Tuesday 20 July 2010 Wernigerode

Off for a train ride today from Wenigerode to Brocken, the highest point in the Hatz Mountains.
Our train is due to depart at 09:44 and after a slight diversion (closed road) we arrive at the station Wernigerode Westerntor by 09:00.
Before we set off I asked Sheila Nicholas, who is a fluent German speaker, if she would accompany me into the ticket office as there is very little English spoken.
She is a great help as the lady speaks less than a little English and is expecting 50 people as opposed to the 38 we have. It should be 40 but one of the group is not feeling well and has gone back to the hotel with her partner.
Anyway when the ticket lady realises we are less than 50 there is much shaking of head and making of phone calls! A man appears with a clipboard that shows 50 crossed out and replaced with 40. He seems happy with the situation so the lady seems happy with the situation, and if they're happy I'm happy!
I am given a receipt and the tickets and go back to the coach to hand them out.
Sheila did a grand job and I am very grateful although I did manage to book the taxi myself! I had asked the ticket lady if she could call one for me and she just gave me a number.
It is very hot once again as we wait on Gleis 1 for our train. I am not sure if we have a reserved carriage as we all have individual tickets but I will soon find out!
We are boarding the train at the second stop, the first being a couple of minutes back down the line.
Our train is late! Very unusual for Germany! Only by a couple of minutes though.
The train arrives and it is a bit of a scrum to get on but we do have a reserved carriage which a young lady is stopping other passengers from entering. The three train guards are all young ladies which is another unusual thing.
I am pleased we have our own carriage as the train seems full already.
After another couple of stops I think they must be sitting on the roof! They just seem to cram more in at each stop. With the open doors and windows it isn't too hot.
I enjoy the hour and forty minute journey as we wind our way through many trees to the top at Brocken.
This was once a listening post for the East German Secret Police and there is a museum all about this at the top. It is all in German but you can catch the gist of it and they even have a piece of the Berlin Wall on show.
There are a couple of restaurants and a hotel as well as a large communications tower that looks more like a space rocket.
The views from the top of the museum are glorious and we are fortunate to have such a nice clear day. Even though we are nearly 1200m aove sea level it is still very warm.
Our train down is due to depart at 13:14 and twenty minutes before its departure I wander down to the platform to wait. So do about a thousand other people! We will never get all of these people on the train. I hope we have a reserved carriage, and if we have then a guard is keeping it for us as there is going to be an almighty lot of pushing and jostling to get on board.
The train arrives and it is bedlam. I can't find our carriage so tell everybody to just get on the train. We find our carriage near the back and the lady guard is stopping the hordes from entering. I manage to call back most of the group and we sit in relative comfort. Some of the passengers have got on and found seats and they do not want to give these up!
They manage to squeeze everybody on and pick up more along the way. Health and Safety what's that!
Once back in Wernigerode we have some free time to explore this pretty town. It is still very hot and ice creams seem to be the order of the day. As I walk into town I pass a few (no names!) eating large pieces of cake that look delicious.
We are back at the hotel by 17:20 after what I think has been a very successful day.
I am enjoying this trip which always makes working easier.