Ice cold storm fronts named Mike and Niklas are blowing over Germany. Well, I trust, this is the last winter onslaught before everything turns to my favour and I get beautifull dry spring weather for the walk. Ha, ha.
No, I am staying positive and as long as I am sitting in a heated train I have no reason not to be. After some days with my cousin I am on my way to visit my aunt en route down to München.
Next day: The storms are still all over Germany. After a pleasant visit at my aunt, I am now sitting on a train station and don’t know if my follow on train will come. The display board says Indefinitely delayed due to bad weather the one moment 80 min delay the next. We will see.
Should you ever travel on European trains, be sure to use the on board facilities which are free. I just had to pay 1 Euro, that is OVER R13, to take a pee in the station rest room. Okay, let me be fair, it turned out to be 70 Cents, but let me tell the whole story as I was not the only one involved. That does not sound right but I think you will understand when you read on. At the entrances to the restrooms I met a young African lady with her baby who was obviously having trouble. She asked me if I could speak English by any chance. Feeling that I was sent there in that exact moment to help her I said yes. She asked me if I could give her change for 10 Euro for the door mechanism. I asked her how much she still needed and she said 20 Cents. I just gave her a 20 Cent coin without a thought and they could go in. Then it was my turn at the door and when I saw that it costs 1 Euro I looked at the rest of my change and what did I have? 80 Cents! I was short the exact 20 Cents I had just given to the damsel in distress! And my bladder was getting impatient too. I just thought, God, help! You sent me to help this lady, now I need help too! In that moment the next person asked me, Is this your 50 Cent coin in the return slot? I said No, but I sure could use it right now! Me and my bladder were very thankful and we enjoyed the R10 pee! Sometimes God really does have a strange sense of humour!
30 mins later: All trains to Bavaria have been cancelled. Munich station is being evacuated as the storm is ripping off pieces of the nearby buildings. I am stuck in Fulda for at least the night. Eish. Luckily I know people here and it looks like they are getting an unexpected visitor.
6 hours later: I did not have their number with me so I had to phone my parents in SA first. And although they where expecting some guests our acquaintances welcomed me into their home with open arms and we had a very pleasant evening with lots of reminiscing stories, much to the amusement of the other guests, about the past when Wolfgang worked for my father on the mission station some 32 years ago.
Again, I could have been stranded on any station en route to Munich but I was blessed to be stuck in Fulda. God does have a sense of humour to change a stormy night into a night to remember.