My People

hannah asked: I'd love to hear you talk about assorted public transportation options you've taken while traveling, both domestically and internationally, and whether or not any stuck out to you for any reason.

Domestically: Well, it's practically a German cliché to complain about Die Bahn, but the truth is that while it truly is in a bad state, due to sixteen years of conservative ministers of transport defining their office as "lobbying for Mercedes, BMW and Audi" and endlessly delaying necessary repairs of the railway system, I still consider our public transport system my favourite way to travel within Germany. Both the trains, and in cities the busses and streetcars and underground trains. In most cases, it's possible to reach any given destination by train and from the railway station by local public transport. And one great invention that was added in, I think, the second Pandemic year, was Das Deutschlandticket, meaning a ticket you pay per month and which you can use for all public transport within Germany that is not - forgive me using now traumatizing initials - ICE or IC. (ICE in Germany means our fastest trains, to put it simply. ICs are second fastest trains. Both are the type of trains which can bring you from Munich to Berlin in less than five hours.) Which means that if, say, you live in Munich like me, and go to a conference in Hamburg, you do not have to buy extra tickets to use the public transport system in Hamburg, you can simply use your Deutschlandticket . Very neat indeed.

Anyway, the terrible state of our railway system means that currently practically every second long distance train is late, but there are a lot of them, and you do get notified at least an hour before the supposed departure of your train, so you can, using the Bahn app,, easily find a replacement connection. Well, most of the time. Not that people without a mobile device and internet access are screwed, and the are still a considerable part of older folk for whom this is true. Yours truly, in her fiftyseventh year of life, does not have this problem and thus can navigate the perils of the public transport system while using its benefits. Which I still very much prefer to taking the care, believe me. I am a German who isn't crazy about the Autobahn.

Internationally: Back in what turned out to be the last year of the Soviet Uniion (I think? 1991?) my APs and self spent two weeks in Russiai, one in Moscow and one in Leningrad/St. Petersburg, respectively. Among the many memorable things in Moscow were a couple of subway stations which looked like mini palaces, complete with chandeliers. I dimly recall being told these hailed from Stalin's era and were meant to demonstrate how well off the people were in the worker's paradise, which sounds like him, and of course looking like mini palaces does not enhance the usefulness of a subway station, but it still was an unexpected and impressive view! Also, the APs and yours truly actually managed to get to all the sightseeing spots we wanted to visited via the Moscow Metro and armed with a guide book and a map, so all hail the public transport system in Moscow in the year 1991. That same journey also included going by train overnight form Moscow to Leningrad (as it was still called), which worked fine, and while the cabins were hardly luxurious, they were comfortable enough for such a journey.

I also remember the main railway station in Madrid which includes a palm tree garden to relax in, which was lovely. And the cable cars of Lisbon from when I was there two or so years ago; last year, there was a terrible accident featuring one of them, so I don't know whether they'll still continue to be used that way, but they certainly were a signature part of the city (and usually you stand when using them, because they're that crowded.)

The country other than my own where I used the public transport system most often would be the United Kingdom. Generally, I've found British cars to be less comfortable but far more reliable than German ones, and the one time when I did a criss cross journey through the country on my lonesome, I got pretty much anywhere by train easily. As for the London "Tube", it's responsible for some occasions with much adrenaline pumping and transpiration from when I needed to reach the airport but was stuck in the Picadilly Line unexpectedly, but so far - knock on wood - in each of these cases, I did manage to reach the airport in time after all. Oh, and the one time I had to go from Heathrow to Oxford via bus directly, it worked perfectly as well, so good on you, British busses.

Let's see, what else? Oh, right, I once had a chance to housesit a palazzo in Venice for ten days which was awesome, and while I went everywhere on foot, I did take the vaporetto now and then, which was fine, as was the train connection to Padua when I used the chance to see the Giotto frescoes there.

The other days

Given all space and time, and all history and fiction, which offer of adventure would you be most likely to accept - and which one would you definitely decline? ffutures asked.

Well, I'm tempted to say "none, because I'm chicken and would rather read about those adventures than experience them". But that would be a boring answer, and there are some which don't carry the risk of dying of smallpox or being turned into a Cyberman, one presumes. So, let's see....

Fictional: To get the obvious out of the way first: assuming that I'd live in a universe with the Doctor in it for real (the only universe worth thinking about, according to the Master, who ought to know), and that I would not live in one of those eras where one can google at least asome appearances of his which ought to give me an inkling about the risk travelling with him involves... I think I'd say yes if 'Thirteen offered me a trip with the TARDIS. She's not my favourite Doctor, but she conveys trustworthiness if she wants to, and even if I did manage to look up her companions, thehir rate of not just survival but lack of heartbreak (Yaz always excepted) at the end of their travels with her is promising. Most of the other Doctors would in real life make me think "nah, you seem to be interesting and/or crazy, but I wouldn't trust you to bring me home again".

I would definitely say no to Gandalf. Especially if I were in Bilbo's position. Firstly, stagemanaging an intrusion by loads of uninvited guests is just rude, and secondly, no way you're getting me anywhere near a real life dragon to be torched. No thank you. And that's before we're talking about the travel conditions. I can't ride, and while I do like long hikes, taking these in eras where I could get eaten by trolls... no, really not. I'm just not Burglar material.

Real: If I was dared as Nellie Bly was to travel around the world in 80 Days a la Jules Verne, with a newspaper paying for it, absolutely, I would have tried my best.

Would not have joined: any expedition involving the Artic. I like snow in winter, and I also like to ski, but I like it with the perspective of afterwards returning my heated apartment and being able to take a luxurious long hot bath. Not from the perspective of someone looking for the North West Passage on a sailing boat in the 18th century or someone racing to the Pole in the 20th century. I like my limbs unfrozen and uneaten, thanks.


The other days