More onto Rotterdam 12 March

We were on a composite train meaning that on some point in the journey, the train is broken apart one part going to Hanover the other going to Hamburg. Fortunately, we were in the part going to Hamburg then on to Amsterdam. We had another train change in Duisberg. Given the time, we go into the station, check the big board for departures, and ask some questions verifying our departure time, the train and the track number. We've never missed. Eventually we arrive in Amsterdam. Sticking to our adopted protocol, we check the big board for departures and train numbers, but once again we're dealing with another language. So we had to ask a few more questions. By this time we were very tired. The train to Rotterdam is a local and far less comfortable than the international trains. It's about an hour to Rotterdam we got to the mainstation Rotterdam Central, and we called |Beth and Jeff our generous hosts for the next week. We'd come a couple of stops too far. Beth and Jeff have no car so it's back on the train and back two stops to Rotterdam Alexander. It starts to feel like a large board game after awhile, but we found the train going back with no problem and in five minutes, were on our way again. That's the European public transportation system easy, reliable and frequent. Jeff rode his bike to his local train station, caught a train and met us saving us the necessity of a transfer. We all walked the twenty minutes to their house. Beth greeted us warmly. Gratefully, we put our bags down, and we had completed another leg of our journey. We visited for awhile. Sheila and Beth went to be while Jeff and I stayed up visiting until 3:ooam. to come. More to come