The Sound of Music

"Small world eesn't eet?" we heard behind us as we prepared to board the train from Munich. It was our friend Alex, he was heading North to Scandanavia I think. I admired that he'd been travelling for months and had no end date in mind and wondered how many other people were travelling around Europe like him. We chatted for a while and then went our separate ways and I've never seen him since but I remember that moment, those words and their meaning to this day. Sometimes things happen that connect the dots and make the world a smaller place. I don't believe it's just a coincidence and I'm sure you can recall moments like that too.

We arrived in Salzburg the birthplace of Mozart. The town seems small although there are 145,000 living there. It is very picturesque with the Danube River, the Castle on the hill and the surrounding mountains. You can see how Mozart got his inspiration.

The hostel had daily screenings of The Sound of Music. I really enjoyed seeing the movie for the first time especially being able to identify the scene locations from our walks around the town.

The second day we went to Berchtesgaden and the salt mines, just a short trip over the border back into Germany. We had been spoiled by the trip to Gstaad but once again it was beautiful. On such a hot day we were glad to be going underground in the mine. It was part of the experience to dress as salt mine workers, somehow my shorts were still in plain sight! Climbing in a railcar and travelling through the dark tunnels of the mine was something like a Disney ride. We took a few photos but the flash photography was blinding in the darkness.

The next day we caught the Orient Express to Vienna 295km away. At the station we were met by a stranger, an old man named Frank. He offered to provide us with a room at his house. On the sole basis of his name being the same as our Grandad we accepted his offer. We got in his car and travelled back to his place. The room was fine though a little crowded as we shared it with 3 Americans. We wanted to squeeze in a trip to the famous Central Cemetery to see Mozart's grave so we caught the train a long way out to the city outskirts. It took us a very long time to find the grave and by that time we did it was getting close to dark. Mozart died aged 35 yet he achieved so much in a short time, it is proof a little inspiration goes a long way.

We returned to the train station and waited but nothing came. Finally we realised there was no next train. As all good Kiwi's know, if you are lost in the bush, find a stream and follow it out. We decided the only thing to do was follow the railway tracks home. After a while, it got too dangerous so we left the tracks and caught the first tram that came by. By a bit of detection, without a map, without a contact to call, somewhere along the way we recognised the location where we were staying and so late that evening much to our relief we arrived home.

Our adventures for the day were more interesting than the Americans. However they were able to tell us what lay ahead in Italy. The thieves, the mystery of lost mail, the slow trains that are "absolutely packed", the crazy drivers. We asked them if they went to Florence because we'd heard of the serial killer who'd been on the loose there for 21 years who always murdered people in pairs. No problem for the 3 of them but for us? They didn't know, we were about to find out but until then...Edelweiss : )

Read Next Chapter : Italy
Read Last Chapter : Germany

Achtung!

Our next stop was Munich in West Germany. In June 1989, Germany was still divided since the end of World War 2 between East and West. The East was Communist because the Russians had defeated Nazi Germany from the East. The West was Democratic because the Allies had defeated Nazi Germany from the West. The dividing line along the country was the "Iron Curtain" and it was impossible for the Eastern Germans to leave. If they tried to escape they would be shot. Even though the West was free, it was a strange feeling to be entering what 45 years before had been enemy territory. As the train pulled into the Munich station, I remember observing the black railway signs and the rigid lines of the railway tracks and thinking this is exactly what it would have looked like during the War.

We found our way about 45 minutes out of town to the hostel which was a castle in a beautiful but remote forest location. It was something like the setting for the Brothers Grimm story Hansel and Gretel. Those disturbing German Fairy Stories from our childhood tucked away in some locked room of our minds were quickly recalled. It was not too hard to imagine a trail of breadcrumbs and a Witch's Broomstick resting outside the back door with the ravens circling around the castle turrets!

The next day we went for a tour of Munich. After a week of travelling with our limited wardrobe, we decided to take the dirty washing with us! Carrying that heavy load around all day as we visited the Munich Stadium, the Glockenspiel, various Churches and other sights proved to be a waste of time finally because we couldn't figure out how to use the washing machines at the laundrette. We abandoned the idea to go to Dachau Concentration Camp because there wasn't enough time. By the time we got back to the hostel it was getting dark. We certainly did not want to miss the hostel curfew, not in the dark forest, not in Germany  ; )

Dad used to tell us stories of growing up in London during World War 2. The family had an Anderson Shelter built in the back garden where they could go during bombing raids. An Anderson Shelter was like a garden shed but buried about 1 metre into the ground with a layer of thick soil on top.

My Grandad spent a lot of the War as a sergeant in West Africa. Sometimes Grandad sent gifts home from Africa for my Dad and his brother, once some bananas another time some coconuts. The bananas had turned to mush during the long journey home. They gave a coconut to a friend but he complained the next day that he didn't like the hairy hard shell much. Mum's Dad was a fireman in London during the war. This was also very dangerous and brave work especially during the Blitz.

When we were boys we used to play with toy soldiers and read Commando war comics. You could recognise the German soldiers by their helmet shapes. They were always called Fritz or Hans in the comics. Their spies would give themselves away by saying "Achtung!!" under pressure. It was easy to spot the enemy. I used to think that it was only the Nazi's who could have committed such horrific crimes against humanity. I did not know that anti-semitism is prevalent throughout Europe and that the Church has cooperated with it and indeed in some cases were responsible. How do you explain this evil?

