Zoetermeer Oost - An Uncertain Trip

Thursday – With a day full of uncertainty we got up at 07:00, had a quick breakfast and shower and caught the bus to Stuttgart main railway station. We weren’t the only ones and lined up for an hour before finally speaking to a very helpful DB employee. He managed to book us seats on the 15:23 train to Frankfurt with a 16:35 connection to Utrecht in Holland. Just outside Frankfurt our train stopped and was delayed due to another train also running late, arriving at 17:00. Luckily our connecting train was also delayed and we departed thirty minutes late. At Bonn the train stopped unexpectedly, and we were asked to collect our baggage immediately and go across the platform to another train waiting on the opposite side of the platform. Whilst looking for carriage 38 we were directed to immediately board at carriage 35 as the train was leaving and we had to battle our way on the train through the stream of humanity travelling in the opposite direction with their suitcases, down the narrow passageway, looking for their seats. With our big bags it became quite a challenge. Arrival at Utrecht was forty-five minutes late. Station information staff were very helpful with directions to platform 20 and getting us through the barriers which refused to read our ticket bar codes. We arrived at Zoetermeer Oost at 22:30 on an empty, dark platform with light rain falling. The Dutch trains don’t have blue tooth which left us without communications and unable to contact Tineke and Bas. We found Bas patiently waiting for us at the railway crossing at the end of the platform, although we had been unable to contact him to inform of our arrival time. Once at Tineke and Bas’ house there was a very warm welcome followed by coffee and a long conversational chat which lasted until 01:45. What beautiful kind people Tineke and Bas de Vet are.Read more