June 14 – I'm writing tthis on a Intercity express train- gliding quietly through the German countryside. The sun is going down and I am somewhere between Berlin and Wittenberg. While this is officially Day 2 of the trip, in real time, it's been only 24 hours or so since I set out for Toronto. I'm still in relatively good shape, despite the lack of sleep. I think I slept a few times for a half hour to an hour at a time, and I did a lot of dozing, but I'm OK.
Let's back up to yesterday. I can't remember when I packed more into a day. I woke spontaneously at 5:30 in the morning. Here's a chronology of the day:
5:30 – Dave asks if I want to go fishing with him. It's his 50th birthday. How can I say no? Actually, we had a great time and I caught a great trout-- good omen, I think. The stream is beautiful and foggy.
8:30 – Mass with the kids. Suddenly,during the collection Georgie is moved by the generosity of stewardship to grab Rosie's purse and hand over ALL the money in her purse. Rosie was up in the front singing with me and watched helpless and aghast. Hilarious (to me!)
12:00 – We spur of the moment decided to attend the Church's breakfast to benefit Haiti. I have to say, I didn't expect to work that and fishing in too!
2:00 – Rosie's Eighth Grade Graduation from Waldorf. I actually thought I'd be more of a mess than I was-- maybe the general stress of the impending trip took my mind off it.
4:00 – my dear friend, Emily Eisenbaum took me downtown for the shuttle to Toronto. Thanks, Emily!
Everything proceeded pretty much as planned throughout the trip. Rosie had asked me to take pictures of Helsinki and I had told her that most airports looked pretty similar. NOT TRUE. I was sad that I didn't have a window seat as we were landing. I could see the landscape-- miles and miles of pine forests punctuated by red Scandinavian farmhouses that looked out of Karl Larsson or the Emil stories. The airport was small but extremely stylish-- even the bathrooms were Scandinavian modern at its most chic. I realized with sorrow, though, while in said Scandinavian bathroom that I had left my book on board the plane. The stewardess was not simpathetic and gave me the phone number of the Lost and Found, which I pessimisticly did not call.
On to Germany. Went without incident by bus to the train station-- brand new and huge. I bought a ticket as instructed to Wittenberg, and made the train without trouble. Once on the train, though, CRISIS! Where was my ticket. Had I left it on the platform? The train started to move. I was trying not to panic. I asked the guy behind me if I had left it there when I lifted my luggage up from his seat. No. I proceeded to search-- unzipping and zipping the considerable number of pockets in my considerable number of bags. Nothing. (I have to point out as an aside here that I was on a German Intercity train. They are orderly, clean and quiet as the grave-- except for all of the zip-zipping coming from the sweaty American lady with the backpack, computer, suitcase und, und, und... Endlich! In an obscure pocket of my purse I found it-- at last. Then I settled in and began to write this blog (I'm finishing it actually on Tuesday) Now I read it and it sounds so peaceful- which it was... Then, about when I was at 2:00 I heard Wittenberg announced. So soon? I grabbed my things hurriedly and made for the door. Bump, bump, bump went all of my luggage against all of the businessmen sitting in the seats. Finally at the door but how to open it. I looked around, hoping someone would save me-- no help. Then I saw two buttons. Hurriedly I smashed the one that said "Tuer Aufmachen" and the door openned and I was...free. Then, ridiculously the train waited for a good five minutes so all the passengers could observe me making my ignominious escape. Phew!
It was so quiet and beautiful at the trainstation. Quiet. I had made it. I found a phone booth and dialed my "Gastmutter", Frau Meissner (Erika) Did I want to take a taxi or should she come for me? She had no car, she explained, but would be there in 10 minutes with her bike. I've schlepped a lot of backpacks and was game for a walk, so she came on her bike. She loaded her computer in the basket of the bike and we walked to her house. I was great to be on my feet, to have arrived. I could have done twice the distance. I could tell I was going to like Frau Meissner and Iw as relieved to finally be there. Gott sei dank!
OK, you can see I'm cheating with this blog. I'm posting everything late, but there was simply no chance to do this before now (Tuesday night) and who knows when I'll be able to post this.
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