Train Travel

12th Combat Aviation BDE had a welcome home celebration in Furth (near Nurnberg) last night so we got today off work. Of course I took this as an excuse to go somewhere for the 3 day weekend. As we were already east of home due to the ball we decided to head to Prague. So this morning we woke up a bit too early to leave our Pyramid hotel (looks like the Luxor in Vegas) and head to the train station.
Five hours and one switch later we arrived at the main train station in Prague. Of course our hostel, Hostel Elf, stated it was a 10 minute walk from the train station. Naturally this is only if you know exactly where you are going. We even picked up a map and some Czech crowns at the train station but headed out the opposite of where we needed to be, then went up the wrong street. We had to start in some direction in order to see a street sign. So we head back the other direction but there seems to be an uncrossable highway standing between us and the road we need to be on. So one more stop back at the train station is in order to ask how to get across this road. Then it decided to start the freezing rain coming down in buckets. So there we were….back and forth to the train station 3 times and still not on the same road as our hostel. Finally the road appears but the building numbers seem to be going up, not down. Luckily we refused to give up because apparently the even numbers on one side of the street go up while the odd numbers on the other side go down! Who knew.

So we arrive at the hostel dripping wet and starving. This is the largest room to date with four beds even though it is just the two of us. They seem to smoke a lot in Eastern Europe – there is free tea and coffee at the hostel but the area that provides it smells like a pub.
Upon request of a good place to eat nearby we are sent to a restaurant called Shlep with a 15% discount card from the hostel. Eventually we found it (once again not a 5 minute walk even with the map on the back of the discount card!)
So I know we are in Czech but there was so much to drink last night at the ball that I just wasn’t in the mood for beer. I had a baked pasta with papardelle noodles, chicken, mushrooms and Roquefort cheese. Curt had a beef stroganoff. The atmosphere was cozy being in a solarium with low lighting, wicker seats and lots of decorations. With our discount card we got our dinners and four sodas for 500 crown including a tip, about $25.
It was cold and our clothes were still a bit wet (I got splashed by a bus in the rain storm on the way to the hostel) so we headed back to the hostel after dinner to rest and plan for tomorrow.

STILL RAINING when we wake up today around 0730. We packed up and showered before heading to breakfast. It was the same as the day before and we got some sandwiches to go also. Our bus was to pick us up at 1100 so by 1030 we checked out of the hotel (141 euro) and headed for the bus stop. The concept is that we stand out there and wait for a bus to come at 1100 that is headed to Zagreb. We buy a ticket from the bus driver and hope there is space for us. As it turns out the bus is on time and there is space but not much so I sit with a nun and curt with another woman. We were bundled up against the weather outside so the bus inside seemed stifling. We lasted the 2.5 hour ride to Zagreb bus station and found out there were no buses directly to bled – you had to stop in Ljubljana first so we headed to the train station – no one was real excited to get on another bus anyway.
Upon arriving at the train station on the crowded tram car we found the next train did not leave for Bled until 1800 and would not arrive until 2130. So disappointing but now we had 4 hours to kill in a city we didn’t much like the first time. After I pouted for awhile we left our luggage in the room with the guy (mistake cause it was 15 kuna each bag) and walked to the square for another strudel like we had the first time. After warming up, we went back to the train station to wait some more.
About 30 minutes before our train was to come we found out it was delayed by 30 minutes – JEEZ! It felt like we may never get to Slovenia. At 1900, about an hour after we were supposed to have left we finally moved away from the train station. We were continually checked, tickets, passports, customs….we spent about 30 minutes at the border of slovenia being checked again. Then once we started moving we had our ticket checked again and were told we were in 1st class. So we had to move back where we belong with the common people. At a little after 2200 we finally were dumped off in the dark, empty bus stop of Lesce Bled. I suppose I am not that good at “winging it” travel because at this point I wanted to cry. We finally realized we needed to be at the bus stop across the road and in a few short minutes a bus came to whisk us the last 4K into Bled.
Then started the hunt for a place to stay in the dark, empty streets of bled. I have to give it to Curt because he was completely calm during all of this. The first place we stopped was not open but luckily only the second place we went had a one room left. This is what he told Curt anyway but when we went to check in he asked us if we wanted a room with one large bed or separate beds?????
Anyway our worst travel day so far had come to a lucky end. The room was reasonable at 90 euro a night including breakfast. We are finally in Lake Bled!