h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Good for you.

I live in a small town roughly half way between Aachen and Düsseldorf. Most people who live there work in either Aachen or Düsseldorf. Many work or go to school/college in Mönchengladbach.

There is an hourly train from Aachen to Düsseldorf via my town. The next stop along the line is Rheydt (then Gladbach, then Neuss then Düsseldorf). There is an hourly train (they are around 30 mins apart) that you can use to get to Düsseldorf, if you change at MG. It stops at one tiny village between us and Rheydt.

No other trains stop there. But that is the boundary between the Train company that operates in the Aachen area and the train company that operates in the Düsseldorf area.

Most people take the direct train, it's quicker and there is no faffing in the public-toilet-like station in MG. But all of us have to have a Zone B ticket to get from our town to a line between our station and the next stop.

The ticket in the Düsseldorf area is fab. Super. After 7pm and at weekends and on public holidays you can take 1 other adult and up to 3 children for free with you. You can also take your bike for free.

But the Zone B ticket has none of that. So if you get on the train at our station you have to buy a ticket to a stop that the train doesn't actually stop at for your guests and/or your bike.

They check the tickets on that last little stretch - usually after 7pm and at weekends - a lot and catch people out all the time. it's a 40 euro fine.

The monthly tickets are valid to the 3rd of the next month (the B-zone tickets are only available as monthly tickets, although if you have a yearly one, they send you all 12 at once...) You have to change your ticket every month and have it with you. They always check the tickets on the 4th of every month. (if you have a yearly ticket you can take your valid ticket to the ticket office and have the charge cancelled... but the ticket office is open from 9 to 4 when most of us are in our place of work...)

oh sorry... it is a real hobby horse of mine.

There were some lovely photos from that trip which have been put out on teh interwebs...

If anyone was ever tempted to try and travel without a ticket in Northern Ireland, it just isn't worth it. There will almost always be a ticket inspection on every journey. It's not worth the hassle.

But the only difference is, if they find you without one, they will usually give you the chance to buy one, rather than confiscating passports, involving police etc.

I as lucky that my trip to Vienna was the second of three cities that I visited n my tour. We flew to Prague and then took buses to Vienna and Budapest, so no airports were involved in our Vienna sojourn.


[I've long wanted to have an appropriate context for using the word "sojourn." ]

The world would be a happier place if there was a bit more sojourning.

I'd love to have the chance to spend about a month or more in Germany some time. Because after a week, I was just beginning to feel at home with the language again, when it was time to come home.

I try to read books in German when I can, and read news online etc, but it's not really a substitute for being surrounded by people speaking it.

I got millions of people approaching me for directions, though, so at least I don't look too much like a tourist.

Although I think that's just because I walk around like I own the place, and look like I know where I'm going even when I haven't the faintest idea.

When I read 19th century novels, I often read about people who drop in on friends and stay for indefinite periods of time. They had a different expectation about things like time or residence. Nowadays we watch the clock from cradle to grave, worried about not getting enough done. 24/7 robs us of time that can be ours rather than the property of our bosses.

Amen to that, Paul.

KB, I have the same problem in Europe. Except in Greece, where they have foreigner radar, every place I've ever gone has resulted in the request for directions within minutes. I usuall had a map in my pocket, so I'd just take it out and try to help.

My guess was that if you look like a Celt, they think your ancestors moved into the place about 400 BCE...

When I'm away anywhere, I enjoy playing 'spot the Irishman'.
I'm not sure what it is, but there's something that gives them away a lot of the time, and it isn't really physical features. Well, maybe it's the relative popularity of Jacobin 'croppy boy' haircuts here.

Viennese men over 40 are easy to spot, too: for some reason it seems obligatory to have a bit of a beard, and wear blue jeans, a blazer, and something around your neck, like a scarf or a cravatte.

(I was particularly bemused by the scarf business - it was really warm when I was there!)

