Crazy Train

Our departure from Rothenburg to Bacharach took a wrong turn when we ended up on a train bound for Hamburg rather than Frankfurt. To boot, it was a high speed train, so we were really going nowhere fast. 

As God would have it we had parked ourselves in the cabin right next to the conductors and they were kind enough to scribble down some options that should get us back to Frankfurt and then on to Bacharach. 

Sure enough, we were able to get to Frankfurt and only lost an hour in the process. The girls were able to marvel a bit at this huge station and enjoy a hot pretzel before our train arrived. 

All in all it could have been much worse.  But much worse started when we plopped down in the first class cabin. Rag tag as we look, with backpacks and children in tow, no one thinks that we actually have first class tickets and we get lots of looks. The woman across the aisle was no exception as she began reading us the riot act in a stern and motherly way. 

We assured her that we in fact had first class tickets, which she still did not believe until the conductor came and kicked out about 25% of the occupants. We played her attitude off as her caring enough to warn us which seemed to diffuse the situation. It turned out that she worked for Dutsche Bahn, and commuted 3 hours daily and probably had plenty of class baggers leave her standing.

We chatted about our plans to cruise the Rhine and jump off and see some castles along the way. She told us that we should not go to the East side. When asked why, she said because it was dirty. When asked why it was dirty she said it was dirty because she was born on the West side. I have heard of being born on the wrong side of the tracks, but the wrong side of the Rhine, c'mon now. 

Then came the news we did not want to hear, it was the four letter word with six characters...STRIKE.  She told us that at 2 AM Wednesday morning the German rail transport world was coming to an end. The last strike ended a week or so ago and lasted 7 days. She said this one will last longer.

Loosely translated this is - We're a Strikin'. 

This is not good news as in a few days we need to go from Bacharach to Cochem. Then a few days after that from Cochem to Koln (Cologne) and onto Amsterdam.  And I thought hopping trains was going to be more relaxing than driving ;-). 

We will see how this all pans out when we attempt to travel on Wednesday.