The subsequent entries on my Germany trip were entered on 21 October 2007, based on the summary I had written during my time in France and also from the pictures. And perhaps what little memory I had on the trip.
I don’t know what prompted me take all the trouble to travel from Rennes to Munich, but it was definitely a tedious process. Perhaps the excitement of meeting a fellow Singaporean, or maybe a chance of a romantic holiday with a pretty.
I started off the journey at 630am. Took the usual bus to the town centre where the train station is. From there, I took the TGV train to Paris Montparnasse, which was about 2hrs 50min. Once I reached Paris, I took the airport express to the airport Charles De Gaulle. SwissAir was the cheapest flight I can find online, but it required a transition at Zurich. From Zurich, I took another short flight to Munich and finally the train from Munich airport to Rosenheimer Station.
Total traveling time: 12 hrs
Fatigue Level: Very high
Excitement: Very Low
I started off at 630am, and ended up at my destination at 630pm. What I did during the 12 hrs of travel to pass time, I could not recall. Sleep, perhaps.
There was a small incident while boarding the plane at Paris. As I bought my air ticket online, I had to print out the confirmation email and present it to the counter during check-in. The assistant gave me the boarding pass and said that the email serves as the electronic ticket. However, during boarding, the personnel said that I needed the real ticket and would not let me pass. The plane was all gearing to go and I was the last passenger boarding. In the end, another personnel asked me to take the passenger minibus and join up with the rest of the passengers. He would run to the check-in counter to print the ticket for me.
So I followed his instruction and while climbing the steps up the plane escorted by one of the attendants, that personnel who ran off to get my ticket drove his little buggy to the plane. Once again another close shave.
At the Rosenheimer Station, I waited anxiously for xp. I wonder would she recognize me. I sure wouldn’t miss her, since she looks like Kelly Chen. But the train station was so big, and we didn’t agree on a particular spot to meet. It was a very risky thing because we did not have each other’s contact except email, and if my flight were to delay, she would have waited in vain.
Fortunately, none of these mishaps occurred and I finally saw her. Can’t remember what the situation was like. But she sure looked cool as ever, not the least excited about seeing me. But I was thrilled to meet a Singaporean finally (not counting hui of course)! Still I played down my excitement, in case she thinks I have a crush over her. She brought me to her apartment and it was a nice little cosy home. We chatted a little on individual life over the past few months abroad, and I was envious of her. At that point, I thought I would want a job that provides me with the opportunity to go overseas for training. In this way, I would have fellow Singaporean colleagues to hang out with, min. responsibility, and can take leave during that period to tour the country. But that isn’t the case now of course.
Having rested a bit, she then brought me to a fantastic restaurant. Initially she intended to bring me to another classier one, which she had been to with her colleagues but somehow she lost her way and in the end, we stumbled into one that was hidden underground. It was below a BeerGarden.
The restaurant had a very good ambience, and looked high-class. But the food wasn’t expensive. XP recommended I try their local delicacy, the fried pork knuckle. It was a gigantic piece of pig trotter, fried in a hideous looking way. I can’t recall the taste. It was nothing special I guess. However, the beer that I had was one of the best. Paulaner. We do have a Paulaner branch at Millennium Walk and can find this brand also in other bars like Brewerkz. However, the authentic Munich beer was much more fragrant. There wasn’t a tint of bitterness in it.
We talked mostly about canoeing life back in HJC. During the 2 years in JC, I don’t think I have spoken to her before. And now by chance or fate, we are dining at a German restaurant in Munich. And I probably wouldn’t know that she was in Germany at the time had we not bumped into each other at Double O prior to our arrival in Europe.
The train bound for Berlin was at 11pm. Even though I was dead tired after traveling for 12hrs, I couldn’t get to sleep as it was very uncomfortable sleeping in the train. The lights were not off until after 1am. And the controller came to check our tickets only at 2am. XP had a better night, as she had with her an inflatable neck rest and a blind.
