Day 42. Tuesday 12 May.

Early wake up without an alarm (who needs it?). Cup of tea, breakfast, finish packing, and Uber was early. An interesting conversation with the driver, Burak, on the trip to Wien Hof station that took much longer than predicted due to rush hour traffic – good thing for D’s nerves that we’d left early!

Burak was born to Turkish parents in Austria – they’d come seeking opportunity. He is a Muslim, and stated that there is much discrimination, citing his decision to leave the police force after three years because of harsh treatment over his wish to observe Ramadan. He then trained as a teacher but left that profession very quickly because of the kids: he said it gave him a new admiring perspective on his mum and all mothers. He now drives taxis. He speaks Turkish, German, English and Spanish, and travels extensively – Europe of course, and last year to South America, seeking experience and broadening. A very interesting young man. But one comment jarred. We mention3d that the area we’d been staying in had a significant Jewish element – as well as many women in hijabs. We asked whether there were any tensions. He said that there weren’t but the Jews didn’t pay any tax in Austria. D did not react but knew that this is one of those ‘truths’ that become easily accepted as fitting a stereotype: a form of anti-semitism.  Google later confirmed the fallacy.

The train station was easy to move around, albeit as you’d expect, lots of travellers. At 1000 the Departures board wasn’t yet showing our 1110 train – that information with platform numbers only appears about twenty minutes before departure. Eventually it did show up: 12 C-E. Up the escalators to Platform 12, to see A and B, with a train in place and the next departure board destination showing somewhere else. D starting to panic, thinking there may be another platform on the other side of the tracks and we’d now need run to get there but calm T accosted a bemused (or amazed?) young woman who pointed out the C ‘…a bit further along’. The letters refer to approximately where on the platform the particular train will pull into. Old eyes. A few minutes wait in freezing cold until our train pulled in, we boarded and departed, exactly on time.

No railway pie. The trip was uneventful…mostly green fields, growing veges & canola & tree crops. Plenty of leg room & carriage (2nd class) was very comfortable, with quite stable wifi. Arrived at Praha Hlavni nadrazi on time.

 Because we had no idea, and signage was limited, first stop was to the Information desk to ask about the train to Klanovice, our accommodation locale. Simple, was the answer, but to be sure D asked the chap behind the counter to write down the details, and we thought we were set. Next, D showed the lady at the Ticket counter where he wanted to go on his scrap of paper and a map on his phone, asking for two return tickets. She asked if we were over 65 (for which she was thanked) and she duly handed over two tickets. Upstairs, we looked at the Departures board to see a 1620 train on the Uvaly line – but noticed the provider didn’t match our tickets.

Back to Information, same counter, to be told that they were the wrong tickets, to go back to the Ticket counter to get them exchanged. Back to the Ticket counter to a different lady, who advised the tickets were OK but we were at the wrong station! She gave directions to the other one – Praha Masarikovo nadrazi – about ten minutes walk away – at this stage both Apple and Google maps refused to take part in this charade, so we were on our own. We headed in the direction she indicated to the exit, to be faced with a downpour, which had fortunately eased by the time T had her galoshes on. Apple Maps now relented, joined the game and led us to the station. Four platforms: which one? D approached three railway employees who were in conversation and had no interest in helping a customer – one just walked away. However, one of them eventually indicated the train at Platform 2 where we were standing as the one we wanted, so we boarded. D could breathe again.

Smooth trip to Klanovice, with D following progress on his phone map. T is so thankful that she doesn’t have wifi to do the mapping! The unresponsive railway employee was one of the staff on the train. Apple Maps then guided us to the address shown on Airbnb – no sign of the property where we are staying. Dark rainclouds threatening: suitcases, backpacks & umbrellas, not a good combo.

Our host had sent a link earlier, so we went to Google maps, did a U turn to go to the other side of the block, to a different address. Arrived to locked gates and pressed the intercom just as an online grocery delivery arrived. He answered the response from the intercom, and eventually Helena opened the gate, let us in, showed us the flat and advised how to get to the nearest grocery store.

We are dry & warm in a ‘granny flat’…no elephants thumping above or around. The location is outer-suburb Prague, huge residential blocks, very ‘Toorak’ style residences…we’ll fit perfectly. There’s a huge garden and a woods at the end of the street. The little Asian grocery store (10 mins walk away) had a bit of everything, including plastic flowers, undies, bags of potting mix, kids’ fishing nets…we just picked up a pack of frozen chicken fillets, tomato passata, bananas, chickpeas, milk and tortillas. Dinner sorted, to accompany those potatoes & red onions (+Italian red).

The serenity is deafening.