The Train That Turned Into a Plane!

Posted by Michele October 01, 2024

The Train That Turned Into a Plane!

I prefer to travel by train, in Europe, whenever possible. It is so easy to get to a train station since they are typically in the city, as opposed to an airport that is typically a train or taxi ride away.

You simply go to the station, find your platform, and get on the train; easy peasy. There is no security check, and you do not need to arrive two to three hours before departure. The train route is indicated on your ticket, and I always verify it against the display board to ensure I'm on the right platform. However, today, our route was not listed as going to Prague.

I asked several people if we were on the correct platform, and everyone assured me we were. The scheduled train pulled into the station on time, and as we were headed for our assigned car, I overheard two girls speaking to a railway employee.

The universe told me to stop immediately and to listen.

Just as Joe was about to board the train, I heard the employee say, “No Prague!” My ears immediately perked up, and I looked at the girl's phone; it showed the same ticket, time, and platform as ours.

I stopped in my tracks to listen to what was being said, and since they were all speaking Polish, I asked the employee, in English, why the train wasn’t going to Prague.

He must have understood what I said, as he replied that the tracks were flooded between Krakow and Prague. I asked if we should take the train as far as it would go and then take a bus, and he vehemently said, “NO! It is a very, very small village; you are better here.”

It was clear that we were not supposed to get on that train. I thank God for saving us from a HUGE adventure, to who knows where!

I stopped Joe and explained the situation. The young girls were in tears, and I felt bad for them, but we knew we had to decide quickly how to rectify this situation because everyone heading to Prague would be looking for an alternative route.

We hurried to McDonald’s to access their Wi-Fi, quickly opened Google Flights, and discovered the last two tickets available on LOT Airlines for 500 Euros each. Yikes! I swiftly booked the tickets, aware that others would be looking for the same opportunity.

We were already at the train station, so we just had to buy a ticket to the airport. Since our flight to Prague was the last flight of the day, we did not have to rush. We just prayed that it would take off.

Our luck with Lot Airlines has not been stellar, nor has our travel in Poland; every time we travel to Poland, there is a transportation issue; a taxi strike got us last time, and we are hoping that the flood will be the only issue this time.

We have an amazing Airbnb in Prague, and the last thing I wanted to do was not get there to enjoy it!

It appears that the compensation LOT Airlines provided for our significantly delayed arrival in Krakow has been reclaimed by the airline. Such unexpected financial gains can be fleeting, as the saying goes.

In addition to our amazing Airbnb, we had friends from California waiting for us to arrive. My CML sister, Joannie Clements, and her husband, Jerry, were meeting us in Prague and had already arrived. We only had a few days together before they were headed to a CML conference, ESH, and we didn’t want to miss out on spending time with them.

Fast Forward:

I am relieved to report that our flight left on time and made it to Prague without further complications; we arrived safely and so did our luggage.

We took a taxi into Old Town, settled into our Airbnb, and immediately went looking for pickled cheese for dinner. Pickled cheese sounds disgusting, but the last time we were in Prague, the locals all recommended it, and we fell in love.

Oddly enough we could not find it on any of the menus in Old Town, and eventually, we asked a waiter standing out in front of a restaurant. He did a Google search and sent us on our way. We found the restaurant and ordered.

The pickled cheese, chicken on pumpkin risotto for me, and beef goulash for Joe. The pickled cheese was not as good as we remembered, but the CHICKEN! And the Risotto! OMG! Best chicken I have ever tasted. So flavorful, and juicy; why don’t we have chicken like this at home?

Joe’s dinner was very good as well, but I definitely won the order prize tonight!

After dinner, we walked through Old Town and arrived at the Astronomical Clock just in time to see the show. Because it was late, there was no crowd, which made for a very enjoyable experience.

The last time we were here, the clock was covered in netting; this time it was not. It also looked like it had had a princess day.

The Prague Astronomical Clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest clock still in operation. It is magical.

One of the best things about our Airbnb is that it is right around the corner from the clock tower. Being able to walk in and out of Old Town on a whim is a total bonus to this Airbnb. The hammock in the living room, with a view of church spires and the back of the clock tower, makes it the perfect place to stay while visiting Prague.