I've lost my lunch!

I forgot to mention the sunken double bed in our hostel room. It was a bit like getting into a swimming pool, and just as difficult to climb out of, especially when needing a wee in the middle of the night. Hey!! We're not all young things in this hostel you know! Some of us have knees which have known better days! The hostel was great though. Extremely friendly and helpful young staff on the reception desk.

After our pizza last night we got talking to some young people in the lounge. One was German, one was German but had a Japanese father and had been brought up in the Netherlands, and one was Australian. We talked about our travels – they were impressed with our trip – our itinerary and how long it would take us. Then it got on to the subject of politics and the NHS and I said how easy it was to criticise those in power, what difficult decisions our ruling party have to make, and I wouldn't want to be Prime Minister for all the tea in China. (No worries, I haven't ever been asked to run for parliament...).

Reg and I both had the best night's sleep we've had in ages. We're gradually getting into relaxed mode. Went for breakfast to a small bakery/cafe opposite the hostel. I had warm croissants and jam.. delicious! Tried Assam tea,it's actually ok without milk. The milk here is often the old-type sterilized milk, with a strong smell and taste which some people love, but I don't like and Reg won't touch as it makes him want to heave. Reg didn't want breakfast, as they didn't have toast and he's not keen on croissants. He said he'll eat the egg roll he's still got from yesterday. I bought a tasty looking camembert baguette (yes, it's my favourite,Brucie),but think when packing I left it in our hostel room. As Elaine said in an early morning text to me, “Mum, what are you like”.  Postscript:  When we unpacked in the hostel in Wroclaw, found my lunch in my suitcase!!

The showers in the Berlin hostel are really good. We're managing ok with those quick-drying absorbent

backpackers towels – not quite like the lovely fluffy towels in Hotel Bristol Stephanie but a lot lighter and less bulky for travelling. Elaine said that when she went travelling for 3 months, she used to dream of a proper towel, and I expect I'll be the same.

It's 11.50 am as I write this, and we're on the train from Berlin to Wroclaw in Poland (Reg has just said over my shoulder that it was German before the 2^nd World War.) We caught the train at 9.45 am and arrive in Wroclaw at about 3pm. We're there till Sunday. Many of you will know that Reggie is half Polish.

“Reg, why did you choose to go to Wroclaw in particular?”

“Because it's a very beautiful city. In fact nearly everywhere we're going, we're going because they are spectacularly beautiful places – many are World Heritage Sites”.

So there you have the answer.

Reg and I are managing to sort out our differences. He gets enthusiastic and rushes on ahead to find the right bus stop, the right platform etc. It is quite important to check these things out, after all. But, in a tired tirade as we disembarked from our train at Berlin last night and Reggie disappeared before you could say “Circus Hostel”, I told him how it felt to be left behind, wheeling along a large suitcase, and likely to lose sight of him at any moment.

“I bet Geoff wouldn't do that to Rose,” I whinged. Reg did give me that lovely big smile of his, , and he has been much better since, only walking a few yards ahead now (!!)

As I leave you for now, I look at the cluttered table in front of our train seats. On it is: this computer, Reg's book, my book (I'm not using my kindle yet as I have to finish the book I brought from home, “Wild Swans”,about Chinese life under Chairman Mao) the thermos flask, Pringles, cups and spoons, teabags & milk sachets (thanks, Marianne! So thoughtful and a real life-saver!),Aldi's version of Hobnobs, 2 bottles of water, a copy of “The Word for Today”, fruit (brought from home), train timetables and tickets, Reg's wallet and headphones, and his egg sandwich from yesterday, which I don't fancy sharing. We stop for over half an hour at Wegliniec at about lunchtime, so I may be able to nip on to the platform and buy a replacement lunch, should they happen to sell food on the platform!