On the road to Germany....

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I made a point of getting to the Santa Maria Novella train station so I could find out what platform my train was coming in on and more importantly if it was on time. I found the platform but when I got the latest updates I found that my train was delayed coming in from Roma. I asked around and then discovered that the train workers were on strike down in Roma so all trains going out of Roma to other parts of Italy were delayed and in some cases cancelled. I was a little concerned about that because I absolutely had to get to Bologna so I could catch my plane to Frankfurt. There was little I could do besides wait so that's what I choose to do. I didn't stray too far in the train station because I wanted to make sure I caught the train I was supposed to be on. The overall delay was about an hour, possibly an hour and half. Bologna isn't actually that far away from Florence so I was making contigency plans in my head when the train arrived.

I checked with one of the ladies who was helping people board and she confirmed that I was getting on the right train. I suppose getting on the wrong train wouldn't be bad if I didn't have to get on a plane the same evening. Nevertheless, I got on board and found a place to sit. Given my prior experiences with train travel in Italy, I no longer let my backpack leave my sight. I instead keep it underneath my seat and my other bag is in the seat next to me. This tends to work out well unless you've got somebody who's got a ticket with the seat next to yours and it also keeps folks from sitting next to you too. Sometimes, a guy just wants to be able to look out the window at the countryside without having to fret about who might be making off with his luggage.

As the train made it's way to Bologna I made a point of looking out the window so I could just take it all in. I could see the faint tinge of green beginning to spread across the land but there was definitely still snow in the mountains. Sam is right. I just have to come back to Italy in the summer for about a month I think. When we got to Bologna I was amazed to see that the city still had a considerable amount of snow on the streets. I then recalled Bologna's location in my mind and it made sense. The air was colder than either Florence or Venice but at least the sun was out.

I got to Bologna around 5:30 or so. I also had absolutely no idea where I was in relation to the airport here or if I should take a bus or get a cab. I walked across the street and got myself a city map and sat down for a bit. After looking at the map I determined that while the airport was not far away I wasn't going to get there easily on foot and I had no idea when the next bus was coming. My mind being made up I decided to go get myself a cab. There were plenty at the train station waiting for customers but I discovered that not all cabbies take you to the airport so it was good that I asked.

The guy was taking me to the airport was an older Italian guy probably in his mid to late 40's. The guy didn't speak much English, so I thought I'd give a try at speaking some Italian. I mean why not right? I was doing good with introductions and telling a little bit about myself. I found out that his name was Mario and he was married with a family. I got stuck when I was trying to tell him that I lived by a lake because I forgot the Italian word for it. Mario started to laugh and reached underneath his seat and got out an Italian/English dictionary for kids. That was awesome! The Italian word for lake is "lago" and I had said "lungo" which is long so yeah totally confusing. Once I got to the airport, I paid my fare to Mario plus a litle extra which I think surprised him. Mario wished me well and I was off to find my way through the Bologna airport.

I had booked a flight with Ryanair from Bologna to Frankfurt-Hahn but I had no idea where I was going. I asked a girl who worked there where to go and she basically said take the hall to the left and take the stairs going down. There wasn't anybody there but I was early so I decided to go get some food while I waited. I had brought a lot of books with me on this trip but as it turned out I had read through the majority of them because of the various delays there had been with trains, planes etc. I finished up my food and went back to check in with Ryanair. When I got back to the check in area there was a considerable line already so I decided I'd better get in line. I learned later that Ryanair always likes to advertise how quick and timely they are with their flights but what I didn't realize is that they schedule flights within about 20 minutes of each other that's why it was so packed.

As I waited I struck up a conversation with a Dutch couple who were on their way to Dusseldorf but they were just getting back from South Africa. We talked for quite a long time. The husband is a professor who actually teaches in Dusseldorf and I admit that I forgot if the wife worked or not but I don't think she did. I was amazed at how many people I had met so far on my journey and I hadn't even gotten to Germany yet. The Dutch couple gave me several suggestions about what to do once I got to Stuttgart places to go etc. Time passed and we took our leave of each other as they got to check their bags a bit sooner than I did and then make their way to the gate.

