Nordsee to Ostsee .... Norderney to Bad Schwartau

My alarm clock is set for 5:00 and I don't really want to get up when it raises its ugly cacophony. 

But I have a bus to catch. And a ferry. And a train. And 4 more trains after that.  WHAT are the chances of catching them all?  

LOL, we'll see.

I'm early at the bus stop, so I get to take a few pictures before the departure at 6:58.

Fresh Fish !

It's COLD

traces of last night's Party Crowd

COLD & CONCRETE

The bus gets us to the ferry terminal at 7:10.  I'm tired & hungry.
Next surprise:  I have to pay Euro 7.20 (3.60 per day) for what they call Guest Tax to be able to board the ferry & leave the island.  HIGHWAY ROBBERY !

The view from the ferry terminal

The ferry docks at Norderney at 7:24. LATE! The first of many worries whether I will catch the connecting train on the mainland .....

An announcement on the ferry.  Any passengers hoping to take a 9:36 train must take the 8:39 train because the 9:36 has been cancelled.  
Here ... we.... go... already !  

Ah well, at least the ferry has electric outlets under EVERY single table in it's lounge. That should extend the life of my laptop during today's Rail Odyssey.

By the time I'm eating my Backfisch-baguette accompanied by a glass of Riesling, the world starts looking better ;-)

8:20.  Time to unplug the laptop and get ready to catch my first train of the day ;-)

Prompted by too many herd drinkers, I guess.

The train leaves exactly on time at 8:39.   I still have WiFi while in range of the ferry terminal, after that I'm entering the NO-WIFI zone of German Rail ;-(


Rolling, rolling, rolling .... 

9:39
One hour done. I fell asleep twice, the second time it was the ticket-checker who wakes me.  The train changes direction in Leer (literal translation: Empty), which gives me time for a quick smoke. And there is even Station WiFi for a minute, LOL.
 1.5 more hours to Bremen....

At some point I FINALLY clue in.  There is a WiFi symbol at the wall.  I check again, and this Regional Express actually has on-board WiFi.  OMG, progress!  All good...
...but unfortunately there are NO power outlets to re-charge the laptop ;-(

I'm not the only one who has figured out that when bought online two days ahead, a 1st class train ticket is barely more expensive than the 2nd class ticket.  Consequently, the 1st class is quite full. but not as horribly PACKED as 2nd class.

10:40
25 minutes to Bremen.  Let's see whether they have a currency exchange booth there....

11:20
Yup, they did have a Western Union currency exchange.  500 US$ should give me 417 Euros and they offer me 335 Euros. That's an exchange rate of .67 Euros for a Dollar instead of .835. WTF?  LOL. I keep my Dollars.  WHAT is WRONG with this country?  Regular banks don't exchange currencies anymore and Western Union rips people off shamelessly?  NICE Going !  I'm MUCH better off getting a cash advance from my credit card, and that is saying a lot !
I'm in a fancier train now (you can actually reserve seats) but it no longer has WiFi ;-(

Armes Deutschland !

11:40
The IC train is packed.  Good thing I reserved myself a seat ! Another half hour to Hamburg.  There isn't really enough time to go to the restaurant car to eat properly, even though I'm sitting right next to it. I might have to get myself a Currywurst in Hamburg because I'm getting hungry.  That Backfisch this morning was already 4 hours ago ....

12:35
Hamburg is WEIRD.  The train arrives on time. When I visit the store to buy a sandwich and some wine, a younger harmless-looking guy with an unlit cigar in his mouth and an unhappy expression in his face (at least no aggressive demeanor) grabs my upper arm HARD.  My brain must have switched to German by now, because I instantly say "Lass mich los!"  He does so instantly but seems to look even more unhappy.  Poor guy, I wish I could understand what is going on in his head.

I've been waiting on the connecting platform for a while when only 7 minutes before departure they tell me that the train is actually leaving from another platform.  Good thing I don't have a heavy suitcase.    

Finally I'm rolling towards Lu"beck ! Only ONE more train change.  And Deutsche Bahn is an example of punctuality today !   
The latest train has NO WiFi, but an electrical outlet for every two seats.  NICE !(let me rephrase: it would be nice if they worked, which they DO NOT, LOL)

Today's hotel only accepts cash payments.  The amount due is MORE than I have left in Euros.  Let's hope they have a bank machine in my destination village.

Lu"beck Central Station.  NICELY RENOVATED.  I LIKE !

I have to ride the final train (it's 5 minutes late) for only 5 minutes and I'm in the country side. 

At least that's what it looks like.  I find my guesthouse and head into town.  
Oh, there is a bank.  I cast a glance inside and instantly KNOW that they won't change foreign currency.  At least they have a bank machine and I get some Euro cash that way.  
Time to buy some munchies & wine in a supermarket.
OH!  WHAT does my eye spy ????
A bicycle rental place right next to the grocery store, LOL.  How CONVENIENT.

By 14:45 I have wine and a rental bicycle.  It doesn't have a motor.  OMG, it's hard pedaling these things uphill without a motor. I feel like a wimp!

16:45
There is a particular reason I came to this part of Germany.  I came to visit these people.... 

M&P in VH...

.... I ride my bike to their house ...
What a Great evening.  M&P master empathy and analytic thinking and have a way of expressing their conclusions in words that leave me at first speechless but then looking at myself and my microcosm in a different light.  It's enlightening, invigorating, and reminds me how important GOOD people are in one's life.  I'm also glad that my people-radar seems to be well tuned (Theirs is better tuned; I still have room for improvement). We've only talked over 2 Gin&Tonics in Vietnam and now I'm here.  For lack of a better term:  Good Stuff !

23:00
I did take the park route on the way back.  Good thing I had my cell map & GPS, otherwise I would have ended up in Hamburg, LOL.