I'll get to where I'm supposed to be (oh dang I can't believe I did that) when I'm supposed to be there.
It has been a very long day. Yesterday when I went to buy I train ticket to Vigo, I asked for the 10:46 train and was told that one only runs on Saturday. The morning train on weekdays is 9:17. So I booked that one, figuring I still have time for breakfast. I looked the ticket over when I was at the counter and again when I got back to the hotel. Leea and I once had a mishap where the person at the ticket counter issued the tickets for the wrong date and we didn't notice it until we went to board the train.
So this morning I set the alarm for 7 am, figuring that would give me time to check out and be at breakfast when they opened. Then I could leave the hotel at 9 am and get to the station before 9:30 to catch the train at 9:46. Anybody see the problem with this thought sequence. The problem is I got to the train station around 9:20 leaving me 26 minutes to wait for the train. But my train had already left at 9:17. Somehow I had got the 46 stuck in my brain and didn't remember my train was at 9:17. What a way to start the day. So I was told the next train wasn't until 2:40 and would not arrive in Vigo until 7:40 pm, after getting to Vigo, I still had to get from the train station to the bus station and get a bus to Baiona. So with the change, I'd get to the hotel about 8:30 or 9.
I walked over to the bus station to see if the was an earlier bus. No luck there. So I had four hours to kill and a backpack. Fortunately, the bus station had a Consignia (luggage storage) where I could leave it for 1€. I went and saw the Cathedral and noticed that the iterating little buildings one the river that I wanted to see were right below the cathedral. So I saw both of those things, had a diet coke on the Plaza Mayor and then wandered back to the train station, still with forty-five minutes to wait.
The train was a little late but finally came. My seat was comfy and because the train wasn't very full, the seat beside me was vacant, so I could spread out. Oh yeah, the original train was direct. This one required me to change trains in Ourense. The train in Ourense was twenty minutes late. Normally the trains in Spain are pretty much on time. Today the only train that was on time was the one I missed. lol, I spent a good part of the day kicking myself for the dumb mistake. But oh well, as Willy says, "There's nothing I can do about it now.
The train rides themselves were scenic. I love riding on buses and trains, looking out the window and relaxing. Then after the next to the last stop, right before Vigo, the train came to a stop. Not too unusual, but them it didn't start again for five minutes. Sometimes that happens when they get off schedule and they have to wait for another train to clear the tracks. Then it was twenty minutes and the train hadn't moved. Sometimes trains have mechanical problems. Once coming home from San Diego I had both things happen and we were two hours off schedule. I was bummed because I was looking forward to watching the sunset over the ocean from the train. It was dark by the time we got going.
This it turns out had something to do with an emergency and a person. There were Bomberos and medical people involved. I don't know if someone on the train had the emergency or if someone outside the train had the emergency. But we finally took off. The funny thing was the other passengers. After the first few minutes, they all started talking to each other about the train stopping. Then they started getting restless. Then voices were raised. Then they started getting irritated. It was like a bunch of chickens in a locked hen house. I swear it was entertaining. I just kept reading my book. I didn't figure my knowing why it was stopped, or my being upset about it being stopped was going to make it move any sooner.
I got into Vigo about 8:30. I did not realize that Vigo is a pretty large city. When I got off the train I went in the station to the information place and asked if the bus station was near there. The fellow said it was far and that you needed to take a local bus to the bus station. Remember now, I'm going to the bus station to get a bus to Baiona and once I get to the station I'll have to wait up to an hour for the bus, because at this time of the evening they start running every hour, instead of every thirty minutes. This puts me in Baiona after dark, and once there, I think I have to walk from where the bus stops out onto the Peninsula where the Parador is located. Oh, and did I mention, it is raining. Of course in Galicia, that means it is a day that ends in "y." It's always raining in Galicia. That's why it is so green. So I walk up to the next taxi in line and ask how much it costs to go to Baiona. He told me, it was within reason, and off we went.
I got to the hotel a little after nine, I think, took a nice hot shower washed some clothes, and got down to dinner about ten. I never eat that late, but I hadn't eaten since breakfast. It was yummy. Of course, it was fancy, but it was very tasty. I'm just sorry I couldn't eat even half of it. As usual, the waiter kept asking me if everything was all right as he removed the plates still filled with food. I've gotten used to reassuring waiters that the food is fine, I just don't eat a lot of food at one sitting.
So now Burple and I are in our warm comfy room, full and sleepy. Night, night.
No comments:
Post a Comment