1-36pm (Cape Town time) 12-36 in Innsbruck, Austria
Yayyyyyy!!! 25 hours after leaving our home in Cape Town we’ve arrived at the first hotel! The dying days of summer are here. Cooler days are ahead and the surrounding mountain tops are covered with snow. The view from the Ibis Hotel is spectacular…this is from the passage window round the corner from our room…
Mike & Julian have gone off to explore, but I am feeling so tired, after having a serious lack of sleep on the plane last night. I am going to post this blog and then have a nap. To get here was an adventure in experimentation of the German train system, something I’ve never done! It had it’s nerve shattering and amusing moments.
After an uneventful night on the plane, we arrived in Munich, Germany at 7-15am this morning…
Immediately we set about finding the train to Munich Central. “Use the ticket machine”, we were told, so we did…Voila…
Safely on the train, we enjoyed the passing scenery…
We were getting off at Munich Central station. Now in my (very limited) experience of catching trains to Central stations, I know that when you get there, everyone gets off, the train waits a while, a whole stack of people get on and off it goes in the direction in which it had come. So when the train stopped, I gathered myself, my suitcase, my backpack and my handbag and started for the door. Mike & Julian had already got off. Before I could get to the door, it started to close! AAAAAAAH!!!!! I thrust my arm into its small gap and with the help of the lady behind me, we forced it open and I jumped out, with my luggage clunking behind me. I couldn’t believe it. Another 30 seconds and the train was gone! By God’s grace, we happened to have got off on the right side and almost immediately found a sign saying ‘to regional trains.’ When the route got a bit vague, we asked a very willing young man who directed us most of the way there. I had studied the trains out of Munich to Innsbruck in great detail before coming on this trip, so when I got to the counter, I knew exactly what I wanted. I booked the three of us on the 9-31am direct train to Innsbruck. Strangely, though, the booking lady asked if I wanted to reserve seats (for 4 euros extra each!). I said ‘no, we were early enough and would go immediately to the platform.’ This we did and soon enough the train arrived and with 15 or 20 minutes to spare we climbed aboard and found seats. It was only after people started boarding and squinting at pieces of paper above our seats that we realised we were sitting in reserved seats! AAARGH! Why hadn’t I paid the extra 4 euros! With lashings of humour and with the explanation of a lovely Italian girl, we gathered our baggage and walked through all the carriages until we found an unreserved cabin and we settled down for a very pleasant 2 hour trip to Innsbruck! You live and learn.
Counting your blessings is the right thing to do. This morning on the plane, I did my Bible reading and was reminded of counting my blessings when I read Psalm 103:2-5
2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s
The benefits (blessings) of the Lord are great indeed – forgiveness, healing, redemption, love, compassion, good things & youthfulness, all free of charge, splashed lovingly on us by the Lord God Himself.
So this afternoon & this evening we see a bit of Innsbruck, then tomorrow it’s off to Verona…
I’ve got free access to the internet at the hotel and tomorrow when we get to Italy, we’ll be looking for an Italian sim card.
God bless you loads!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂
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