Osnabruck, Germany

Well, my Danish roommate, Steve, mysteriously turned into 'Paul' tonight but we went to the Doors show and it was really good. Paul had somehow managed to get them to put both of our names on the guest list so we got in free. We took another girl from the hostel, Laura, with us. She was just coming in from Amsterdam and we smoked her leftovers at the show.
I had a really great meal at the Restoranti Venicia tonight. French onion soup, a carafe of wine and penne pasta with shrimp. It was actually supposed to be gnocchi but I have learned that in Germany what you order is just a guideline, and in the end they'll bring you whatever they think you should be eating at that particular time.

Osnabruck, Germany

Steve, the great Dane, wants me to go to see a Doors tribute band with him tonight. I will probably go. I've had a good sleep, a shower and now I'm going to go out and get something to eat.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Back on a train to Osnabruck. Had high times in the 'Dam but could use a day of sleep! I can honestly say I've reached an age where partying all night will require at least 1.5 rest-and-recovery days. I don't know how I used to do this all the time.
I'm not sure what I had for breakfast but it was good. Sort of like a flaky pastry filled with mushed loose sausage meat.

Utrecht, The Netherlands

I had some time to kill so I hopped a train to Utrecht and then turned around and hopped another back to Amsterdam. It was fun coming out here tonight, I'm glad I did it. Much more in the spirit of no plans, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants travel; But a whole trip of this would have driven me out of my mind. I'm glad I've at least got a rough idea of where I'm headed.
I just had the greatest slice of pizza... of course it may have been enhanced via cannabis. I've been thinking of stopping off at home next week after I do the Rhine River. I miss Pam and Ryan and it would be nice to be home for a day or two. If I do that I will also lighten my load as much as possible. I'm carrying too much stuff I'll never use enough to make it worth carrying it.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Ah Amsterdam, my lovely city beneath the sea. I'm sitting at the 420 Cafe with a bong, a beer and a gram of white widow. My city has come home.

Osnabruck, Germany

I spent the day just wandering around the city (after doing a load of wash). The architecture is absolutely stunning. The treaty that ended the 30-years War in 1648 was signed here. the actual building in which it was signed still stands (The Peace Chamber). Erich-Maria Remarque was born here as well and inspiration for his _All Quiet on the Western Front_ came from where I was standing a few hours ago.
In a whirlwind decision I boarded a train for Amsterdam about an hour ago. I am going to try and find a room and/or hook up with Marc (he had mentioned I was welcome to crash on his sofa). Then I'll head back to Osnabruck (where my wash is still hanging to dry) tomorrow afternoon. get a good night's sleep and move to Amsterdam again Sunday morning.
I forgot to mention that I got a roommate today. Steve. Steve is a Dane who, for the last four years, makes his living traveling around Europe playing guitar in the streets and bars. He's got a wealth of stories and seems to be quite entertaining... with or without his axxe.

Osnabruck, Germany

I've decided to stay another day here. Later this morning I'm going to go back to the station and get my dirty wash so I can do a load of laundry. Right now I'm going to find some coffee and wake up a bit.

Osnaburg, Germany

Checked into the Penthouse Backpackers Hostel. What a great place! I was planning on this being just a short stopover on the way to the Netherlands but the city has a lot of history and the hostel and staff are wonderful! At only 12 bucks a night with laundry, kitchen, terrace and a huge room (I'm in a six-bed dorm, but I'm the only one in the room tonight) and a lively city I may have to stay a day or two. Cathy checked me in, showed me around, introduced me to the other people staying there that were still awake or home, and gave me a map of the city which she translated for me. She really makes you feel welcome and want to stay.

Hamburg - Osnaburg, Germany

On the final leg of the trip to Osnaburg. This is another nice train. I guess I shouldn't gripe too much that I'm over 26 and had to get a 1st class pass, it sure makes for relaxing train rides. I realized on the last train that I was down to just 5 Euro in cash. I only had about 25 minutes to switch trains in Hamburg but it proved to be enough time to slip across the street from the station and find a geldautomat. I am currently re-reading Kerouac's _On The Road_. It seemed a fitting novel in spirit, though Lord knows I have saved up a little more cash for my trip than Jack. With my HoE card though, my bed tonight will only be E11.70.

Hamburg, Germany

Boarded a train for Hamburg 20 minutes after getting off the boat. Now headed for Osnaburg for an HoE hostel. Made arrangements by phone from the train, she was very nice and agreed to take me late (since my train won't arrive until 2300hrs).

