Freelance Announcer Aika Kanda “Year-end and New Year’s Travel to Germany and Luxembourg (2) – Big Troubles on the Move

Although I enjoyed Germany

During this year-end and New Year’s holidays, my mother and I traveled to Frankfurt, Germany and neighboring Luxembourg. First, we arrived at the hotel in Frankfurt, where we would stay for four nights. After the anger at check-in subsided, we finally started our trip.

It was our first time in Frankfurt, and it was below freezing every day. I was well protected against the cold, but even so, I started to get chilly just after walking around the city for 30 minutes. I observed, “What do the locals wear?” Almost all adults were wearing thick, ankle-length, long down coats filled with feathers. When I looked for similar coats in Japan, I could only find bench coats for sports or slim ones for fashion-conscious people. I decided to add finding a thick, long down coat of my liking to the purpose of this trip!　I decided to add finding a thick, long down coat of my liking to the purpose of this trip!

Frankfurt Cathedral and Römerplatz with its lovely buildings. We enjoyed extra-large sausages and extra-large German beer at a popular German restaurant while feeling the atmosphere of the cobblestone streets.

Soon it was New Year’s Eve and the day to move on to Luxembourg. We said goodbye to the city of Frankfurt and arrived at the central station at 8:00 in the morning. I waited for the 9:06 a.m. train that I had booked in advance. After spending about an hour changing trains at Koblenz station, we arrived in Luxembourg at 14:23 p.m. We had planned a train trip of more than five hours, which was my mother’s wish.

However, 15 minutes before departure time, the “Koblenz” sign suddenly disappeared from the destination display on the platform. At the same time, an announcement was made in German, but it was inaudible. I thought that it was because the platform had been changed, and went to the general information board. ), I went to check the general information board and found that the train I was supposed to board was cancelled. （What?) My blood boiled. （What should I do?　I had to ask someone for help!) I left my big suitcase with my mother and dashed to the information desk.

I showed the lady at the information desk my reservation form and said, “Distrain, no service! I said, “Distrain, no service! I told her that I didn’t understand English, and she silently scanned her computer and handed me a new reservation slip. Then he said, “Go to line 23! He said.

The train he rebooked for me was the one that was originally scheduled to leave the Hauptbahnhof at 8:54 a.m. but was delayed, and was now scheduled to depart at 9:24 a.m. I was told that I would have to change to the new train at Koblenz. I was relieved to find that the transfer time had been reduced to 45 minutes and that the train I was to take afterwards was the same as the original one.

You can make reservations, but you can’t be too careful.

But as I waited on line 23 with my mother, the destination indicator poofed off again. No way! I checked the general information board and found that the train had been cancelled. I was terrified that I would not be able to reach Luxembourg today, so I dashed to the information desk again. This time, I told the old man in charge, “Distrain, no service! I told him.

He rebooked us, but we had to change trains twice. I was not confident to change trains twice with my elderly mother in a place I did not know at all. So I told them “please transfer one time”. Then he handed me a new reservation form. Poof, there was one transfer, and the transfer time was 20 minutes. （I thought to myself, “I can handle this!) ), so I took it.

The new transfer was to take the 10:09 train from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof to Luxembourg station at 14:45, after a 20-minute transfer.

However, the train was 10 minutes late. （I had heard that the train service in Germany is as accurate as in Japan (……), but I was astonished when I looked at the reservation form again.

The transfer station was “Saarbrücken” (not Koblenz?!). (Not Koblenz?!). (Not Koblenz?!) And from Saarbrücken onward, it was “Bus”. (Not a train!!!). Wait a minute. I had to find a bus stop while dragging my heavy luggage at a station I didn’t know and didn’t speak the language, and since I was already 10 minutes late, the actual transfer time was only 10 minutes …… (impossible!!!!). (Impossible!!!!).

I didn’t have the courage to tell this to my mother, who was exhausted after two hours of waiting on the platform in the freezing temperatures. I told myself over and over as I looked out the train window, “Calm down, Aika.

Aika Kanda: Born in 1980 in Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from Gakushuin University with a degree in mathematics, she joined NHK as an announcer in 2003, and left in 2012 to become a freelance announcer. Since then, she has been active mainly in variety shows, and currently appears regularly as the main MC of the daytime TV program “Poka Poka” (Fuji Television Network).

Her first book, ” Where are you going on the road called Royal Road? is now on sale by popular demand!

From “FRIDAY” February 20/27, 2026 issue