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I like traveling by train. I like gazing out the window to watch the countryside pass. I like the steady rhythm of the train. I like how almost every passenger and employee who passes by smiles at Sharkdog. But I've learned an important lesson on this trip to Croatia. The train ride is only as pleasant as the other passengers around you.
Brian and I make seat reservations when we travel because we don't like having to try to find a seat with Sharkdog. On our trip to Croatia, we had seats in a small compartment that had six seats. When we found our compartment, there were already three people in there. So much for the empty compartment I was hoping for. But I didn't really mind, the other passengers looked nice enough. That is, until two of them started sucking face. I kid you not, these two kissed for the first half hour or so and intermittently through the rest of their journey. I felt bad for the third guy in the compartment -- who was traveling with these two lovebirds -- because at least we only had to watch the make out sessions while we were on the train together. They got off in Graz, maybe two hours into the trip. Three girls joined us in Graz and traveled in our compartment for about half an hour before getting off the train. Then we had the cabin to ourselves the rest of the trip (3.5 to 4 more hours).
On our way home the next day, we were in an open train rather that one with small compartments. That part wasn't bad. But the girls sitting across the aisle from us where awful. They talked (loudly) the whole time. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, they were so pretentious. They went on and on about their future travel plans and when they're going to get married and have kids. One of them talked about how she was looking forward to her babymoon -- you know, like a honeymoon, only right before the baby comes. The other girl talked about her scuba diving team, hiking Mount Machu Picchu as a teenager and her trip to the Galapagos Islands. ("In my defense," she said in reference to her visit to the Galapagos Islands, "it was years ago before there was a waiting list visit the islands.") Finally about two hours before we arrived back in Vienna I realized that I should just turn on my iPod. I had to turn the volume really high, but that did the trick.
Despite not having the best luck in seating arrangements, I still enjoyed the trip. We spent about 13 hours on the train and 15 hours (mostly sleeping) in Croatia. But this wasn't really a pleasure trip and it served it's purpose.
Enough talking, here are a few photos from the trip.
Sharkdog found this nice cozy spot under the train seat. He was under here during one of the passport checks. He was very sneaky. But he came out before the next passport check, so he's not really that sneaky.
There was a festival in the town square and these old folks were really getting after it. They were the only ones dancing, but there were quite a few people sitting around watching them and enjoying the music.
In another part of the town square, there was more music from these Hare Krishna practitioners.
Brian and Sharkdog enjoyed watching the scenery.
And here are some of the lovely sights taken through the train window.
2 comments:
Good pictures, I especially like that picture of Brian and Sharkdog!
That last picture looks like a postcard! Gorgeous!
As for uncomfortable train trips, my most uncomfortable one was the time when we were going from Copenhagen to Amsterdam and some 40-ish Kuwaiti dude spent the whole night chain smoking stinky cigarettes and staring at me like was "what's for dinner." Creeeeeepy.
But the uber-PDA couple sounds like a compartment full of yuck, too! I don't want my creepy, lecherous smoker to take away from the undeniable ick of your seat mates.
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