Moving to Muchen Magic

Walking to the train station, I noticed several groupings of small square brass plaques set in the pavement, outside the entrances to various buildings. Details were given of various people "deported" from Salzburg. Interestingly, the date given was 1942, when we know the Germans arrived in 1938. I loved these little reminders of the past, of people who had lived here but were forced to leave and in most cases, were never to return. I am not sure of the exact wording but I sadly suspect the second date was of their death.

The train station, with large electronic boards, was again easy to navigate. (Better than us let loose in a city with their dinky tourist maps.) On the outskirts, leaving, guess what saw? A giant IKEA store.

Our train was scheduled to leave at 11:02. It did. We were on the two year old OBB rail jet, in first class. What an experience! A monitor above the aisle constantly updated information, including the speed we were travelling. Up to 120 kph this baby glides along with little noise and amazing stability. No 'clackety-clack' while you rock about in your seat.

Each individual passenger had arm rests and a headrest that curved each side. I noticed the service crew boarding at Salzburg. The blazers had three rings of colour near the wrists and they had small wheeled luggage, with long handleS, JUST LIKE PILOTS.

On commencement, a young woman brought along a basket with mini Kit Kats, to give to each passenger. There was a bistro carriage, but we could order direct from her and she would bring it to our seat. We reached a top speed of nearly 170 kph. Still the near silence, but a slight movement, a really tiny jostle about. The large squeaky clean windows again revealed idyllic countryside. Of course we saw some industrial sights, rail yards and more squat apartment buildings too. But lots of quaint houses, some standing alone, others in small groups or villages. Rolling green hills, where the pasture around houses has been mown and looks like giant meadows of lawn. Green stands of trees, some so dense they look dark inside. Lots of crops, that are not planted in vast acreages like we are used to. Small patches of various crops.

We are both surprisedf at how many plots of corn we have seen. As the lack of fencing was again evident, maybe that accounts for not seeing farm animals, pigs, herds of cattle or flocks of sheep. We can't have the odd animal straying on to the tracks, to slow up the schedule, as our train pulled into Munchen Hofbarnhof at 12.3o pm, right on time.