I didn't have to wait too much longer after that. I noticed one thing while I waited. Ryanair does not kid around when they were warning folks about carry on luggage and what was acceptable etc. I decided not to go through any potential bullshit so I paid extra to have my bags checked but I kept my camera and a book with me so I could read on the plane. I got my bags packed and made my way back to the gates which were in the direction from where I had originally come. I was more than a little aprehensive because of the insanely long lines but I decided to chill it out. I don't know if the Bologna airport is always like this or I was traveling through at a bad time because they seemed really short staffed all over the place. It's possible that it may have been me and the fact that I was having a hard time staying awake. While I was waiting in another line I met another couple from the states who were also on their way back to Germany. The husband is an American professor who was on loan from his institution at home and teaching music in Munich. Both he and his wife were on their way back from vacation in the Canary Islands. The wife taught English for extra money and they were both being housed in a villa that was probably more the size of a small castle according to them. Nice.


I got to the correct gate only to find that the plane was delayed by a minimum of one hour. There had to have been something going on this day because I'd never experienced so many travel delays within a 24 hour period. I was so greatful that I had my books to keep me occupied. I was standing in line initally and I was right in front of an Italian family. Their daughter was sitting on a suitcase but lost her balance and fell but I reached out and caught her. The mother thanked me and the daughter was embarrassed but it was all good. I'll lend a hand to anybody who need help because I hope that somebody would do it for me.

After what seemed like forever we finally got to board the plane. I should rephrase that by saying we got to walk out on the tarmac and get aboard the plane ourselves. The flight attendants were friendly aboard the plane but I have to say that looking at the bright blue and yellow interior of the plane was painful to my eyes to say the least. I was beyond caring as all I wanted to do was get to Germany hopefully locate my hotel without any issues and get to sleep.

The plane took off immediately as they were already running behind. The flight from Bologna to Frankfur-Hahn is not a long one. I think I was only in the air for about an hour and a half and then we were landing again. I did not hesitate once we got on the ground I grabbed my jacket and was making my way across the tarmac into the terminal of Frankfurt-Hahn. I could tell I was in northern Europe, the air was much colder and the cloud cover was dark. Once I got inside I checked the time and I saw that it was midnight. Not too bad considering the delays I'd experienced thus far but I was in Germany and that's all I really cared about right now. I didn't have to wait too long for my luggage which I grabbed and then made my way through the airport.

There was little movement as it was really late and I saw more than a few folks sleeping on the floors of the airport, possibly waiting for the morning flights. I got outside and went over to a cab and asked if he could take me to the Frankfurt-Hahn Bed and Breakfast. That's when the guy laughed and pointed literally across the road not even 20 paces from where I stood was the hotel. I was so grateful and I made my way to check in. The young girl at the desk was about 23 and when I went up there I told her my name and asked if the room was ready. The girl took note of my last name which is German and corrected me on my pronounciation. ha! I thought that was awesome! The girl quickly explained that she wasn't trying to be rude but there was a certain emphasis on the syllables so my name really does sound different when a German pronounces it. As tired as I was I probably talked to that young lady for another good hour before making my way up to my room. I told her that I'd come up to Germany from Italy and Iwill always remember what she told me. She told me that Germany is a whole different world from not just Italy but Europe in general. For me it was (and still is) something of a profound moment to actually be in the country of my ancestors. Even though my family is German nobody in my family has ever made it to Germany so I was the first. I don't know if anyone can understand how I was feeling but I'm hopeful that the words I lay down here will convey my emotions in that moment.

I got up to my room and the first thing I did was take a shower. It was so cool to take a shower in a full size bathroom where I didn't have to worry about slipping and falling on my ass. I felt 100% better as I got ready for bed. I looked out the window all I could think of was that "I'm in Germany. Incredible!" Tomorrow was the beginning of my journey into Frankfurt and then off to Stuttgart to go finally meet up with Katty.

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Photos

Landesmuseum Wurttemberg
Stuttgart

Comments

[Heather]

I enjoyed your Germany photos, and post. It reminded me of my time there! My blog is looking for travel tips (like how to use caution when traveling by train in Italy!), photos, etc, to share. If you have the time, check it out at dirty-hippies.blogspot.com, or email me at [e-mail]. Continued fun on your travels! Heather :)