*Chapter 28*

Spot On

 
 
Of course we are at the wrong end of Schildergasse for our usual haunt, the Dinea in the Galeria Kaufhof department store so that’s out.

“Where we eating then?” Brid enquired.

“There’s a burger place under C und A,” Nena offered.

Sophisticated city types we might not be, but burgers for lunch, not likely.

“What about the Karstadt next door, they have a restaurant,” Steff suggested.

Well it sounded as good an alternative as we’d find so ten minutes later having retraced to Breite Straße, we poured into ‘Le Buffet’ on the top floor of the Karstadt building. To be honest it’s not that different to the Dinea, same sort of self-service arrangement, similar food and prices to match. It was fairly busy but we managed to commandeer a pair of tables and leaving Pia as table guard, headed for the grub.

Working on the basis that a good feed now should take us through this afternoon’s shopping marathon we were soon loading our trays with a proper meal. I ended up with sausage and mash – not the meal beloved of the UK population but the German version, four smallish Nürnberger sausages, some lumpy mash with creamed cabbage and a gravy style sauce. A glass of Sprite™ and a slice of cheesecake were also destined to help fill my hollow legs – quite a feast and just €10.50!

The others assembled similar feasts, I paid first so releasing P from table wrangling; she was only a couple of minutes behind Anna getting back with her food.

“Let’s see this bag then,” I suggested once the main course was consumed.

“It’s only a rucky,” Anna claimed.

“And?” Con put in.

“Whatever just don’t spill anything on it, okay?”

She passed the Globetrotter bag over to me as she was still heavily involved with a bowl of fruit salad and yoghurt.

“Nice colour,” maybe not my choice, a combination of light blue and fuchsia, a Jack Wolfskin no less.

“They had other colours,” Anna informed us, “I nearly got the orange and lime but I thought it might stand out too much.

“What’s this?” Steff enquired dragging something else from the bag.

“I got some walking socks,” Anna supplied.

“You aren’t gonna wear this on your feet,” Steff observed holding the brightly coloured woolly hat out for us to see.

“It was on offer, three euro,” Miss outdoors advised.

“You’ll need it, Koblenz is so much colder than Ahrtal,” Con chuckled.

“So we hitting the ‘Gasse when we’ve done here?” Pia suggested.

“They had a nice green skirt in Pimkie last week,” Brid enthused.

And so the afternoon programme was set, H&M, Pimkie, P&C – well you get the idea. I didn’t really need anything, some new tights never go amiss and Claire’s had a sale on hair accessories so I got a couple of those donut things you use for making a bun. By the time we reached the Galeria I needed the loo and between us we had accumulated several large carriers of stuff.
 
 

Of course the toilets are never downstairs, oh no, third floor next to the Dinea, you have to actually go through the seating area to get there. At least there wasn’t a queue. Of course after a bladder emptying session there’s the whole preening in front of the mirror thing but I had to wait as the others beat me to the sinks.

“Geez that’s better,” I allowed, using my dress as a fan – I did mention it was a warm, no hot day, didn’t I?

“Er, Gab,” Steff started.

“Hmm?”

“You’re um showing.”

“Showing?”

“Knickers, Blut.”

“We said you were on,” Con cackled.

“But I can’t be.” Hmm, come to think of it I did seem to be wetter than usual, sugar.

“You got stuff?” Nena asked.

“Er yeah, back in a mo.”

I was soon back in a cubicle and rummaging through my bag for a towel and clean undies. Of course not having the right plumbing means things should be less messy as I have the drain thing but too much flow and it leaks – remember that day in Wales which was, yup a month ago. I really do need to keep that diary, at least it didn’t happen in Switzerland.

Cleaned up, nappy in place I returned to the world outside to find the others buying ice cream.

“You want?” Pia enquired.

“Of course she does,” Anna stated, “you okay, Gab?”

“I guess, coulda done without it.”

“You and the rest of womankind.” Steff noted.

But I’m not even a woman! I’m, I’m… I don’t know what I am.

“Here you go,” a small tub of ice cream arrived in my hand.

We found seats; you can’t really walk around eating, carrying bags and look at stuff after all.
 
 

“What time is it?” I queried.

Con checked her watch, “Just after sixteen.”

“Bum, I’d best ring home, Mum’ll go ballistic.”

“We’ll be home well before seven as usual.” Brid noted.

“We’ve got company for dinner though, I said I wouldn’t be late.” I fished through my bag for my Handy.
 
