Arriving at Termini, we had to figure out which platform our train would be departing. No one was overly helpful, they just kept pointing to the board and saying, "You have to watch!" Well we did but we still weren't sure what we were watching for.
We got on the train that had our number but kept listing Milan as the destination. We needed Bologna. But we discovered that we were on the right train and Bologna was a stop on the way to Milan.
In Bologna we had 14 minutes to transfer to our Munich train. As we were departing the first train, the couple in front of us was also transferring to the same train. They were from Australia, and we walked together through Bologna and found the right train very quickly.
We sat in compartments that seated six, like in the Harry Potter movies. The three girls had one to theirselves for about half of our six hour trip. The boys, Davis, and I shared one with this lovely couple.
They had been chaperoning a group of twelve nine year olds on a week long trip to their sister city in Italy. The wife was so happy to speak English with us so she could practice. She was quite fluent and the husband spoke less, but still did better than we could reciprocate in German. The time flew as we became better acquitted with our new friends. At one point, she brought one of the boys, who was causing problems in the compartment with his companions, into our's and had Nathan and him talk to each other. Nathan would ask simple questions in English, so Sebastion could practice his English, and then Sebastion would ask simple questions in German for Nathan, and us, could practice. After Sebastion, two girls, Pia, and Vivian came in and chatted with us in the same manner. When either side wanted to know more than we could ask in our limited knowledge of the language, would translate for us.
We saw absolutely beautiful scenery on our way, including the Europabruck.
And we finally made it to Munich were we rented our nine passenger VW Caravelle and checked into our hostel. It is the CVJM which is German's YMCA. Afterwards we walked to find supper.
It was good, very,very good. We love Schneider and Son's Aventinus.
Now we are off for a day trip to Salzburg!
When we were driving from Salzburg to Garmisch, we took a wrong turn, and soon realized we were heading into Italy. We were going to cross the Europabrucke, and I am VERY afraid of bridges! Especially ones like that one! So we got off the Autobahn, and tried to turn back around. Instead, we found ourselves heading right over it. Of course, I was driving. It was terrifying. And then, you guessed it, the only way back was right over again! So I had to drive it twice. But we lived to tell the tale.
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