Hi Gram!
Another day, another train ride. I woke with my alarm, excited and nervous. Excited because I get to go explore a new city today and ride a train through the countryside. Nervous because I had to make sure I didn’t forget anything behind, walk to the train station, find the right train and track, then find my seat (Spoiler – I remembered and found everything just fine). I had breakfast and packed almost everything, then headed over to the apartment stairs to get in my 20 flights, leaving my headphones on the charger. Once that was done, I packed everything up, double checked every room (I make that sound so grand- there was only the kitchen, bath, and main room), then headed to the train station. It was an easy walk; crisp air, overcast, a little weaving through the attached mall, then finding my train on the departures board.

The Internet told me there was no dining car on this train, so I stopped and grabbed a salad and a chocolate bar. The train soon arrived (on the opposite side of the platform than I expected, but that involved turning around and walking 20 feet) and I was on my way! Well… first I had to get my heavy suitcase onto the shelf above my head, which was a bit of an awkward exercise. A couple hours into the ride, I had my salad then decided to go for a walk. It turns out there IS a restaurant car. I really wanted to eat in a dining car on a moving train, but I wasn’t particularly hungry since I’d just eaten my salad. I’ll just have to have that experience on the train from Budapest to Brasov in a few days.

The rest of the trip was uneventful. The views were nice, I enjoyed reading my book, the other passengers in my cabin were polite. I reached Vienna about 45 minutes later than I expected. I’m not sure if the train was delayed or if I just had the wrong time. No matter. I deboarded and my good friend Google Maps guided me to my apartment. I was grateful this one had an elevator, as I’m on the second floor (3rd floor in American). The room is beautiful and large. I headed out for dinner and the town is just charming and beautiful. I could have made healthier choices for dinner, but my chicken sandwich and fries hit the spot. I stopped for some groceries on the way back, getting a chance to use my new nano bag. The thing folds small enough to fit in my pants pocket, but opens big enough to hold a heck of a lot of stuff! I’m looking forward to using this often. I headed home, put the groceries away, and headed to bed.