David and I are back from our whirlwind US adventure! We spent a week in NY and 4 days in Atlanta, and returned Sunday-Monday of this week. David is an amazingly easy-going baby, and did not seem to mind the flights at all. He also didn't mind the 3 hour train ride to Frankfurt, so after a perfect 9 1/2 hour flight from Atlanta to Frankfurt, I was expecting a pleasant--if sleepy-- train ride home. Here's what happened:
I got on the train with plenty of time to spare, and found a nice seat. Thinking "ahh...3 hours until we change trains at Weimar, then 15 minutes to Jena!" I got out my nursing cover, my beverage, and my Time magazine and settled in to feed David. Just as he started to eat, the train stopped and the conductor said something about the last stop, and everyone having to get off. Not a good sign. I scrambled to get my stuff together, checked my ticket (bright idea--should obviously have done so sooner) and saw that there were, in fact, TWO transfers.
So off we ran to the platform, where I heard an announcement about a 10 minute delay. I waited, and waited, and then a train came that was not my train, so I waited some more. I finally asked a conductor, who explained that my train was long gone. There was a platform change, and I hadn't heard it.
Pleading poor-German listening comprehension skills, I got them to stamp my ticket so that it would work on the next train, which left in about 2 hours. I called Michael, and spent almost 2 hours feeding David and trying to find a bathroom with a changing table! Finally, the next train was set to leave, so I headed for the platform...only to see a sign saying that this train had been canceled. Not delayed, mind you, just canceled! I nearly burst into tears. Instead, I wandered aimlessly muttering to myself and to God--aloud, I fear. Fortunately, I stumbled past another platform that claimed to be an "Ersatzzug" (replacement train) for my train! Would have been nice to have put that sign on OUR platform, but what can you do.
So in the end, we rode back on a very, very slow train with very few seats...it must have been ages since this train was in regular rotation. The passengers were all so grumpy, that nobody even offered me a seat--despite David strapped to my chest in the Ergo. (This is atypical. I'm telling you, we were a surly bunch.) I had a funny fold down seat, perpendicular to the others, but it was rather awkward.
AND I hadn't had a chance to call Michael! So I was an hour late, and he was worried, but in the end we got home safely. I can't blame him at all, but David was not a very pleasant traveling companion for the last hour or so of the trip :)
So that was our adventure!!! I should add, the trip itself was absolutely wonderful. I will write more about it, and post pictures of David meeting his cousins and playing with his many aunts and uncles, but for now I thought I'd just share our unfortunate last leg of the trip. Not sure why, come to think of it, but there it is.
One more thing: David is terribly jet-lagged. Last night was a total disaster--by far the worst night we've had since he was born--so tonight we tried to keep him up as late as possible. The plan was 11:30. We made it to 9pm. Here's how David felt about it:
It's not very nice to take pictures of your own child as he cries, and begs to just be put to bed, but his little face is just so cute I couldn't help it!
To be fair, there were some fun times too:
That's it for now! I have a new plan, and I hope to stick with it. Henceforth I will try to write a SHORT post every day or two. The longer I go between posts, the more compelled I feel to post a million photos. Instead, I will now aim for short anecdotes with one or two pictures. Here's hoping!