Baltic Sea

We should be arriving in Rostock in about 2.5 hours. I should mention something about the meals on the ferries. The most striking difference, after the higher quality of the Silja buffet of course, is the selection. The Silja Line is based out of Sweden and 60% of the fare consists of recipes straight out of _101 Ways To Prepare Herring_, with the remaining 40% coming from _50 Ways To Substitute Other Fish When You've Run Out Of Herring_. There was also a traditional Reindeer stew and an array of desserts. I was brave and tried most of the different herring selections, even the raw smoked and raw pickled options (I figured they had to be safe or there wouldn't be any Swedes left in the world since they all seem to eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, brunch, etc). It was all actually quite tasty and I really enjoyed the mustard and smoked selections.
SuperFast is actually a Greece-based line just branching out to the Baltic runs. While they still had a decidedly 'fishy' theme their buffet was augmented by Greek standards such as roast lamb, rice wrapped in grape leaves, cheese pies and Greek pastries. I did find it slightly humorous that both had Texas Hot Wings and Onion Rings listed as 'exotic delicacies' (but being American, I think I was probably the only one to find it funny). In any case, I overate at both buffets and didn't need
any other food throughout either trip. I believe I'm going to head west upon arrival in Rostock. I'd like to get to Holland and pick up my original plan.

Baltic Sea

Woke up about 10 minutes ago. Turned in early last night and had a great night's sleep aboard the SuperFast ferry from Hanko, Finland to Rostock, Germany. The difference between the two ferry lines is notable; Silja is the upscale line and SuperFast is the commoners' line. A good comparison would be the Vegas casinos of Bally's and Circus Circus, respectively. Both of them provide pleasant stays but the first tends to pamper you down to every minute detail while the second dispenses with the frills and concentrates on lowering costs. I need to sort out my finances when I get to Germany. I know I am way over budget right now. I will see if I can get a handle on it when I get in this evening. Right now I am going to see if I can get some early morning pictures.

Hanko, Finland

I have about 45 minutes until the ship boards for Rostock. I went ahead and upgraded to a private room for this leg of the journey. The cost of the room is usually $408 and they offered me the upgrade for $119. It's a splurge but I think it will be worth it to be able to shower, sleep and come and go without having to worry about roommates. This is a 22 hour sailing so it will be a nice rest. I will have to take some time tonight and decide if I want to head for Berlin or the Netherlands from Rostock.

Karjaa, Finland

Short layover here before boarding a train to Hanko. The train from Helsinki was a really nice train with reclining seats (not a lot of those seats on Euro trains). I am eating the last of some really great potato chips I bought in Stockholm. They are tomato-basil seasoned but what makes them so good is they're kettle-cooked like back home. The label says they are manufactured by Kraft Foods Nordic.

Helsinki, Finland

I arrived in Helsinki this morning around 1030hrs. After heading to the train station and stowing my pack I called SuperFast Ferries to arrange my transport from Hanko to Rostock, Germany tonight. They said they have a room but that my Eurail pass does not give me free passage any longer. But that she could give me a 4-person shared room for €165 or a private room for €119. She seemed rather excited for me that she was able to give me a private room at such a discount (I think the normal cost is about €350) but I was still stuck on why I couldn't get free passage when my pass stated I could. She said they changed that and when I told her I just bought my pass a month ago she asked me to call her back.
Well, during the time I was waiting to call her back I was considering how nice it would be to have a private cabin for this leg of the trip. This is a long ferry ride, about 22 hours and it certainly would be nice to have a cabin to myself where I can shower, sleep, eat, repack or whatever without falling over 3 other roommates. I'm not sure if I was trying to pacify my irritation of not being able to get the free room or just rationalize spending a hundred bucks on a room. But in the end, when I called her back, rationalization won out and I opted for the upgrade to the private cabin. Even though she said she was wrong and I could, in fact, get the 4-person cabin for just the port tax of €12. But by that time I had already convinced myself of the benefits of a private cabin and I told her to go ahead and book it... at such a discount it's probably worth it anyway. Might as well live a little.
So now I'm sitting at the Pullman Bar drinking a local Finnish beer (Kukko) with free internet access while you drink. Gotta love that. It's on the second floor of the train station and a really nice place. I have a train leaving at 1600 for Hanko and my ship leaves tonight at 2100. For now though, I'm going to go take a few pictures of the local area and grab something light to eat (since I'll probably be faced with another buffet tonight I don't want to eat to heavy).
Finland is a very pretty country. It's cold and there is still snow on the ground... but it's beautiful just the same.

