Chapter two - we arrive on time at Nuremberg Germany at the train station we are all starving hungry after travelling nearly 4 hours on the bus, we quickly gather our luggage ( all the boys have been so good pulling their own) we race inside the terminal I'm at the front this time & head straight for the information desk with tickets in hand ( as its a bit hard to read German) gate 9 he says , we look hilarious & people are staring at as everywhere as we are all so loud running through the train terminal going up escalates with hoards of luggage ( its so comical) we just keep laughing at ourselves. We make it with 5 minutes to spare.
The train is a hi speed train & our journey should take 2&1/2 hours we don't realise that we are already travelling 255 Kim's per hr, the ride is so smooth , the ticket lady comes around she ticks us of & we proceed to ask her heaps of questions ( where is our stop - worgl - it's the 2 nd stop ) now we know what is going in, we head down to the dining carrack family spends roughly $45 on late lunch early dinner we are all starving. We eat get the iPads out , computers & good old UNO CARDS & we are entertained for the next few hours , then Mark wants to be Eddie of who wants to be a millionaire so we are all playing totally hilarious( we are all so loud & excited in our car that everyone keeps looking , what are they thinking ???? Lol
Hers our stop we are all lined up ready to get out at worgl train station, we have to go down 2 elevators then we are out the front, the scenery is out of this world , just like a postcard, "where's the welcoming party" I say to Jeni as Trishaws & Charlie are not here yet, soon 20 mins passes & we realise we got off at the wrong train stop we all erupt in laughter its 7.50 pm at night getting on dusk.... You have to laugh really , Jeni asks a cab driver whom replies we got off a stop too early but there is another train in 17 mins so once agin the GRISWALDS wih luggage in tow go racing up & down 2 elevators back on the platform waiting for the next train.we are laughing but worried what trish might be thinking ( trish is menus friend drink her school days in Maitland & she married Charlie whom is Austrian , she is now in charge on contiki hopfgarten do I'm sure she is thinking we gave missed a train somewhere??
The train arrives its a old rattler we try to charge on the train the luggage taking all the room we can't fit the train conductor is standing next to us blowing his whistle to get on but all the luggage is in the way , the dads are stressed literally throwing massive suitcases on train whilst the conducted is pissing himself laughing in his German accent.. HELPFUL HE WAS NOT... We made it..
We now arrive at Worgl the same storey as before up & down 2 elevators but no trish or Charlie. Jeni asks a cab driver whom speaks English ( thank god) where Charlie lives as hopfgarten is a town of only 6000 residents as it sits at the bottom of the ski fields. We wait 15 mins but decide to pay him the 24 euros to drive us to the town, as it's been 15 years since Jeni has been here she doesn't know where the new house is however everyone knows the biembachers.... Jeni finds trish friends house so we pull into the driveway all of a sudden there is smoke billowing from the cabs motor, Jeni & I are nearly wetting ourselves laughing ( what else could go wrong) we are doubled over in laughter the boys are shaking their heads, finally we know where trish lives thanks to the lady in the house & we arrive at her front door. She greets us with welcome arms( trish actually thought that we missed the train in Germany) not hot off at the wrong stop , trish shows us to our Gustoph which is the house next door we will be living downstairs as Austrian houses have 2 levels as this is a high tourist area in winter , it's traditional Austrian with wood everywhere the smell is magnificent so spacious & comfortable, trish has cooked us beef goulash we are starving as its 9.35 pm the beers & red wine come out ( as you all know I'm not a drinker really at all however the beer in Prague was amazing so I decide on red wine) it tastes so different here before we know it the kids are fed, & all the parents move to he dining table for a fabulous dinner , trish speaks hi German so she sounds more English as she has lived here for 25 years, Charlie speaks excellent English as he is a physiotherapist . We feel so welcomed. Then the schnapps come out and down they go, the alcohol is really cheap over here & Prague, actually cheaper than bottled water. Hilarious I now. It's now midnight & our boys are so tired we say our goodbyes & head home only next door but up a hill & Elye is straight to bed in his same clothes no shower even..... Trish surprises us with food in the kitchen ( chips chocolates , teas, juices) that sort of thing. She's amazing what a beautiful person. Austria is picture perfect there is still ice caps on the peak of the mountain as its summer here now it's suppose to be 32 everyday this week, tomorrow is our lazy day hopefully a sleepin.. Good night all.....