And Outside The Rain Fell...

The train has now almost become my second home. And it's always comfortable. Well, anything is, to tired souls who have walked miles and miles, exploring fascinating cities day after day until exhaustion drove us to an all consuming sleep every night.

That said, our love for trains today grew almost ridiculous. We were to do 5 trips up and down on the same rail track, from Stuttgart to Munich, a 200 mile (?) journey, within a span of 24 hours. Yeah, laugh on. It was that ridiculous.

Early morning at Munich, we took a train to Stuttgart, I forget the times. All I do remember is reaching Stuttgart around 10, deeply in sleep, eyes opening only when the cold, icy wind blew into my face.

This trip was unlike any other, all we wanted to do was relax, (without predeciding of course), do the things we did only at a much slower pace, and yet do nothing at all. As complicated as that might sound, we were thoroughly enjoying this trip, with hardly any physical exertion at all.

The only thing on our agenda today - Mercedes Benz.

Visiting the Neckarpark area of Stuttgart, an area riddled with Mercedes Buildings all over, the museum and its neo-modern circular building loomed over large. Fascinating technology was everywhere here, with capsule like elevators that had huge projectors showing the Daimler and Benz's history on the staid cement walls, audio guides that were packed with information enough to spend an entire day at the museum, and also Souvenirs to keep.

We walked along the museum's 8 opulently designed floors, retracing the history and the birth of the Benz Motor Company and the Daimler Company. The numerous displays of cars right from the late 1800's was a treat for every automobile lover. Navigating through the miles of circular exhibitions, each depicting a particular aspect of the era in which the companies existed, and how it played a vital role in its times.

The numerous audio guides were a treat, which entirely retraced the history of almost all of Europe. And to see a car that we’ve all dreamed of, and heard so much since our childhood, it indeed was a dream coming true. Seeing those historical cars, transitioning from the era of three wheels to the pre-war bulky designs, the post war sleek and Supercharged cars and finally the cutting edge technology that we see today, Mercedes Diamler Benz was history in itself.

As evening drew on ,we found ourselves back in Munich, walking along Marienplatz. Having been here earlier, I already felt nostalgic seeing it again. I would miss Europe. The night getting colder, and not having much to do in the one hour before our train was to leave, we returned to the station, reading, dozing off, finally boarding the train to Paris. And enjoying the rare treat of sleeping completely stretched out in the train. Sigh. Drowsy.