Bregenz, Austria

Switzerland; Sunday October 24, 2010

Last night we spent our last night in Austria near the Swiss border in a town called Bregenz. It is a nice enough town situated on a lake, but we arrived late and only had time to find a meal, our hotel and then it was time for bed.

Hannover, Germany To Warsaw, Poland

Poznan: It is now 10:00 am local time, or 4:00 am EST. This train is very late. We are still a couple of hours west of  Warsaw.

The ride thus far was uneventful, with the exception of the seemingly randomness of the lights turning on and off throughout the night. It was disruptive and not conducive to sleeping.

The old woman in front of me has the right idea. She is fully reclined, sleeping mask on, covered with a fluffy blanket and snoring a deep resonating snore that is full of sleep satisfaction.

The last time we had an overnight trip on a train we booked a couchette (a sleeping car that sleeps six in bunks) and didn't sleep well at all. This time around we booked regular seating with big upholstered seats and were looking forward to a comfortable ride.

When we boarded the train, our car was pleasantly dark and everyone seemed to be fast asleep.
The large seats recline so far back, with their attached footrest that they almost become beds. We quietly settled in, ready to depart. Then we waited some more.

Finally, we began to move.

Nobody was coming for our tickets so we decided to try and sleep, they could wake us if necessary. Sleep was more important now.

Suddenly the lights came on. I thought the ticket guy was coming for my ticket. I thought wrong. The lights were on for no apparent reason, they stayed on for awhile, then after several minutes, off they went.

Suddenly they were back on again.

This was getting ridiculous and being the only two who were awake, it seemed we were the only ones on board who were bothered, although I suspect others were getting annoyed too. I see a strongly worded letter (SWL) in the future.

I used my jacket sleeve to cover my eyes and I played Mozart on the ipod. Soon I was asleep. I was out cold until I felt David poking me in the side: His remedy for loud snoring.

I slept soundly until I awoke in Berlin.

When I woke up again around 8:30 am we were in Poland and many people had left our car. It is rainy and overcast outside, which is just the way I expected Poland would be.

11:45 am Finally, an update! We will be arriving at Warsaw Central Station at 12:20 pm. I just had the best cup of tea ever, and met a lovely young lady from the UK who is also going to Warsaw.

Via Rail Schedule Changes

Starting June 1, 2008, there will be major maintenance work on the rail network in Ontario, Québec and eastern Canada.

VIA has adjusted its timetable to ensure that your travel plans stay on track. These new schedules will remain in effect until October 31, 2008.

Be sure to view the new schedules online before purchasing your tickets!

Ontario - Quebec High Speed Rail Link?

TORONTO (CBC) - Ontario and Quebec are reviving old plans to run high-speed trains between Quebec City and Windsor, Ont., the premiers of both provinces announced Thursday.

Dalton McGuinty of Ontario and Jean Charest of Quebec said they will spend $2 million to study the project and expect to have a report ready in a year. It will focus on the development of a high-speed rail system linking major cities such as Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Full Story from CBC.ca