Gelsenkirchen to Hameln

It’s a huge fallacy that trains in Europe run on time.  Yesterday, getting from Duisburg to Gelsenkirchen, a journey of 15 minutes, took me almost an hour.  Today, I catch four trains.  The first was 10 minutes late.  No big deal.  The second was also 10 minutes late.  That wiped out my 9 minute transfer time, which means that I will arrive in Hameln two hours late.  Yes – missed a train by a couple of minutes and arrive two hours late.  I’m currently sitting in McDonalds in Paderborn, writing this blog to kill the 80 minutes waiting time until my fourth train leaves.  Thankfully, I managed to call my accommodation and let them know.  My first phone call in German (which ended in English, so that was easier!)

Pretty nice rail bridge on the left hand side

I'm in Hameln now, but this will be a very bare post, as I was travelling from 9.30am to 5.00pm. I have a two-roomed apartment in the Altstadt, the old city.

You can see my suitcase in the doorway of the building.  My apartment is on the ground floor

Suitcase in bottom right.  I love the Fachwerkhäuser (half-timbered houses)

Dining / living area

Looking back the other way at the kitchen end, with the bathroom through the open door

And the bedroom

I went for a wander in Hameln, looking for something to eat.  It's absolutely gorgeous.  Tomorrow you'll have to put up with heaps of photos of beautiful buildings, but not tonight, 'cos it's raining.