Baltic Sea

When I woke up this morning and looked out the window it was like being in a plane. The entire ocean is frozen and looks like clouds. I remember hearing noise last night and wondering what it was but it never occured to me that it would be the ship cutting through the ice. It is a gorgeous site though, I took some pictures out on the deck but it is biting cold out there.
We are just about ready to dock in Helsinki. My roommate is from Valencia and gave me his mobile number and told me to call him if I make it into Valencia so we can grab a beer. The meal last night was fantastic... and the wine must have been slightly stronger than I thought. When I left the dining area I thought I was just wobbling a little because the ship had hit a rough patch... but when the ship calmed down and I continued to wobble I came to the prementioned conclusion.
The trip itself was very calm and sedate. I had a nice relaxing time and would take a Silja Lines ferry again should the chance arise.

Baltic Sea

This ship is huge! Big. It's so damned big it's got other medium-sized ships haning off the side. And not those rowboat things you see in the movies... I mean like "Giligan, Skipper... here's a boat that can rescue the Castaways, Captain, Crew, Island natives, TV Production staff, Series extras, and then stop off at Fastasy Island and pick up anyone who couldn't make the plane." - type boats hanging from its sides. The damned ship is big, ok?
It is a beautiful ship though. It's sort of like a huge shopping mall on the waves. Most of the people seem to be traveling with the express purpose of shopping at the duty-free shops.
My pass entitled me to a cabin below deck but she was having some problem with her computer when I was trying to book passage and she upgraded me free-of-charge to a sun deck cabin. There is another guy in the Cabin and he is from Spain.
The view is nice but it's getting dark and pretty hard to see anything. I'm going to go to the buffet sitting tonight, it seems to be loaded with seafood amid other choices.

Stockholm, Sweden

Last night when I got back to the hostel my genuine Swedish roommate was on his I-lost-count-about-4-beers-ago'th beer. I personally thought he was hilarious... then we got a new roommate, also Swedish. I didn't get his name. He came ready to sleep and meant business. It was about 2300hrs and when Carlj picked up New Swede's hat and put it on his head I thought I was going to see a Swedish boxing match.
But New Swede just calmly took his hat back and said something in Swedish. I haven't picked up a lot of Swedish but I think it loosely translated to "I wish to make sleep now. If not I'm sleeping in 10 minutes I will pull testicles out through eyelids." (or something like that, I think it's a Swedish greeting of affection). Nevertheless, Carlj decided to finish his remaining beers upstairs in the lounge. I decided sleep was a pretty good idea and hit the sack as well.


I managed to find a 'real' coffee shop this morning where I could have a hazelnut cappuccino and a fresh-baked croissant. Sweden is a really great country. I first thought it was expensive but since I've become somewhat acclimated to the exchange rate I find it to be a very reasonably priced place. The Swedes aren't as outwardly friendly as the Germans. They are friendly and helpful if you ask them something but they are not as apt to strike up a conversation or say 'Good morning' as the Germans.
After checking out of my room I headed out to find the Aquarium. It was an interesting place. Not very big, but part of it was set up like a real rainforest and they also had a few small sharks and really giant catfish. I also toured the Vasamuseet, a museum built around the Vasa (a ship that sank in the 1600's and was recovered almost completely intact in the 1960's).

Now I'm off to arrange passage to Finland this evening. I feel like I could easily spend another few days or more in Sweden. I've really enjoyed the time I've spent here. There are more museums I'd like to see and despite it being very, very cold, it has still been an enjoyable stay.


My thoughts on Sweden...
Contrary to what you may have been led to believe, all Swedish women are not blonde, blue-eyed, 36-26-34, sex-bombs taking a year sabbatical from the Swedish Bikini Team to model the latest in skintight fashions amid the streets of Sweden for ogling American men.

Some of them are brunette.

Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm is a great city! I think I've got it down now... get to a city, stow your pack in a locker at the train station, grab a local transport card and find a room. At least it worked out well this time. I found a quaint little ship-turned-hostel docked fairly close to the Silja Ferry Lines office (where I'll need to be tomorrow to reserve my passage to Finland). I've got a Stockholm card that gives me free transportation for the next 24 hours as well as free entry to about 70 different museums and attractions (though I'll probably only take advantage of one or two of those, the real deal is the unlimited subway, bus and inter-city train travel). I did see an aquarium that looks pretty good... so I'll probably check that out tomorrow. I may even decide to spend another day here. The hostel is basic but cheap and the staff is really helpful and friendly. It's the Gustaf Af Klint, Stadgårdskajen 153 (only a few hundred meters from the Slussen T-bana station). About €17 per night for a 3-bed room. My room even came complete with a genuine Swedish roommate, Carlj. He's staying at the hostel while his apartment is redone and he's a really nice guy... if it weren't for him I'd probably still be wandering around the city trying to find a cybercafe.
Well, I'm off for some dinner and exploring...

