We've actually been to Dresden just for a day - that was mainly to return Gelb (Polina's brother) to Polina's parents as they have finished their tour of Europe and were heading back to sunny Siberia...
We did the usual touristy things - saw the newly restored Frauenkirche and the Zwinger (Old masters gallery etc...) which is IMHO the best gallary in Europe (well that I've seen so far).We saw Polina's folks onto their bus, hung around and listened to some of Carmen in the Zwingers gardens and wandered down to our train.
Prelude
We need to get back to Berlin as our flight to Russia leaves the next afternoon and we have to do some packing etc... before that. Our train is supposed to leave at 8pm and get us back to Berlin around 10pm - no problems you say.
The saga begins
We wander up to our platform, wait around a bit - there seems to be some other train on the platform and we can't quite make out a barely audiable announcement. As the time for our train to leave passes we get a little anxious and as some other people are trying it on we have a chat to the driver of the train that is on the platform. He tells us we need to take his train to the other Dresden train station as there are track works pretty much everything is leaving from there. Oh well - not running too late so we take his train and arrive at the other Dresden station.
The saga continues
There we get off the train, and with the 150 or 200 other passangers mill around anxiously. There is no sign of the train or of any sort of staff member. There are no anouncements. We check the timetables and find that the train we want should be leaving from Platform 1 - not 8 where we have been dumped. Mass trasfer of passanges from 8 to 1, with much rushing and swearing. Get to platform 1 and find another train there and no sign of the one we want. Go back to Platform 8. Call information who know much less than we do. Wait. Some 20 minutes later there is an announcement that the train will be 80 to 90 minutes delayed. Swear. If they'd told us this 20 minutes ago we could have organised a slight round trip through various one horse towns and still been in Berlin relatively soon. Now there is no other option - this will be the last train heading in the right direction tonight.
The 90 minutes pass very very slowly and eventually they announce the train. Many passangers troop from various bars to the platform. We get the standard stand clear train approaching announcement. 10 minutes pass we get the train approaching announcement again. It's true the train is approaching. It's been doing that - in theory - ever since it left Prague. Finally the train does pull into the station - to all round clapping and general jeering. We board and depart.
The empire (of cute furryness) strikes back.
We are now chugging along some backwater rail route (track works again) and discussing how to organise everything when we get home so that we can still fly out. Asking the conductor and we will arrive at about 12am so just over 2 hours late at this stage. He hands out a 'your train was late get a partial discount next time' vouchers. I have a bit of a doze only to be woken by a large thump, a sudden deceleration, many smaller thumps.
The train stops. This is by no means a scheduled stop.
Various confused announcements:
- We've hit something, not sure what.
- We've hit something that wasn't a person.
- The train is farked.
- A new locomotive is coming from Leipzig - it will be here in two hours or so.
- We're going to drive this train slowly to Leipzig and change engines there
- We're not going to drive this train. Ve vill vait hire.
- We will hook the new engine in front and just hope the thing makes it to Berlin
- All passangers may collect a free drink from the food car. Beer lasted about 5 min, coffee 10. By the time I'd gotten through the 3 carriage queue I was considered lucky to get a couple of waters and a juice.
- We're leaving soon
- We're leaving soon
- We're almost ready now
Arrival in Berlin almost 4am. *sigh*
The red/furry bits are not paint. Nuff said.
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