We reached Berlin at 7 in the morning.
I don’t know what prompted me take all the trouble to travel from Rennes to Munich, but it was definitely a tedious process. Perhaps the excitement of meeting a fellow Singaporean, or maybe a chance of a romantic holiday with a pretty.
I started off the journey at 630am. Took the usual bus to the town centre where the train station is. From there, I took the TGV train to Paris Montparnasse, which was about 2hrs 50min. Once I reached Paris, I took the airport express to the airport Charles De Gaulle. SwissAir was the cheapest flight I can find online, but it required a transition at Zurich. From Zurich, I took another short flight to Munich and finally the train from Munich airport to Rosenheimer Station.
Total traveling time: 12 hrs
Fatigue Level: Very high
Excitement: Very Low
I started off at 630am, and ended up at my destination at 630pm. What I did during the 12 hrs of travel to pass time, I could not recall. Sleep, perhaps.
There was a small incident while boarding the plane at Paris. As I bought my air ticket online, I had to print out the confirmation email and present it to the counter during check-in. The assistant gave me the boarding pass and said that the email serves as the electronic ticket. However, during boarding, the personnel said that I needed the real ticket and would not let me pass. The plane was all gearing to go and I was the last passenger boarding. In the end, another personnel asked me to take the passenger minibus and join up with the rest of the passengers. He would run to the check-in counter to print the ticket for me.
So I followed his instruction and while climbing the steps up the plane escorted by one of the attendants, that personnel who ran off to get my ticket drove his little buggy to the plane. Once again another close shave.
At the Rosenheimer Station, I waited anxiously for xp. I wonder would she recognize me. I sure wouldn’t miss her, since she looks like Kelly Chen. But the train station was so big, and we didn’t agree on a particular spot to meet. It was a very risky thing because we did not have each other’s contact except email, and if my flight were to delay, she would have waited in vain.
Fortunately, none of these mishaps occurred and I finally saw her. Can’t remember what the situation was like. But she sure looked cool as ever, not the least excited about seeing me. But I was thrilled to meet a Singaporean finally (not counting hui of course)! Still I played down my excitement, in case she thinks I have a crush over her. She brought me to her apartment and it was a nice little cosy home. We chatted a little on individual life over the past few months abroad, and I was envious of her. At that point, I thought I would want a job that provides me with the opportunity to go overseas for training. In this way, I would have fellow Singaporean colleagues to hang out with, min. responsibility, and can take leave during that period to tour the country. But that isn’t the case now of course.
Having rested a bit, she then brought me to a fantastic restaurant. Initially she intended to bring me to another classier one, which she had been to with her colleagues but somehow she lost her way and in the end, we stumbled into one that was hidden underground. It was below a BeerGarden.
The restaurant had a very good ambience, and looked high-class. But the food wasn’t expensive. XP recommended I try their local delicacy, the fried pork knuckle. It was a gigantic piece of pig trotter, fried in a hideous looking way. I can’t recall the taste. It was nothing special I guess. However, the beer that I had was one of the best. Paulaner. We do have a Paulaner branch at Millennium Walk and can find this brand also in other bars like Brewerkz. However, the authentic Munich beer was much more fragrant. There wasn’t a tint of bitterness in it.
We talked mostly about canoeing life back in HJC. During the 2 years in JC, I don’t think I have spoken to her before. And now by chance or fate, we are dining at a German restaurant in Munich. And I probably wouldn’t know that she was in Germany at the time had we not bumped into each other at Double O prior to our arrival in Europe.
The train bound for Berlin was at 11pm. Even though I was dead tired after traveling for 12hrs, I couldn’t get to sleep as it was very uncomfortable sleeping in the train. The lights were not off until after 1am. And the controller came to check our tickets only at 2am. XP had a better night, as she had with her an inflatable neck rest and a blind.
We reached Berlin at 7 in the morning.
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