Between Malmo and Stockholm, Sweden

I had been sitting on the train about 20 minutes when they came to check tickets. After a rather quizzical look and then a long look at my US Passport the conductor picked up my bag and said "Please to follow me... you paid for a much better seat!" Promptly after being moved up to first class I was served lunch, wine and coffee. Not to mention being able to stretch my legs out. But I've got to be honest, I thought the second class seats were pretty good. I didn't have the slightest idea I wasn't in the 'comfortable' section.
Sweden has the most beautiful lakes and rivers. The view, even from the train window, is gorgeous. Listening to the Grateful Dead with my train due in Stockholm at 1540hrs.

Somewhere over the North Sea between Denmark and Sweden

Bikes. Bikes. Bikes! I haven't seen this many bicycles since I was last in Holland. I don't know where they all were yesterday... perhaps Sundays are some strange Danish biking day of rest thing or something. But this morning everyone over the age of 4 seems to be riding to work, school or just somewhere to exchange his bike for a different one. In Copenhagen they run a deal much like shopping carts in Germany. You pop 10kr into the lock at a public bike cache and then when you reach your destination, you lock up the bike at a different public bike cache and get your 10kr back.
I'm heading out of here now though. Back to Malmo to pick up my pack and head to Stockholm.


Copenhagen suffers and identity crises and can't decide if it wants to be Amsterdam's kid brother or Sweden's big sister. The city center is filled with attempts to be a city like Amsterdam that just slightly miss the mark; A few thousand bicycles, a fairly tame attempt at a red light district (that the Copenhagen tourist office seems to really want you refer to as 'Little Amsterdam' but it just doesn't quite work), lots of bars and brick-a-brak shops with t-shirts proclaiming that you lost something in Copenhagen while your consciousness was altered, etc. But they just can't get the feel of Amsterdam... they don't have that vibe.
On the other hand, the powers that be in Copenhagen seem to be pushing people to Malmo, Sweden to help boost the redevelopment of Malmo as the thriving metropolis it was a few hundred years ago when it was a main sea port. In all the tourist literature there are countless references to Malmo's inexpensive (as far as Scandinavia goes anyway) shopping districts and cafes, as well as discounts on the 30 minute train ride from Copenhagen to Malmo. They seem to be saying "Come to Copenhagen... but go spend your money in Malmo."


My thoughts on Copenhagen... I'd rather be in Sweden.

Copenhagen, Denmark

After a few trips back and forth between Malmo and Copenhagen, I finally ended up at a hostel in Copenhagen. I was going to catch a night train to Stockholm but the train didn't run on Sundays. So I ended up heading back to Copenhagen and grabbing up a bed at the IYH hostel. Tomorrow morning I will head back into Malmo (since my pack is still in the locker at the train station) and catch a train to Stockholm. Tonight I am bushed, I've done a hell of a lot of walking today and I can already feel a few small blisters forming. So I think I'm going to head to bed so I'm refreshed and ready for tomorrow.

Malmo, Sweden

I arrived in Malmo around 8:30 this morning. It's a little nippy (about 3 degrees Celsius) and slightly foggy. I stashed my pack in a locker at the train station and took a long walk through the city but there isn't much going on, perhaps because it is Sunday.
I was going to head over to Copenhagen this afternoon and spend the night there but I'm having a rough time finding a hostel that isn't booked up. So I think I am going to head over now and see for myself... if I still can't find anything I'll probably hop a train to Stockholm late tonight (since finding a hostel in Stockholm isn't proving to be any easier) and spend the day in Stockholm. Then I'll try to pick up the ferry tomorrow evening for Helsinki.
Sweden is an expensive country, getting from the airport to the train station was almost a 40 dollar cab ride. So it might be prudent to go ahead with my plan of spending the night on the train and not forking out the cash for a bed. I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to sleep on my upcoming ferry trips.
I'm currently at the Surfer's Paradise cybercafe. It's 40SEK per half hour.
So far the trip has been good. Though it's only been a day. I validated my rail pass yesterday and it's good until the 29th of April, so I got an extra day. That was cool of them. Well, I'm off to find some lunch and figure out where I'll be for the next 24 hours or so.