tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post6025980586041899322..comments2024-03-29T14:03:26.724+01:00Comments on From My Mental Library: An Unexpected TreatLibrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05704656564078750607noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-1245653604653042772017-07-03T07:36:10.753+02:002017-07-03T07:36:10.753+02:00You are welcome, Gillian! Yes, sometimes we are un...You are welcome, Gillian! Yes, sometimes we are under the impression that there is nothing but cruelty, terror and sadness around, but kindness, beauty and happiness can still be found.Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05704656564078750607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-69302533423302456562017-07-03T07:34:59.368+02:002017-07-03T07:34:59.368+02:00I enjoyed the unexpected treat, too!I enjoyed the unexpected treat, too!Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05704656564078750607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-73005888606879519302017-07-03T07:34:34.396+02:002017-07-03T07:34:34.396+02:00That was certainly the case in this situation, and...That was certainly the case in this situation, and I took it exactly like that.Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05704656564078750607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-9700185577554849362017-07-02T23:00:39.260+02:002017-07-02T23:00:39.260+02:00A welcome reminder that most people in this world ...A welcome reminder that most people in this world are nice - we forget that sometimes. What a lovely occurrence on an otherwise everyday, ordinary journey. Thank you for sharing it with us. xGillian Roehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05080123177116154219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-65662235676795617292017-07-02T04:32:17.062+02:002017-07-02T04:32:17.062+02:00I loved every minute of your surprising adventure....I loved every minute of your surprising adventure. Nanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15547916206007733970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-1525651445348952272017-07-01T18:32:08.818+02:002017-07-01T18:32:08.818+02:00What a lovely man and a magical interlude in your ...What a lovely man and a magical interlude in your journey. He paid for your ice cream because he had enjoyed your company and wanted nothing more from you. Acts of kindness may exist in themselves without expectation of any payback whatsoever.Yorkshire Puddinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06019673884543913089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-78389410524701142102017-06-29T06:49:49.297+02:002017-06-29T06:49:49.297+02:00Yes, such encounters certainly enrich our lives.
...Yes, such encounters certainly enrich our lives.<br /><br />I imagine that if you book a train ticket by phone, you can have it sent to you by post (if you book long enough in advance) or pick it up at a ticket machine at the station. When I travel to Yorkshire, I always book our train tickets from home on the internet, and we then pick them up at a machine at the station with our booking code.<br /><br />Prices here can vary from one day to the next, and then depend a lot on what type of train is involved; the slower, regional trains are cheaper than the fast ones. I don't mind paying for good, reliable service, but it annoys me when I have paid a lot of money and what I get for it can not even be called service.Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05704656564078750607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-10064018141402478912017-06-29T06:46:07.712+02:002017-06-29T06:46:07.712+02:00It is, isn't it!
You've made me curious n...It is, isn't it!<br /><br />You've made me curious now, Jennifer. Where would you like to travel by train? Do you have a specific trip in mind or is it just generally travelling by train that you want to try?<br />I use trains to go to work almost every day, and of course on weekends going to O.K.'s and back. When all goes according to plan, it is a good and easy way to get around. But when it doesn't, it can be really frustrating - most of all because of the lack of reliable information.Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05704656564078750607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-38231990344894243892017-06-28T17:55:02.009+02:002017-06-28T17:55:02.009+02:00Sometimes the memories of a brief meeting with a s...Sometimes the memories of a brief meeting with a stranger can stay with us for life. One never really knows (until later!)... As for trains, I used to travel by train quite a lot (mostly within Sweden) but now it's been 12 years (where does time fly?!) since I last tried it, as my neck does not like the vibrations, and I also can't handle the amount of luggage I'd need to be away for a while. That aside - in those years, travelling by railway has also in general changed so much that I hardly know how ones goes about getting a ticket now. What I do know is that one cannot just go down to the station and buy one any more. (If one doesn't have a computer I suppose one has to do it by phone, but I have no idea where, in that case, one is supposed to pick up the actual ticket.) I also know that while we used to have basically one national railway company, we now have like half a million of them competing with each other on the tracks, and ticket prices no longer seem to relate to how far you're going to travel, but rather to how far in advance you order the ticket. And on top of that, not a week goes by without news of trains standing still or being delayed for this, that or the other reason. (I suppose that on the whole, most trains probably still do run and arrive more or less on time. But that, of course, rarely gets mentioned on the news!)DawnTreaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04533307672147117843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-78645847591142625422017-06-28T16:02:30.846+02:002017-06-28T16:02:30.846+02:00I've always wanted to take a train journey som...I've always wanted to take a train journey somewhere. One of these days I will do it. <br /><br />How sweet of the man to buy you an ice cream! And it's so nice that the two of you had such a good chat--I'm sure it made his day. I'm always thrilled when I meet a true book lover at work and get to have a nice talk about our favorites, trading recommendations and such. Meeting a kindred spirit during my workday is a rare treat.