The 7:35 to Aachen

"Oh, well.....Alright." I said when the train agent at the station in Copenhagen said that the train would be delayed for 30 minutes. I used to work on the railroad many years ago and a 30 minute delay was standard...no big deal....and no matter that this is Europe in the 21st Century where you can set your watch by the trains. 30 minutes didn't sound major to me and I was ready to walk back to the kiosk and have a coffee and wait.

"Yes, sir," the agent said, "the train will be delayed for 30 minutes because outside of town the train hit someone."

I did a double take...."did she just say that the train hit someone?" I wondered.

"Yes, the train hit someone and none of the trains in the station or coming into the station are moving...because the train hit someone." She emphasized.

I did look around and note that passengers were backed up. Trains in the station were idle and many tracks were empty without incoming trains. Track #8 where she assured me that the train bound for Hamburg would be...was empty.

I realized how strange it was for a train official (or any official) to explain the real, actual reason for a delay.

In America, if the Hindenburg crashed in Times Square...the police would say, "We're experiencing traffic delay because of air-turbulence" even if the blimp were smoldering in the middle of the Square. Or if suddenly the earth opened up with a gaping volcanic hole...the local authoritie would say..."there's nothing here to see folks...please move along!"

But not so in Denmark....they are going to make sure that you don't blame the late train on the train system....no, the reason the train was delayed was because someone drove on the tracks in front of the train. 

"Not OUR fault!" They seemed to be saying.

Ten minutes later everyone on platform #8 rushed away when over the loud speaker, they made some official announcement in Danish. The train official looked at me and remembered that I spoke English to her earlier.....

"Run!" She said....."The Hamburg train is leaving on platform #5!"

And so my day began....

         

"Over the Top" is the best way to describe my final church in Copenhagen. The photo above is of a four foot high elephant carved into the back wall of the sanctuary.

          

Now stand farther away and you'll see that there are two elephants who are carrying on their backs....the magnificent organ pipes and their ornate wooden structure. Stop....really look at it.....you can see some people in the lower left corner...to get an idea how huge and ornate this structure is.

Apparently Denmark had a region of India which they referred to as a colony at one time....hence the elephants.

          

The pulpit with its golden covering and behind it is the altar. The preacher addresses the congregation at a 90 degree angle from the altar.

               

Baptismal Fount....an alabaster marble fount....surrounded by 16 cherubs and ornate golden railings.

                          

Six foot high cherubs surround the front of the sanctuary.

                         

And if you are ambitious enough to climb to the summit of the church spire...as I did yesterday (and blogged about it yesterday)....you'll finally reach the curved metal steps on the outside of the spire.

There was a lot going on in that church....I hope it also had some worship.

           

But it was time to head out of Copenhagen and take the train....which was supposed to be on track #8 but was now on track #5....due to the fact that "The train hit someone!" on the outskirts of the city.

          

Even train stations have a sense of style and grandiosity. I liked this one. It was like a giant food court which just happens to have trains coursing through its center. I arrived at 6:45...fully prepared to leave on time but was delayed.

When we finally left the station 28 minutes late....it dawned on me that the time for my connecting train in Hamburg was but 30 minutes. I knew it would be a photo finish.

            

Some time ago, I recall looking at the map and wondering how a land-based train in Denmark would make it to another land mass that is Germany....with a sea in between. About 90 minutes into the journey our cars were loaded onto a ferry. Everyone got out of the train car and walked to the upper decks of the ferry and enjoyed a meal or a beer and watched the sea pass between us.

We said Good-bye to Denmark and 45 minutes later...hello to Germany. And now I was still 26 minutes behind time...which meant I had 4 minutes to spare. The German guy across from me on the train looked up some other trains for me to catch to make my final destination in Aachen, Germany.....should I miss this Hamburg connection.

He told the train conductor of my tight time schedule....the conductor looked at my ticket and said.....

"I think you will make it."

Which was easy for him to say....since he did not have to run through a train station to catch a train to Düsseldorf.

As we approached the station in Hamburg...the conductor said...."Go to platform #13 (which did not seem like a good omen).

I raced across the platforms and made the train to Düsseldorf as it was about to leave. Seconds to spare.

The next two train transfers hardly rate a mention.

I arrived at my destination of Aachen about 6:30 pm.

                

The Aachen Cathedral (above) is the main reason I made this a stopover in my trip. I had my hotel all booked and confirmed and paid in advance. At the station I hailed a cab and he took me to my place. But what I had not realized was that this was a totally hi-tech place. No front desk. No one around. You needed a 5 digit pass code to get in the front door. I tried various ways to contact the web site...but I was locked out of the place. 

Finally another patron came out and he explained that the establishment emailed him a code the day before arrival.

I checked my emails...nothing.

He suggested that I check my Spam file....I did and there it was...THE 5 digit code.

The man said that I'd have to use it to unlock this door and then another door...using code boxes...and then upstairs there was an automatic sign-in and I would receive my room number and code from a machine to get into my room.

"The rooms are really very nice, it's just that you have to submit all these codes. Good luck!" He said as he headed across the cobblestone street.

                    

I coded past the first door...and coded past the second door. Went upstairs to the hallway and signed in on a hi-tech machine. I received my room number and the code to open my door.

I tried the code, and tried the code. I tried it for 20 minutes at least 50 times. I could hear a little "click" on the door latch...but nothing worked. Nothing. There was no one to call. No one around. I was standing in a dark, though well appointed, hallway with no room to enter. I even thought....Good God, if I do manage to get in the room....and leave and return .... Will I ever get back INTO the room where my stuff is?

                         

I pulled out my charge card and headed down the street to find another hotel...one with a person at the front desk....one that would allow me to enter a room and sleep.

And so my day ended......

Peace,  Bob