PRAGUE to VENICE – on the trail of the Saints

Sunday – as we do not have to commence our train saga until early this afternoon we get a chance to sleep in and relax which includes enjoying our delivered brekkie of fresh rolls etc etc etc.  We have been asked to check out by 10.30am which is no problem as we then have to go to the Prague Bus Terminal for the first of our journeys but more about that later.

Packing all of our cameras, chargers, ipods, clothes, bits and pieces and anything else we have acquired along the way we head down to check out but unfortunately the nice lady is not on the desk.  It is the fool who gave away our apartment for the first night of our stay.  Doh!!!! He gives us what we think is the account but it is the receipt so he has checked us out without showing us the items for what we have been charged.  Is this a new hospitality programme?

We look at the receipt and note that he has charged us for the use of the hotel safe.  When we tell him we didn’t use the safe he goes into a breakdown as he tries to figure out how to refund the money.  About twenty minutes later our tempers are starting to get the better of us and as it is not a large amount – only a couple of dollars – we tell him to shove it.  Well, not in those words but you get the drift.  He keeps on apologising and tells us he will refund the card later – still waiting.  It’s a wonder he didn’t charge us again for the entire stay so I suppose that is a bonus for us.

We go to our usual tram stop for the last time and head for the station – we were going to stop and have a look at some gardens this morning but we are now not in the mood plus I had to do a bit of shopping for some essentials.  Prague has been a highlight so far. My boss told me that it was a wonderful place and I am pleased to say that I thoroughly agree.  When we do our schedules we think 3 or 4 days in one place is ample time – let me tell you it has not been ample in Prague.  I do hope that the Saint grants our wishes and we do return.

Arriving at our tram stop we walk through a lovely park which is really nice and quiet.  Some people are sitting on seats enjoying the fresh morning air while they read or just relax.

We pass by a bronze statue which recalls the Red Army’s liberation of Prague in 1945: a grateful resistance fighter greets a Soviet foot soldier with a bunch of lilac and presumably, a brotherly kiss.

It is one of the few pro-Soviet monuments still standing in Prague. Some from what I understand are being returned to Russia.  How times change.

We finally get to Prague Railway Station.  Here is Kylie dragging her bag through the door while my reflection taking the photo is in the window.  Never noticed it until I saw the photos on the computer.  Just goes to show that you have to look at everything , not just of what you want to take the photo!

We have some postcards that we wish to post but we don’t have any stamps.  None of the shops open seem to sell them which I find rather strange as tourists always want to send cards back home but they don’t want to sell stamps!  Lining up at the enquiry counter we sort of get the gist that the book store across from where we are standing sells stamps.

So Kylie goes in and as luck will have it they do sell stamps.  We look around and unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be anywhere to post the cards.   We ask the enquiry counter who tells us that there is a post box just outside the main doors and down the street.  Kylie sets off in search while Tyler and I wait patiently for her return.  During this time we notice a post box practically on top of the enquiry counter.

Kylie is not amused when she returns and sees us both laughing.  She tells us she has just walked about 4 blocks from the station to post the cards and we can both see her temper starting to flare but we talk her into just quietly exiting the area.  We also have to find where we catch the Autobus to Nuremburg  – the first leg of our journey but first we need to get some food to take with us.

On the search we find a chocolate shop – now that can only be a good thing.  It is the Leonidas Chocolate shop.  Oh so much chocolate I feel my body going into shock just looking at the treats.  K&T get a chocolate duck to take back to Tyler’s dad – we all hope it will last the distance and after getting some liquor cherries and other chockies for moi we head to a little cafe for coffee & pastry – never can have too much and anyway it’s been about 4 hours or so since breakfast

We have a little sit down wait along with every other tourist who is waiting, waiting for trains or buses or whatever and then we have to head upstairs to the roadway at the top of the station.  We realise that Prague is an ‘old’ city – but it has been most elegant so far – UNTIL – we arrive at the bus stop.  It looks like some sort of  pavilion used in grander times – now it is run down and is in a state of disrepair – not to mention reeking of urine.  Kylie reckons it has been bombed during WWII and has not been repaired.

There are no seats and the only places to sit down are edges of concrete outside at the actual bus stops.  Not very tourist friendly I must say.  The day has now turned out hot and the smells from the inside and the garbage bins outside is getting a bit overpowering.  We are so glad when our coach turns up – it looks good so far – we will see what the inside is like.  We put our luggage underneath the seating area as like all coach tours and when we get to the door we show our tickets which enable us to have First Class seats.  That will do us fine.  The seats are comfortable and there is an attendant who serves  tea/coffee and light refreshments – gratis for First Class – the peasants have to pay. This leg of the journey is about 4 hours and gives us time to catch a nap or just look out the window and take photos.

The countryside is dotted every now and again with little villages and of course every village has a church with spires which is great practice for some fast shot photography and actually they didn’t turn out too bad.

We arrive at Nurnburg about 10 minutes late so that is pretty good.  Now it’s off to find the train to Munich.  We have three travelling parts of this journey – so pleased they are all done at day and not the early hours of the morning!

Our train is running about forty minutes late due to a train failure somewhere along the line.  There are many announcements over the loud speaker but they are all in german so we haven’t got a clue what is going on and no-one announces anything in English.  We now have to hope that we get to Munich before our train leaves for Venice. Holy cow!  Arriving at Munich about 30 minutes late we now have to find our platform. We find a very helpful station conductor who gives us directions and tells us our carriage as at the far end of the platform.  Yep that figures.  We take off at a very fast walk and when we see our train at the platform we pray it won’t go without us – our walk becomes a slight trot.

Once again we are in a First Class cabin that is at the other end of the carriage where we got on.  Rolling down the aisle we find our cabin – the door is open and we all look at each other in amazement before breaking into laughter.

The cabin is really small, no really, really small for the three of us, it is about 2.5 metres wide by about 3.5 metres in length – what a hoot .  There are three bunks on top of each other and a shower, toilet and wash basin on the other side.  We get the luggage in and there is only room enough for one of us at a time so Tyler is elected to hoist himself up to the top bunk and then we pass the luggage up to him to stow.

As you can see by the photos there is not much room.  I grab the bottom bunk – I have seniority – and Kylie the middle – Tyler the top.  They both have strapping to hold themselves in so that they don’t fall out during the night.

Photo below left  is our ‘Private Facilities’.    The basin swings out when you need to have a shower and then you swing it back.

The shower is only tiny – but it does the job, the problem was working out how to use it.  In the end we had to get the steward to show us – great – one needs a university degree – and the water lasts for 30 seconds and then turns off so you have to turn it back on again.  I suppose that is to stop people from having 30 minute showers.  Kylie avails herself of the service and we all end up in fits of giggles again.

After we have all showered, the steward comes back and asks us if we would like breakfast and we say yes please.  Then he says he will wake us at 5.15am – Kylie goes weak at the knees and practically passes out.

He also collects our passports, advises us to lock the door and wishes us a pleasant night.  How sweet.  Finally it is time for bed but by this time it is stuffy in the cabin so we open the two small windows – one at the foot of Tyler’s bunk and one at the foot of mine.  Unfortunately during the night we had some rainy patches so I had to close my window.

I love travelling at night on the train.  Reminds me of when I was a kid and travelled to Queensland on the overnight sleeper and then when the kids were small getting a sleeper carriage to Urunga which is near Coffs Harbour.  I love the clickety clack of the wheels, the sounds of the train whistle every now and again and the gentle rocking of the train even though we are travelling at around 100 mph.  I don’t hear any whistle tonight – I am fast asleep dreaming about our time in Venice tomorrow!

Highlight of the day – night travelling on the train!