind us is from California and talks too much and too loud the entire trip. We are glad we are not the Australian couple who are sitting across from him.
We alternately watch scenery or try to nap. There are more roads and more farm equipment working in the fields than we saw in other countries. The soil looks rich and dark and there is a lot of water-rivers and irrigation canals. David reads a while. As more people board, they are dressed in traditional costumes, with aprons and laderhosen and checkered shirts. They are headed to Munich to celebrate Oktoberfest, but do not wait to begin, as they are drinking beer on the train, laughing and having fun.The train is a few minutes late pulling into the main train station in Munich about 3:30. Now we see many folks in the station in the traditional costumes. There is a festive air about the entire place.
We plan to buy a three day metro transit pass, but even though the machine has English translation, we cannot figure out which type to buy. David suggests we get a taxi, so we take our bags to the cab stand. When we show the driver the card with the hotel address, he says it is close enough to walk and points the way. We walk a couple of blocks--sound familiar?--but do not see the hotel. I check at a different hotel desk and get a map and better directions. They say it is close enough to walk. Finally we arrive, but this has taken some effort to pull the bags what turns out to be several blocks. Maybe the cab driver wanted a fare from a longer ride?? We check in and get settled. There is free wi-fi in the room and breakfast is included. We even have a little balcony, and the temperature is just right to sit outside.
Across the street is an Italian restaurant, so we head over for dinner-good food at reasonable prices. Of course, David has a German beer. We wander around the neighborhood a bit before coming back to the room about 7. As I have said before, a day of train travel is tiring, even though you would think sitting on the train would be easy. We are ready for showers and a good rest. We have a tour booked tomorrow to go to Neuschwanstein Castle and need to meet the tour at 8:30 across the street from the train station. At least we now now it is close enough to walk there.
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