Perkere!

Well, we’ve finally reached Prague (hopefully, I am writing this on the train and will post it when we reach our hostel). We missed our first train this morning – 6:31 am was just too hardcore for us. We just barely missed it, too. But, we persevered and figured out the public transportation system in Amsterdam a little too well, and went the wrong way multiple times, but we finally made it Amsterdam Centraal station. We then renegotiated our travel plans, got on the 8:04 train to Frankfurt, arrived in Frankfurt at 11:51, got out next train to Nurnberg at 12:02 (same platform, thank goodness), and from Nurnberg we’re getting a bus to Prague. Which will (has) land(ed) us in Prague at around 6:30pm. Simon, our couchsurfing host, was awesome today – he woke up with us and walked us to the station where we missed our train, and then helped us get on a bus in the right direction. He was a champ. He also made us awesome pancakes with jalapenos, ham, and cheese last night for dinner. Best couchsurfing host ever. Hands down. He made our stay in Amsterdam totally awesome.

So,today we really spent just staring out train windows at beautiful little German towns and lush countryside. We had a nice meal on the train to Nurnberg, and generally just chilled on transportation all day. We’re staying in a hostel until my parents get to Prague on the 7th, then we’re moving to the hotel they’re in.

Real time update: Wurzberg is absolutely gorgeous. The sun is shining and all of the buildings by the river are old and brick and everything is gloriously green, and there’s a ferris wheel and a castle on a hill. Maybe on a trip through Germany, Wurzberg should be recommended.

I’m finally over my old, almost fully; I’m left with a stuffier nose than usual, but otherwise I beat the bastard hardcore with those good Belgian pharmaceuticals.

I’m a little put out we didn’t stay in Germany, but we didn’t find a couchsurfer – stayed rather too long in Amsterdam, and figured Prague was as good as anywhere to go next, since we have a bed there. I’ll come back to Germany someday.

If you don’t have to be anywhere fast, train travel is so the way to go. Apart from the fact that you’re not hanging precariously miles in the air moving super fast, nor are you stuck in your seat driving a car, trains offer awesome views, totally comfortable seats, and, despite the distinct lack of train-legs, you can wander around and stretch out. Train tracks also go through some awesome places that roads don’t, or that shops on roads have cut down. The forests around the train tracks are rather magical and dense and untouched by man (except for the loud clanging train going through at all hours, of course). But when you’re in the speeding hunk of loud metal, outside the window seems idyllic and awesome.

The sky is a super deep blue today, and there are big puffy clouds stopping the sun from coming through all the time (which is good for computer glare, but disappointing when the warmth from the window is taken away from you!).

I didn’t really take any photos today, when we actually get off the train and into Prague that might change, but I doubt it since we’re getting in rather late. So, I shall leave you with a picture of our train dining experience, the first of what I guess will be many to come.

Maria enjoying her good bread and seedy salad, with her awesome ginger-orange lemonade, and my chilli con carne, with beef that’s travelled more than I have!

Also, Perkere is the Finnish word for ‘fuck!’ which just doesn’t sound angry at all when you say it. We had a joke about curse words in different languages and perkere is just so cute to be coming out of a Finnish lumberjack’s mouth. D’awww.