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Safe Arrival

 Guten Morgen aus Deutschland!

It's Thursday afternoon on a sunny day in Regensburg, and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. We had to come half-way around the world to find summer. 

Coming half-way around the world took over 24 hours all told. We had a 9+ hour ride on the first leg, landing in Frankfort, then a 40 minute hop to Munich. I have been trying my German language skills on every encounter, except for last evening, which I will relate below. Everyone I've spoken German with has been kind, and I've been largely successful. In Munich we had to catch a train to Regensburg, and that's when things seemed to be falling apart...

We missed our Regensburg train by 10 seconds! Our bags were heavy and bulky, and I was needing to use my cane to support my knee by then, and we just couldn't walk fast enough. The trains in Germany seem to run right on time!

Just an hour later, the next train arrived, and we were off. I did not pick up a book or my phone, there was just too much to see. The countryside was dotted with small farms with corn and cabbage fields, and villages with white churches with tall steeples. It reminded us somewhat of the Pennsylvania countryside. 

We arrived an hour late in Regensburg because of the missed train, and thus missed our rendezvous with the son of our landlord who was going to pick us up, and unfortunately, we hadn't had time to get our SIM cards, nor did we have the son's phone number, anyway. We ended up walking half a block to a hotel and spending the night there. It was after 9PM by that time. I wasn't speaking German by then, either. Good thing hotel desk staff knows English!

BUT, things looked brighter in the morning. Having stayed in the hotel, we were able to have a good breakfast there, which was handy, since we wouldn't have had anything at our new lodgings to eat yet. I could have arranged things better on my plate, as the turkey slice is hiding the delicious cheese. I picked out the bread roll (Brötchen) that closest matched the one I've seen on videos about Germany and have been eager to try. It did not disappoint. 

 Our landlord's son met us and took us to our apartment and gave us an orientation to all things different between Germany and the US. I think I will save that for another entry. After we had unpacked, we made our first foray to a bakery and a grocery store. It was a paltry 1/8 of a mile to reach them.  I totally interacted in both places in German and did not have to default to English once. And my homework paid off. I had watched several videos on shopping in a Germany grocery store. I knew how to insert a coin (which gets refunded) in the grocery cart to get it out, and could read the labels on the items in the store. I knew what things to look for that we wanted to try. I also knew that they don't bag the groceries for you, or even provide bags. We were prepared. We were only limited only on how much we could carry, but with the store almost within spitting distance, we can always go back. In fact, most Germans shop daily or every-other day. But then, they don't have to worry about earthquakes or being snowed in.

One more thing for today...Jet lag. I don't seem to feel any. Maybe because on the flight over, they served us dinner, then darkened the cabin for 5 or so hours. I learned in all my research that I should try to sleep on the plane, and I did, albeit fitfully. Somehow I got some sleep, because there was a lapse of time. We were in transit all day, and didn't get to bed until after 10PM local time. We woke up at 7AM and started on our adventure in Germany. 


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