Travel day to Berlin.   I had one final tram ride to Amsterdam’s central station and felt satisfied that in my week here I now recognize landmarks and streets.  I gave a good-bye nod to my herring stand. 

Our train to Berlin stopped at Bad Bentheim for what we thought would be a brief whistle stop on our route.  Instead it was announced that because of last night’s weather there was no passage to Berlin and our current train would return to Amsterdam.   Our professors immediately began working on Plan B and our large group waited on the train (which didn’t start its return to Amsterdam for over an hour) where much speculating about what would happen aggravated my fellow travelers’ anxiety. I’ve been through more distressing mishaps while traveling and this one was minimal, especially since the professors were responsible for resolving the situation; all I had to do was be patient.    

Before the professors settled on a different method of transportation the station announced that another train heading to Berlin would arrive shortly and would board at platform #1.  We quickly vacated one train and prepared to board the next one where we were scattered among other passengers. 

Once settled and on the way to Berlin again I surprised myself by napping.   I awoke to a view of cornfields that briefly disoriented me into thinking I was on the train from Chicago to my Midwest hometown. 

Corn field beyond fallow field

Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) - We made it to Berlin!