The most adventurous day was on Thursday when we traveled outside the city to the Spreewald area which is about 60 miles away. It is a lovely spot where you can canoe and hire punt-like boats to meander around the streams and marsh areas that surround the Spree river. No traffic, no graffiti, no idea how to get there. Keep in mind that Bec had traveled the entire day and night before. Was she game??? Of course!!
We arrive at the enormous Berlin Bahnhof at 9:15 in order to buy tickets and get on a train that leaves at 9:35. Complete confidence that we are going to be able to manage the computerized ticket system in a language that none of us speak? You bet!! Somehow we all miraculously rendezvous in the DB Bahn ticket office at the same time. It is 9:20. Keep in mind this is the day before Good Friday which is a national holiday here, so everyone is trying to get home for the long 4 day weekend. It's like Grand Central in there. The lines for the helpful human beings at the kiosks are too long so we head for the ticket machine. After 5 minutes of trying to type in Lubbenau, an incredibly nice German man who looks like he is heading to the bar right after he is done purchasing his ticket assists us with the machine. He tells us that there is a special fare and all 6 of us can travel to Lubbenau for 28 Euros - round trip. No way. That is a round trip ticket for a city 60 miles away for only 7 bucks per person.
Thank you kind German man. We miss the 9:35 train but catch the one at 10:00.
We discover once on the train, that the connection to get to Lubbenau is by bus, not another train. Becca is not thrilled. Bus is not her favorite mode of transport. Does she complain? No way!! We get off the train and discover another kind German man in a red vest who is there to assist idiots like ourselves. We ask, "The bus to Lubbenau?" -consideration, then, "I will take you there," he replies. And he proceeds to walk us to the bus. We would have never found it on our own. It is packed, every seat is taken. He gets us on.
Thank you kind German man.
As we board he states that there is another bus, a shuttle bus to get to our final destination. Becca took 2 planes to get here the day before, today she is taking 2 buses to get to some German swamp. Any gripping? Nope!! We take the shuttle bus. We get off and we are in Lubbenau. We ask for info, get a map and make our way into town to grab lunch before we get lost in the swamp. We arrive at a restaurant right by the water. It's very nice, the boys order schnitzel and sausages. There is no menu in English and Bec is not in the schnitzel mood - she's schnitzeled out after an entire 24 hours in the country. So, the nice German waitress recommends a local meal. People come from miles around to order it. Bec says, "Sure! I'm game!" It comes - it is warm pickles and chopped ham in a sour cream sauce. Really. Not the best local specialty that I've come across. Bec's not a fan of it either. Any sour words?? No way! Through sharing, nourishment is ingested by all and we are on our way.
So finally we rent the canoes and this is what we get - an hour and a half of happy paddling.
We come back to the boat house and pepper the kind German lady with questions. "Does she live there?" "What is the German word for wild goats?" "What are the wooden platforms that we see in the woods?" She gives us her card. We thank her heartily. 21 Euros for a canoe and 2 kayaks for an hour and a half. $10 per boat. We cannot believe our luck! We congratulate ourselves and head off. We head into the local tourist office to locate the nearest ice cream. We come out and the boat lady is running down the street with my passport in hand saying, "American Lady, American Lady!" I had left it with her as a deposit and I had forgotten to gather it when we had left. I cannot believe she found me.
Thank you kind German Lady.
We get the ice cream and we decide to head home. We catch the 4:11 train. We have to make a connection and discover that the next train to Berlin is not until 5:30. We rat around, the boys play baseball with a stick and an empty plastic bottle. Who needs electronics? We go and wait on the platform and the announcer makes a long stop announcement in German and somewhere in there we hear Berlin. It is 5:25. A train stops. We get on. The doors close. Something doesn't feel right. "Is the train is going to Berlin?", "No, Leipzig.'' BEEP BEEP BEEP! We leave the station and we are on the wrong train. A little panic. The conductor tells us get off in 2 stops and we can make the connection there. Our panic subsides. The stop approaches, she comes and stands by us to make sure we get off.
Thank you kind German lady.
We get off and we are in an empty rundown station. Not exactly comforting with 3 kids who are getting tired and hungry. We look at the timetable. Our platform and time are located and we head up the stairs. Only 6 minutes until is leaves. But there is a train sitting on the other track. Could it be? Let's check. "Train to Berlin?" "Ya" Rush down the stairs with the boys, run up to the other platform, open the door, sit down and the train pulls out of the station.
Thank you kind German man. And Rich for asking.
Good times.
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