 

“Yeah, we’re on the way to the station now, should be home about six thirty?”

“If it’s going to be later let me know.” Mum instructed again.

“Yes, Mum.”

“I mean it, kiddo.”

“I will, promise. Later.”

Geez it’s only the Pinger’s coming round, you’d think it was Angela Merkel the way she keeps on.
 
 

“So I guess we’re going for the next train then,” Con queried.

“I need to, you guys can stay if you want.”

“I’ll only spend more if I do,” Nena stated.

“My feet are killing,” P put in.

“We’d best make tracks then,” Anna suggested, “it’s already twenty past.”

 
 
It’s not a long way, maybe half a kilometre but it’s along the busiest shopping street in Köln, Hohe Straße. It’s about as far as a lot of the tourists get so you spend half the time dodging grockles and the rest just trying to follow a straightish course through the sea of bodies. So of course Leverkusen are playing at home, which added more bodies to the meleé and slowed our progress. It was nearly quarter to five when we broke free into the open in front of the Dom.

Down the steps to the Hauptbahnhof, the clock over the entrance showed about eight minutes to the hour.

“Which platform?” Steff asked.

I couldn’t see our train at first look; I was looking after the hour.

“Bum,” Nena stated, “it goes in two minutes!”

“Where?” Anna prompted.

“Er, nine.”

“We can still make it, come on.” Anna encouraged.

So of course every over enthusiastic football fan and doddering grandma in the world blocked our passage. It was a bit Keystone Cop as we dodged first one way then another, almost overshooting the stairs up to Gleis 9. There wasn’t a train at the platform, lots of bodies but no zug – damn we’ve missed it.

“Shitza!” Con proposed.

“Bum,” I agreed, “missed it!”

“Die nächste zug am gleis neun ist die spatter 16:54 Rhein Express vor Koblenz.” The station tannoy announced.

“Yes!” Anna grinned, “Come on, the front cars are usually quieter.”

A glance down the line revealed our transport just clearing the Rhein Bridge, the crowds on the platform shuffled forward impeding our progress, a dodge onto platform eight gave a clearer route. The volume of would be passengers decreased and as the red behemoth overtook us we slowed to a walk and waited for it to come to a halt. There was a bit of a crush as passengers left and joined the train but by some miracle we managed to grab two tables next to each other on the upper deck.

We were barely seated before the station started to roll past the windows; chances are we’ll be on time to make our connection in Remagen.

 
 
“That was close,” Steff sighed as she flopped back into her seat.

“All those football fans, they shouldn’t be in the city like that.” Brid offered.

“There was some fighting at Dresden last week.” Nena supplied.

“They should ban them from the games,” Con suggested.

“It’s the extremists, they’ll just find somewhere else to fight.” Anna observed.

“At least you don’t see bike fans kicking off.” I noted.

“You’d have to find the other one first,” Steff giggled.

“No fair!” But not far off the mark I guess.

We’d left Köln almost spot on five, next proper stop was Bonn and we were still tardy by about the same amount, four minutes to be precise. It’ll be tight at Remagen, you get like five minutes to change platforms according to the timetable, more than once we’ve barely made it like that time with Claudia. It’s not far from Bonn and when we started to make the sweeping turn alongside the river that delivers the line to Remagen, we headed to the exit area.
 
 

The tone of the motors changed as we slowed into the station.

“It’s still here!” Brid chirped.

“Come on!” I willed the door controls.

We spilled onto gleis drei and joined a bunch of others clearly hoping to get on the Ahrtal Express. Down the stairs, run through the tunnel, up onto platform five, yes! Still there!

“Come on you lot,” a familiar figure chivvied.

“Thanks, Myleen,” I puffed.

“Ah, if it’s not our Radprinzesserin, welcome home.”

A couple of other passengers clambered aboard before Myleen waved her lollipop and blew the whistle. We found seats, this evening’s journey being much less busy than this morning.

“So you been to Bonn, girls?” our friendly conductor asked joining us.

“Köln,” Steff told her.

“Ah, the big city, bit busy for me.”

“There was football today,” Brid supplied.

“Not trouble I hope.”

“Don’t think so but we only got the Rhein because it was running late, it was so busy everywhere.”

“Well I best check some Fahrkarte or I’ll be in trouble, later girls.”

“Bye, Myleen!” 
 

Maddy Bell © 31.03.2014