Unfortunately

Have you ever played this game?

The Game: Making a fortunate situation out of an unfortunate situation
The Rules:
• One person starts by saying “Fortunately” and mentioning something fortunate
• The next person has to follow by saying something unfortunate about the previous situation
• Move clockwise around the car switching between fortunate and unfortunate situations
• If somebody stumbles, they get a strike. Three strikes, and you’re out
• Last man standing wins
Example:
• Fortunately, this will be my first time seeing the Grand Canyon
• Unfortunately, it was invaded by Martians just last week
• Fortunately, I just finished my course in extraterrestrial communications
• etc.

We had a bit of our own version.  It started Monday when we visited the Brugge train stations to buy tickets.  "To Amsterdam and back in one day?" she asked in astonishment.  The train ride was only three hours, which did not seem so astonishing.  When she told us the price for the fast train it was our turn to stand there with our mouths hanging open.  We decided it was worth getting up at 6:30am to catch the slow train.  Coming home there were a couple evening trains and all was fine.

Heading north we changed in the Antwerp Berchem station, which was not so special, but did have a lot of bicycles - on this side, on the other side, under a roof, in a locked room, near the bicycle store.

We also liked the bread vending machine.

We arrived in Amsterdam and enjoyed our day.  We were dilly-dallying a bit (should we stop in Tiger so we can say we have been in one in a fifth country?) and not feeling like we need to hustle to catch the earlier train.  But then we were so close so we decided to go for it.

Each track had an A and B sign on each side of the center hall.  We hustled up the escalator, didn't see the A track and headed farther down the track, just as we had had to walk quite a way when we got off the train.  Unfortunately we hustled the wrong direction.  Unfortunately we didn't see that this last track did not have an A and B on both sides.  Unfortunately we figured it out just as the doors closed. Fortunately a different and faster train was going to Rotterdam and we could take that and then switch to our original train. Unfortunately we did not think we had the right tickets so we decided to simply walk a bit more and catch the next train.

Unfortunately when we came back we saw some Dutch words under the listing for our train, which was now listed in gray. Unfortunately the words said the train was cancelled. Fortunately there was another fast train to Rotterdam and we decided we would take our luck with the tickets we had. Fortunately we caught the train and had no problem.

Unfortunately when we got to Rotterdam there was no train listed that would help us. Fortunately we met a very, very helpful person who took us to another helpful person. Then four helpful people were standing together and shaking their heads. And the second helpful person went off to ask more helpful people. A. was especially sad at the thought of missing the breakfast at the B & B (pastries, homemade cider, local walnuts, nutella, schenkstroop, homemade jam, fresh bread).

Fortunately we were told that the station officials were going to escort us to the track and when a train headed to Paris made a stop they would ask if we could ride to Antwerp to make our connection. We said farewell to the first helpful person and walked with two more helpful people to the track and tried to look like the kind of people the conductor would let on the train. Fortunately it worked because he said yes, but we would have to sit in the bar area.

Fortunately this was easy to do. We had a table, we had power, we had seats, and we had hope.

Unfortunately we had only a few minutes to make the connection in Antwerp.  Fortunately we met someone headed the same way and he knew which floor we had to go to.  He decided to take the elevator and unfortunately we decided to take the stairs.  He realized he was in the wrong elevator and unfortunately by the time we realized that we were on Track One instead of Track Two the train was leaving the station.

Fortunately Antwerp Centraal is a beautiful station. Fortunately the train we thought we were changing to before we went to Rotterdam would be there in an hour. Fortunately we had a warm place to wait.  Unfortunately we did not want to be there.

Fortunately we had no problem catching the train.  Fortunately when we needed to make another change we did not get off at Gent-Dampoort because our train was in Gent-Sint-Pieters.  Fortunately we had no problem making the connection.

Fortunately we were able to sleep in and enjoy a fabulous breakfast.

Just to add to the excitement when we were leaving for the airport the next evening we decided not to hustle for the earlier train.  But then we were so close! We did hustle and as we got to the track the conductor signaled for us to get in.  Fortunately we got seats.  Fortunately we did not have to change trains in Brussels.  Fortunately I had bought the special airport supplement when we were waiting in Antwerp.

Fortunately we had no adventures traveling back to Sant Cugat.