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12512800812290518552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-73770544724740323012017-06-28T07:59:59.456+02:002017-06-28T07:59:59.456+02:00We both benefited from each other's company in...We both benefited from each other's company in that we spent a pleasant half hour instead of an impatient wait for me or a dull break for him.Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05704656564078750607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-18075412734465284242017-06-28T07:59:07.931+02:002017-06-28T07:59:07.931+02:00It was fun and turned what could have been a tedio...It was fun and turned what could have been a tedious long trip home into something worth blogging about :-)Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05704656564078750607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-69173352558080540752017-06-28T00:28:35.101+02:002017-06-28T00:28:35.101+02:00How nice that he bought you that ice cream! It mus...How nice that he bought you that ice cream! It must have been nice for him to be able to have a nice discussion about trains and other things in general!<br />Trains...I could only say that I used to love to ride the trains in England during the 1980's, they were so comfortable then and much more dependable. There, that is the extent of my train knowledge! :-)Kay G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07228498846814735537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-2454651402369376032017-06-27T23:34:53.167+02:002017-06-27T23:34:53.167+02:00This kind of serendipity can be fun. Trains are a ...This kind of serendipity can be fun. Trains are a subject many people feel strongly about, and I expect he was delighted to have the chance to discuss them too.Jenny Woolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16881781466502273314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-77216862672281492582017-06-27T19:13:17.261+02:002017-06-27T19:13:17.261+02:00Thank you, Mary, you too!
I asked the train driver...Thank you, Mary, you too!<br />I asked the train driver the same thing, as I know Germans living and working in Switzerland and know that it is not always easy for them. But he said his new employer has done everything for him - he did not even have to find himself a house, and they took care of all the forms for him to gain work and residence status.Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05704656564078750607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-20686527488454178522017-06-27T15:05:21.643+02:002017-06-27T15:05:21.643+02:00I love to meet new people for a chat when travelin...I love to meet new people for a chat when traveling. Everyone has a story and it often makes a boring journey interesting when connecting with someone for a little while. He sounded like a very nice person - but how does one get to move to Switzerland? It's a country which has so many rules and regulations (not a bad thing) regarding taking in new residents. I hope it works out for him, especially with the railway job on the Glacier Express which would be awesome!<br />The only German train I've traveled on was a short ride from Warnemunde to Rostock and back on a Sunday afternoon (2014) - and it was lovely, with clean efficient equipment.<br />We were impressed with train travel in Ireland last year - on time, very clean and comfy.<br />Here in the US I've not been on a train in many years so don't really know how they are these days. <br />Have a good week -<br />MaryMaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11915239653283205065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-29747202068329598562017-06-27T12:08:10.114+02:002017-06-27T12:08:10.114+02:00Thank you, Fi! I must confess I am not always in a...Thank you, Fi! I must confess I am not always in a chatty mood. Most mornings on my way to work I am quite happy with my kindle for company.Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05704656564078750607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-74769904548663405202017-06-27T12:06:59.751+02:002017-06-27T12:06:59.751+02:00My experience with trains in England is much bette...My experience with trains in England is much better than what I know from Germany. It wasn't always so, but things have changed a lot in the past 10-15 years. Mr. Train-Driver said he finds train services in the UK the most reliable in all of Europe.Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05704656564078750607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-18504764460880352332017-06-27T09:44:37.715+02:002017-06-27T09:44:37.715+02:00you took the words out of my mouth Graham. Two de...you took the words out of my mouth Graham. Two delightful reads. The rest seems to be a universal truth. I would be delighted to brighten my day with a chat with either of you two lovely people ... I always try to chat to people in passing. So much nicer than ignoring or sullen looks...Fi from Four Paws and Whiskershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11217307759511472654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1949425054295660529.post-42853241611032177092017-06-27T09:00:48.438+02:002017-06-27T09:00:48.438+02:00What an lovely post about a lovely person and a lo...What an lovely post about a lovely person and a lovely experience. Thank you. (And two for the price of one with the other post). It is indeed a shame that people who care are treated thus. It is also disgraceful that profits from privatisation are destroying services. Ironically in the UK rail services are privatised and everyone hold up continental railways as paragons of perfection. Apparently not necessarily so.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.com