The Continued Adventures of Matthew Sly. (A Travel log)

I had a flashback today, to my first trip to Germany. Yes; THAT bad. Quite futile.

My circumstances: I've been working hard and steadily in Landestheater Detmold for some three months now. At the end of last week, we had our first two performances of "Let me Live," which is followed by three and a half days free, (Making up for the free days withheld from us, due to last minute rehearsals.)

So, I ORGANISED... (and more, and more,) and in the end, had it planned: Monday, 10:00 class in Düsseldorf; Tuesday, 10:00 class in Eisenach. (These are company Ballet classes, which is how I usually audition for theaters.)

So, this morning I got up nice and early, caught a 6:00 train, to get to Düsseldorf by 8:30.

BUT, my first train was late, so I missed my connection. Next train got me to Düsseldorf by 9:05.

BUT, I took a wrong turn in the Düsseldorf streets, and ended up heading the Wrong way down "König's Allee." And people didn't know where the Opera house was. And it took me a long time to find a map, and get sorted out. Eventually, at 9:59, I came running up to the Opera house, and quickly got the door-keeper to tell me where the dressing rooms were. -Which were not correctly labeled, so I hastily changed in a bathroom, ran up the stairs looking for the studio, poked my head into a singer's rehearsal, because I heard the piano music, asked four people where the Ballet-Saal was, and got four different answers, went all the way up and down the stairs once more, and at last got to the BalletSaal, at the very top of the stairs. So...

Deep breath, and in I went, with an apology ready on my lips...

BUT,

the room was empty. That's when I gave up.

It seems Mr. Kjellsonn forgot to tell me that class was in a different place. So... I had two hours to burn until the train left for Eisenach. What to do?

Look around, and Christmas shop a little.

Catch train, and read for the five hour trip.

Take a while to get to the Youth Hostel, and, come here, where I've sat and had dinner in an in/out Chinese restaurant. Now, I've been talking to this Vietnamese "Youth" who works here, (and who's gone to fulfill someone's order at the moment.)