Back to Germany (with an over night detour in Strasbourg, France)

My train to go to Osnabrück, Germany (Lyon to Strasbourg, Strasbourg to Offenburg, Offenburg to Osnabrück) was to leave at 6:38. It left about 20 minutes late. The Erbs and their friends were worried I would miss my connecting train from Offenburg to Osnabrück and offered to let me spend the night and continue early in the morning. I said that I would be fine because I really wanted to see my friend in Osnabrück. It was the only day I would be able to see her and if I left the next day, I wouldn't get to see her. So I played a game with fate and left. Besides, if I missed my train, I'd just catch the next one. Those were my famous last words.
As the train stopped at each place we got later and later. I was for sure going to have to take a later train. About half-way through the 5-hour train ride, it occured to me that since the train would arrive in Strasbourg after midnight, there was no other train until 5 a.m. when the train station opens for the day. At that point I had a minor freak out. I asked around if people spoke English and most of them told me that the station closes and that there is really nothing around the train station (no restaurants or hotels) but not to worry because Eurail/France Rail would compenate me for my ticket.
Well, my ticket was not my problem. I had a Eurail pass that allows me on any train in most countries in Europe. It was the fact that I had nowhere to go! I was also worried that no one would speak enough English or Spanish for me to explain what I needed.
I wanted something to distract me desperately, but my iPod was out of battery and my book was too suspenseful to really distract me from my problem at hand. So I just sat there worried.
When the train arrived almost an hour later than scheduled I just showed them my Eurail pass and my original train itinerary. They took me to the office and made me wait for awhile. Other people were coming into the office to get compensation for their tickets and asking me questions. I gave them a blank stare trying to catch the few words I understand in French. One guy asked me `you don´t speak French?´and I said ´no´and then he said `well, no one is perfect.´
The rail guy came back out and gave me a voucher for 70 euros to stay at the Hotel Victoria down the street. I walked outside of the train station very relieved. I had never heard of Strasbourg before and as it turns out it's a pretty big city. There were a lot of people out side and about 10 hotels right when you walked out the door. I was not able to sleep very well because there was no alarm in the room and I was not entirely sure the guy at the reception desk understood I wanted a wake up call. I also could not leave my cell phone on because it was running out of batteries as well and the adapter I bought for it is only good in Germany, apparently.
So I got up before 6 a.m. and got ready to catch my 6:50 train. I changed trains twice before I got to Osnabrück at 1:20 p.m.


My small room


Good Morning! A view from my room.


The train station