RUNNING FOR THE TRAIN (Zug in German) !

Roger and I arrived in Germany on 2 March, 2006. We first saw our new home in Schopfheim at 6.00pm on 10 March. We seem to have been running for the train every since!!

When we first arrived our timing to the train station was not good! It was okay for Roger, he walks faster than I do with bigger strides. To get round this I would leave for the train a little earlier than Roger (if I was organized)!!

It is a comfortable 6 minute walk to our station. That's okay, I can manage this no problem.

We do have some issues coming back from Basel though, especially if we are having dinner with friends and enjoying ourselves. Our train runs every hour from 7.50pm until midnight.

Why am I telling you all this? If you ever read in the paper about "Couple both die of heart attack running for the train at Badischer Bahnhof", then you will know it is Roger and Gaynor Ridley!! What a way to go ('cause we're always doing it').

So, Roger is recovering from his hernia operation last Friday isn't he? He has done really well and is trying to take it easy, but is a tad frustrated.

Last night we dined with our lovely Swiss friends who have a beautiful apartment on the Rhein in Basel. It was a balmy night and we were thoroughly enjoying their good company, good conversation and good food! We had already told them we didn't want a late night.

Roger and I both looked at the time and it was 9.20pm. Must go, we tell them. But 10 minutes later we were walking down the stairs. "Must hurry", Rog says as we come out the front entrance! Yes, we see our tram no 6 in the distance! Too late.

We don't want to wait 1 hour 10 minutes for the next train at Badischer Bahnhof so we decide to hot foot it to the Station. We have 14 minutes! Now remember, Rog is recovering from an operation and I have inappropriate shoes for walking fast in!!

Needless to say, we did make it, Roger walking very fast and Gaynor trotting beside him every now and then and trying to walk fast at other times!!

(Tried to find picture of our trains, but it is taking too much time!! - apologies!)



The train was running late! Roger got to the train 2 minutes before me and held the doors open. As I was coming up the stairs I heard him yell "Gayn"!! "Yes, I'm coming, hold the door"!! We both collapsed into our seats, puffing, panting, etc. My goodness we are CRAZY!!

Needless to say neither of us slept very well last night. I couldn't breath out of my nose and Rog was whacked!! We are so silly! But, "you gotta love those trains"!!