Berlin

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  Berlin, Germany
Tuesday, July 29, 2008

We arrived in Berlin I think about 10 minutes late and I had nothing to lose so I started running full pelt up to platforms 12 and 13, yelling 'Bitte! Bitte!' as I hurtled up the escalators, much to the annoyance of the people there as I no doubt whacked them with my backpack. But when I got up the two flights of escalators I could see the main departures board and while the 2137 was still up there, it was at Platform 8!! So I ran back down again shouting '8, 8, where is platform 8?' forgetting that I should  be shouting 'acht' for 8. My legs felt jelly at this point but the adrenaline kept them going. I saw the train and although there still seemed to be people waiting beside it I ran down the platform. By this point I was in a full on asthma attack. I got to the first train door and stopped bent over with my backpack still on, and the people there were miming taking it off but I couldn't. I fell down onto one knee at which point one of the men came dashing over and they hauled me onto the step. I mimed an inhaler and we got my backpack off and my inhaler out and me properly onto the train. A few puffs later I could speak and the train guard looked a bit concerned but left us to it for a bit while the train pulled off.

I gathered myself together and found my compartment. It was a 3 berth and I was sharing with a Spanish girl and her mother. We all agreed it was the nicest night train we had ever slept on! I even took photos I was that impressed! Well I did pay 32 euros for it, which is about £25, compared to the £4 for my Belgrade to Sofia sleeper/couchette I ended up on instead, £8 for my VT-Bucharest couchette, and £7 for my Bucharest-Budapest couchette. Although I did pay 30 euros for my Cologne to Vienna one and that wasnt anywhere near as nice as this one. There was even a shower at the end of each carriage! I had a quick jump in and it was gorgeous,just the right temperature and pressure, if not a little weird to be showering on a train! There was also a washbasin in our compartment. When the guard came round checking our tickets he asked if we wanted tea or coffee in the morning and said he'd give us a 5.45 wake up call as our train arrived at 6:11. I was a bit taken aback at the coffee thing, and then in the morning I discovered what the wake up call was. Not the usual banging on the door but an alarm by your bed! There is a central control panel where he sets individual alarms that you then turn off by your bed!! I had a lovely nights sleep as well. The beds were proper beds, not seat/seat backs that fold down and so were very comfy and we had proper pillows and a duvet! The others were getting off at Brussels as well (the train terminated in Paris) and we all got given our breakfast bags. We had a box of food (croissant, bread roll, apricot jam, ham pate, margarine, orange juice, milk and sugar for coffee/tea) and a drink, which I wasn't at all expecting but was very glad for! All in all, it was the best night train journey I have ever had. I bet the dining car if there was one was bloody good as well. I arrived in Brussels, about 1 minute late. You gotta love that German efficiency!

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