Greek men wear hats and t-shirts that are always one size too small. The hats are particularly funny.

paul; its one thing, I've just managed to start doing, recently; not trying to live by the clock... or... expectations, for doing 'stuff'.... - hoping I can continue it on, once I've fully finished with the being ill thing,,,, ; like today.... felt tired... first thought; 'way too late for a nap'...... sod it!; napped.... so dinner ended up being relaly late... so what!; so, showered relaly really late... but, did't rush.... just took as long as I wanted.... did my nails... moisturised... relaxed... afterall... the only agenda for rest of day, was checking Emails, online communities, etc, twitter... etc... and getting to bed, at some point, hopefully before 5 or 6 AM... or... well, or just not sleeping, whatever... ; just opperating on how my body feels, not on some agenda of a clock or anything; only thing tomorrow, is meeting William at some point, in afternoon, probably, maybe going into town... perusing some shops... and probably spending a furtune on gorgeous cosmetics or food.... again if, of course, I'm feeling well enough to make it out... if not... then... sod it... I'll do something else... probably involving cuddling William... instead... - I've never fit in with this 24 hour day thing, at the best of times... less so now my biochemistry is even more weird than ever it used to be prioties err, priorities ... will be realigned... have been... I guess - the only really important dates/times to make and not screw up missing, really... are hospital appointments at the moment creating other artifical 'points' for no reasons.... as William's taught me to do, is, just... not helpful or advantagious

There is a point at which you have to synchronise yourself with the rest of the human race, though - if you have to go to work, or to shops, or use certain services that generally work on a 9-5 basis.

This whole rhythm of life is a really recent human innovation. I think I'm more suited to a pre-industrial agrarian rhythm of life.

I can go 80 plus hours, with no sleep, and still function, mentally, at least, to handle shopping, work, dealing with oncology consultants, nurses, recieving chemo drugs... going out drinking.... writing webpages, or reports... so... its not that* necessary - either that.... or I really do function at a low cognative level, perminantly, sleep or no sleep Atmitidly, after about 60 hours, I misjudge angles, and perspectives, and spatial things, and end up walking into closed doors, furnature, door ways, headbutting walls, by accident when leaning forward, or tipping boiling water from kettle over my groin, chest, or legs, by accident... but... that barely registers by that level of sleep deprivation anyhow I'm only ever as eratic as my sleep deprevation calls for, so I figure that makes me a balanced individual, in the global scheme, of laid backness and legsterness and... I useually find it funny more than anything else, when I make such ... mistakes, due to lack of coordination or/and concentration anyhow, when I've had work/job, I've normally done most from home, circa 4 AM when I just cna't sleep... uses up the hours nicely I fear one day, though, ending up so relaxed, I'll fall off whatever it is, well-balanced people are ment to be balancing on... not that I'm well-balanced anyhow... well, at least not mentally, I aim for somethigng approaching it, physically, for attempted major bruising by misadventure of my own doing anyhow Its all fun, until someone gets hurt.... then its... just really fun.... so long as its me getting the hurted...

"Viennese men over 40 are easy to spot" [KB]

Did you mean in Vienna itself, or elsewhere? I'd be surprised if there weren't many Viennese men in Vienna.

Both, probably! Although it's not as daft as it sounds: I understand Vienna has a particularly high proportion of residents who hail from elsewhere.

It also has a particularly high level of chihuahua ownership. Those little nutters are everywhere!

A good city for dog ownership - it has plenty of lovely parks.

I bet you have to watch where you're putting your feet in those parks.

If it's like Germany, yeah.

Actually, I didn't notice much mess lying around at all.

It's striking in Germany, and it seems the same in Austria, how much more socially responsible people are, about things like litter and waste generally, than they are in Ireland or Britain. It pains me to say it, but people here can be dirty pigs sometimes.

For example, you'll often find here that people here either leave dog mess sitting where it falls, or else - and I really don't understand this thing - they will scoop it up, put it in a plastic bag, but then hang the bag on a hedge or tie it to the branch of a tree. What on earth is that all about?

Don't the local councils provide waste containers?