Our time in Switzerland has come to a close , so off on another train from Lucerne to Stuttgart in Germany . We were packed early and went down for breakfast , only to find that breakfast doesn't start till 8am on weekends ? Great we need to be out and over to Lucerne to get our train , so we stayed and ate as they were bringing the breakfast out to setup . We made it over to Lucerne in plenty of time , finding our train and getting settled in for our ride .
The train pulled out 4mins late , not a big deal , we had a 10 min change over at Zurich , so should be okay . Getting off at Zurich , we find our next platform and head off , no escalator to the platform , so I carry both suitcases again , getting up to the platform just as the train doors close , and pulls away !! Here we go again , back to the information desk , and talk to the man behind the desk . He was cool and calm and gave us 2 tickets to the next train leaving in about 40mins . Found our platform and sat and waited . We travelled through countryside dotted with fields of corn , wheat , and fields of sunflowers out in bloom.
Suddenly we were going beside a river , fast flowing and lots of water crashing over rocks , there were tourist boats below the falls that you cant see in this photo - it did catch us by surprise , with no time to get ready to get better shots .
All through our travels so far we have seen a lot of wheat growing ( not a lot by Aussie standards ) but they were trying . Beside the wheat is generally sweet corn . Field sizes are also considerably smaller than back home - understandable as you can fit most of Europe & the UK into the size of Australia !! I think the wheat belt in WA would cover several European countries by itself !!
There were old castle ruins perched on top of higher hills .
The closer we got to Stuttgart , the darker the clouds got , then they opened up just before we got to the station . The train terminated here , so we didn't have to rush out . As they opened the doors a waterfall was coming off the roof of the train , creating a curtain of water across the doorway . The water was flowing into the cabin , as can be seen in this photo taken after we stood for a while waiting for it to ease . We did get a quick shower as we got out !!
To make things worse , they are doing major works to the station , the wall behind us was only a tarp and rain was blowing in there as well . We managed to find a spot on the next platform to shelter from the rain . Here it is pouring off the roof , gutters couldn't cope with the downpour .
While we were waiting for the rain to ease , we noticed a couple of train security people talking with a gentleman , then police sirens were getting louder & louder , driving right into the edge of the station , one car , then a van arrived . Next minute 4 policemen jumped out and walked over towards us . One of them was built like a tank , about 6ft 6 and a pick handle across the shoulders , another beside him looked younger and definitely shorter , he started taking to the gentleman . All was going well untill the gentleman decided to raise his voice to the smaller one , mistake no 2 , he was on the ground in a flash - the big policeman took him down very smoothly and gently - he didn't have many options !! This was all only a couple of metres away from us , think it's time to brave the weather and get away from this . Welcome to Stuttgart , just don't argue 😂
After the welcoming committee had done their stuff , the rain eased enough for us to make our escape to our apartment . It was only about 500m away according to Google Maps and the directions we'd been given . Away we went , finding a doorway with intercoms & various buttons & names , Hmmm . Okay , time to check out the app and address we were given , finally found a phone number and rang them - Hi , we are at the front door , how do we get in ??? Yes reception is on the 7th floor , me - great how do we get in ??? - through the doorway to the lifts . At this stage the red mist was starting to descend , directions were given , but not to the right address !!! Okay - where are you ?? , gave our address approximately , Oh just go towards the shopping centre and you'll see Adina Apartment sign , Oh good , back to Google and find the shopping centre - 400m up the hill , found the centre and rang again . Yes just walk around the corner and up the hill another 50m and the doorway is there - and miraculously it was , we went up & checked in , then up to the 14th floor to our apartment . The sun was now out , the red mist had disappeared , and we had a nice apartment with these views . Interesting , there's a doorway to open , but nowhere to walk out onto unless you're 150mm wide . The dots in the photo are on the glass that prevents you from walking out into nothing but a sudden drop . The shopping centre is at the bottom of these buildings . We made a comment about the green coverage on the roof needed a bit of a trim .
To the left were further apartments and also vineyards growing up the hills - all within 1 klm from the city centre !
We headed down for a swim in the indoor pool , before organising something for dinner and breakfast . Interesting fact - in Germany supermarkets are closed on Sundays , guess what today is ??? SUNDAY .
We scrounged around to find somewhere that was open to buy some food , walking back down past the station to find something open to survive the night & morning .
What was looking like a quiet , uneventful day , turned into another experience to remember . Here's a map link :- https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1FSb5lUNvu1PGFnDEG5Wgy-TTuWlLiOo&usp=sharing
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