There is something very important to understand about our World. All of us are born into captivity to an evil system which we cannot escape from on our own. Like the East Germans, it's not our fault, we have all inherited a situation from the past, from our ancestors choices. The Bible says we are all born sinners and are captives. Ephesians 6:12 tells us "For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies—the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world." This is the true reason for all the evil in this world in case you ever questioned "Why?"

Are we doomed to captivity? Not at all!! We are set free by our Liberator Jesus Christ the King who has crushed the Iron Curtain!

Read Next Chapter : Austria
Read Last Chapter: Luxembourg and Switzerland

Let's Go

Back then it was "Let's Go". We just couldn't go anywhere without a "Let's Go" Bible and a European Rail Timetable. I got ours on super special for 99p. Granted it was slightly out of date (1987 version) but I was convinced that wouldn't matter. If "Let's Go" said it, we would do it! Because "Let's Go" advised us to travel light, we did. With our sleeping bags and other essentials (like toilet paper - page 25) there wasn't too much room in our back packs for less essential things like clothes after that. This all made perfect sense before we left. To be even more efficient and save space, I cut "Let's Go" down to just the countries we planned to go to. We could not have been better prepared ; )

The entire trip, we never made an advance booking. We turned up always expecting a vacancy. 

The Luxembourg hostel was a great luxury compared to the night before at Lille. There wasn't much else for us to do though other than to walk around the city and enjoy the views because the country is a financial centre and too expensive for our budget.

The next day we travelled to Switzerland and arrived at Lausanne on the northern shores of Lake Geneva. It is so beautiful there it felt like another world. But again it was very expensive. A McDonald's meal cost us 3 times the price of back home in New Zealand.

We met an Australian called Alex at the hostel. He planned to take the mountain train to Gstaad from Vevey which wasn't very far away. 

We bought some world renowned Swiss chocolate and starting at Lausanne we changed to a mountain train at Vevey. The inclined trip to Gstaad was the kind of moment you could stay in forever. The views of the mountains, the green grass and the flowers. The log cabins and pure blue skies. The sound of the train and the warm air flowing in through the open windows. Switzerland is exactly as you see on a postcard. 

I'd never heard of Gstaad before but it is a ski resort and a popular destination for celebrities. The Swiss Tennis Open is held there. It's very small and exclusive and I'm sure we looked completely out of place, especially the way we were dressed!!  

I had been combining studying and working for Nestlé for 2 years and they have their head office in Vevey so we decided to go there on the way back. 

My Grandad in England had told me before we left to make sure I went and said hello. But the clothes I was travelling in were an embarrassment. In fact I may as well have been walking around in my undies...

You could be fooled into thinking you have found Paradise in Switzerland but that is just an illusion. The next day while we were admiring the beauty and architecture in Geneva we saw a homeless man reach into a rubbish bin and pick out a bottle and drink the last remains. That really shocked me, my mind took a photo which has never gone away.

Our world has created exclusive havens for the rich. First Class, Upper Class, Private Schools. Like a Swiss bank account, you can't crack the code to get in. You can only briefly observe from the outside and then you have to move on. 

What I'm sure of is that the World is upside down. The rich have no need of God and they don't believe in him. But the homeless, the brokenhearted and children are the strongest believers you will find. In that coming day, when only faith, hope and love remain, the tables will be turned forever.

Read Next Chapter : Germany
Read First Chapter : D-Day

Comme Les Sans Abris

University was over forever and it was time to return to the other side of the World. Back to the place where I was born for a four month vacation with my brother. It was like a magnet for us. I was nearly 9 when we had left 15 years before and I remembered it well but as in a dream. That part of my life felt like it was spent far from home. Going back to England, I had that sense of belonging again. Seeing all the family and places we had left behind so many years before was a surreal experience of a parallel life. We were back on dry land once more and time seemed to have stood still.

Two months after we arrived and having found every family member and friend we could think of, we decided to take a month pass and travel Europe by train. The responsibility fell to me to organise the trip so two days before we left, I bought our tickets planning to arrive in France on June 6th 1989 - the 45 year celebration of D Day - the day the allies landed in Normandy. Not to mention 200 years since the start of the French Revolution!

We left London early in the morning, crossed on the ferry (before the days of the tunnel) and boarded the train mid afternoon bound for Lille. Everything was going extremely well...until the conductor arrived. We gave him our train tickets but his face turned to a frown and when he spoke to us we knew we were in trouble. He started pointing repeatedly at the tickets and finally we saw the start date on the tickets...JUNE 7th!!! We gave him all our cash which thankfully got us to Lille where we hoped to withdraw some money but no, the banks were closed.

Without money, food and unable even to "spend a penny" at the public amenities, this was not a good start. "Comme les sans abris", we spent our first night at the Lille train station. We took it in turns to guard our bags through the night hoping to get some rest. But at 5am the guards came with their guns and alsatians to move us out before the first passengers arrived.

A small mistake can lead to disaster and it's true that in a moment you can lose everything and be at rock bottom! I read an article by an atheist last Christmas where he said that the homeless were very often the strongest believers he had met and he couldn't explain it. I've found God is very near to you when you are at rock bottom and so it shouldn't be a surprise. We may feel like strangers in a foreign land but we are never homeless! Ephesians 2:19 says "Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian".

When you're young you don't worry about what can go wrong though! You just do it and that always works. We found some coins, bought some "Plops" from the vending machine, waited for the banks to open to get enough money for the day and then caught the next train to Luxembourg.

Read Next Chapter: Luxembourg and Switzerland