Train ride from Fredericia to Flensburg to Hamburg to Osnabrueck to Amsterdam

Susan had ordered my train ticket by phone in the car during our ride last night to the west coast but it had not come through on my phone so she said she could meet me at the train station at 8:30 am. with the ticket printed off. I did not sleep much because I knew I had to be up early. Susan left at 5:30 am.  and I heard Paul-Eric around 7 am. I dressed and finished packing. Then I said goodbye to Paul-Eric who was also going away. At about quarter to 8 after having a cup of tea, I bicycled about 5 km to the train station to wait for Susan and my ticket. She was right on time and with the ticket and she took the time to walk me to the platform . She was my first angel of the day. My angels are those people that God sends into my life to help me. One thing I was made to do was to take all 4 bags off my bicycle. That is hard in my case because my back bags are old and not easy to do.

 Silver with bags off in train from Fredericia to Flensburg

 Stefanie and her 7 month old girl, Katharina, who I befriended by sign language on the first train.

 They were on their way to Koln. They also switched over at Flensburg and it was an easy changeover because the two tracks were close together.

 Hamburg station is a chaotic place full of people and trains. It was good that I had over an hour before my next train. I had to go to information to find out what track to go to because it did not say on my ticket.

 Later another lady showed me to read the chart to see that I should stand and wait between E and F.

 There were a number of bicycle tourers and I talked to a couple that had just bicycled to the Baltic Sea. They suggested I keep my bags on now until I see what door of the train to use and then throw them off, get the bicycle inside and then come back for the bags. They said they would try to help. Well when the train arrived, the door we needed was being rushed at by bicycles as well as people with suitcases. It was like a riot. I would have never made it without this couple's help. They were literally throwing anyone's bags in and helping lift bicycles in until the train started to move. Then once inside we had to sort out all the bags and stand up or hang the bicycles.

 For a while the lady thought she was missing a bag and I felt bad because they had helped with mine and mine were all here. But then she found hers. I did not get their names because they were not sitting close to me but I passed over my cards and later talked to the husband who said he was 72 and his wife, 68. He is an assistant director at a YMCA. Thank you both so much for helping me.

 During the train ride from Hamburg to Osnabrueck, I had a nice conversation with Jan who is taking engineering. He answered a lot of my questions about scheduling and changing trains.

 In Osnabrueck, I would have missed the train if I had not asked Birgit where to go. Because she had an hour to wait, she took me through two sets of elevators to get to the right track. Then she noticed a message above the board saying our train was to be in reverse and she helped me run to the other end. I just managed to get the bicycle in and she handed me the bags before the train took off. Thank you, Birgit for your help. I would have missed the train.

 When I got on the last train, I was famished and had some of my lunch.

Finally at about 8 pm.  I made it to Amsterdam. It took me a while to get on the Komoot track. Then about 3 km from Central Station, in a seedier looking place, my bicycle tire went flat. I pumped it up but a little farther it deflated. All the bags off, bicycle upside down and for once today there were no angels to help.The first tube blew up after I got it back on the bike and was pumping it up. I was so THANKFUL that I had one tube left in my bag or I would have had to call Dick for help. I put in on very carefully!.  The second one was good  so off  I went again. I did not arrive at Dick and Carla's until 10:30 pm. in the dark. I had a little trouble finding the key since they were not home but finally did. Then I walked Silver around the office, parked and  unpacked her and went in. They came home shortly after and we talked until about 1 am.   What a day!