The day started far too early with revelers coming home
at 4:06 and shouting all the way. I hadn’t gotten into a deep sleep from them
going out last night at 2 am! So I pretended to go back to sleep, but was wide
awake. At 5 I just got up and began to upload photos and that took the next 2 ½
hours. Packed my bags and was at breakfast when it opened at 7:30. As usual my
tummy was churning before travelling, so not much breakfast and an extra tablet.
I was waiting for the taxi at 7:50. I had to pay 90 kn for the city tax to the
hotel. The hotel receptionist gave me a small gift
too. The Savic was a lovely place to stay and I’d highly recommend it.
A nice young taxi man arrived and took my bag. He didn’t say
anything at all and I prepared for the usual circuitous trip. I did have a
moment’s query as he crossed the river? But as we kept on driving and seemed to
be getting no closer to the station, I said” Are we going to the station?” He replied,
“The train?” and checked his phone. It said I was going to the airport! So he
did a u-turn. Despite heavy traffic going towards the city we arrived at the station with not much time to spare. The taxi cost from the hotel is set at €14 but I gave him €20 because
of all the hassles he had.
Any wonder there was nothing to see on the ground level- the
action was all on the floors below. Down the escalators to Aladdin’s cave.
Shops and platforms all around. He was able to tell me which platform the train
was going to be on (4) and did offer to put my bag up for me- but I managed by
myself. The train arrived within five minutes and I had to
find my carriage and then lug my bag up four steps- not easy with a narrow
door. Found my spot and “oh no”. An old lady was sitting in my seat by the
window. I showed her my ticket and she gave me the “I don’t know what you are
talking about message”. So I checked the seat numbers again (there are only 8
seats in this carriage!!!!! Four were empty and she had mine. So we went
through the pantomime again with the same result and I thought – too bad dearie
my seat. So I went out and got a conductor. He checked her ticket and told her
to move. If looks could kill, I’d be fried. But she did and sat opposite and
glared at me the whole time.
A very nice young man sat next to me and as we
travelled along we had a bit of a chat. I did my usual sell of
Australia. I settled down to upload yesterday’s photos using the train’s WiFi.
I think it was actually faster than the hotel’s and soon I’d caught up with the
photos. .
The journey went through very similar countryside to our
trip to Cezky Krumlov, with both rural and built up towns. Most of the
landscape is rural with endless fields of newly sewn grain, not as much rape as
the bus trip. Only maybe five stops on the journey to Wein/ Vienna? The train
travelled along at about 140 km/h sometimes as high as 160km/h. The countryside
varied from flat to hilly. Sometimes larger farms and sometimes small holdings
in the backyards. A few small rivers and it looks like it rained recently with
water still in some of the paddocks.
I drank two cups of tea on the train- € 3.40 and in first
class you get a free bottle of water and a discount on your drinks. As you go across the border the next country has to check
your tickets. Because I had filled out my Euro Rail Pass but didn’t have it
stamped both conductors were happy – BUT I had to make sure it was stamped at
Vienna.
We arrived at Wien/ Vienna on time, I had to get off and the
nice young man took my bag off for me Thought of Heather and her
German as I tried to find the ticket office. Not on the platform but once again
a floor below and even more impressive selection of shops down there, But it
took a while to find the ticket place- then I had to take a ticket and wait for
10 minutes, to be served. Crowds of people to be served and
only four desks open and five people doing something else? But a lovely young
concierge was able to help a bit. Eventually I was served by two people. One
must have been in training. So the whole process had to be explained to the
trainee. My ticket was eventually stamped. After another quick stop to find my
platform, I was up that escalator and waiting on platform 9. In less than 10
minutes the train pulled in and then I had the long walk right to the
second last carriage. Despite being in “First” it was nothing compared to the
first train, including the toilets. Really disconcerting to have all the seats
facing one way and the train travelling “backwards”. Very difficult to see
anything and the stewards never bothered to come around and take an order,
unlike the first one where you could grab his attention. I ended up going to the
buffet carriage and getting a cuppa and a salad. (Interesting salad- basically
carrot and possibly turnips/ swedes julienned together with some slivers of
radishes. 1 salad and 1 cup of tea = €9.
The country along this part of the trip started in Austria
and transformed in Hungary and there were significant differences between the two.
Hungary had more obvious poverty and “Communist looking “ buildings. More rundown buildings too and
general rubbish. And the weather changed into storm clouds and a brief
spot of rain. There were more stops at little run down stations than on the
first leg of the journey. Once again the tickets were checked twice- in each
country.
What was similar on the whole journey through three
countries were the masses of red poppies growing in the fields, woods and edges
of the tracks. I’d never seen them like that before and of course especially on
the anniversary of the fighting on the Western front very significant for
Australians. When I mentioned it to my first travelling companion it had no
connection at all.
We arrived in Budapest 5 minutes late. I had pre-booked a
taxi, so I just had to wait to find the man with the sign. Hundreds got off
the train/ headed onto the train. I went up and down the platform four times
and was starting to really panic and get angry at the same time. Not my idea of
fun to manage a case and backpack on a bus/ domestic train to an unknown destination. Eventually 20 minutes later my phone rang and it was the driver, who said he’d
been looking for me. He was a lovely guy but there was NO way that he had been
where he said he was. I’d gone past five times and not seen him, while I had
seen others. I think he had been caught in the traffic, which was awful. He’d been to Australia and loved it so we had quite a chat in the heavy traffic to the hotel.
Budapest is nowhere as pretty as Prague. Reason? Hitler
loved the city of Prague and spared it. He hated Budapest and bombed it, then
the communists bombed the rest in 1947.
It was quite complicated to get to the hotel reception, so I
was glad the driver was taking me up from the garage where he had to park the
van but couldn't locate the elevator? (I found out it was his first day as a driver) Checked in- after giving them
my maiden name and my mum’s maiden name. I thought at the time- that’s my
identity gone to the highest buyer? The receptionist had to show me up to my
room- no way on earth you could begin to get there by following directions. So
she carried my bag up the two flights of steps- thank you God.
Fabulous room. Three times the size of Amsterdam. The
bathroom was bigger than my bedroom in Amsterdam. It’s a self- contained
apartment. Lots of positives but also a few negatives- like dirty hand marks on the walls, no desk- I’m sitting on the bed to type-, cupboards designed by a
giant with a sense of humour- I couldn’t even reach the clothes hangers,
minimal power outlets- and quite dark at night. But fridge, sink, jug, toaster,
tea/ instant coffee sachets and the usual crockery/ cutlery/ pots/ pan for two
and a hot plate, but no microwave? And other than marks on the walls, well
presented.
Dumped my things then went to the nearby supermarket and
imagine my JOY!!!!!! Not only GF but LF products too. So if Hungary can do it, every place should. Bought some supplies to make some meals. 4291 huf = $21.45.
Next time I’m taking my Hungarian dictionary. No idea what some of the products
were. Some with pictures were obvious, but others - even the pictures didn’t
help. A short walk back to the apartment, put away the shopping and had a
shower. My ankles were quite swollen, even with travelling socks. I was surprised because it had been train travel and I'd never had that problem on the plane?
I made a fresh salad with cooked potato and a fried piece of
stale GF bread, washed down by a cup of tea. Then sat on the bed to type up my
diary. Already 9:45.
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