I have been thinking of this trip to Scandinavia for many years. Too many years actually, that I still thought a sea journey is required to get from Germany to Denmark. While I was thinking of this trip, technology and engineering has caught up.
As I wait on the Munich platform, I held a ticket from Munich and Fulda, and there on, non-stop to Copenhagen.
Both were train tickets. There is no fery or cruise ship involved. Once I got on the Fulda-Copenhagen train, I realize why.
By the time I reach Fulda, it was late in the night. Fulda is a small city. There is a small town centre by the train station. The cafe was closed for the day, but the tables and chairs were left outside the shop. I pulled a chair and settle in as I waited and passed the time until the train to Copenhagen comes along. One of the cafe staff were cleaning up the shop, but she didn't came over to ask me to move on. I check out the backlit map of the town, there doesn't look like that is much to look at, even if it were daytime. There is a pub still open, two or three taxi lined the street by the pub. The pub was pumping out trance music. Once, a police patrol drove by, but didn't stop. Looks like a safe town.
Then later in the night, a tall German guy and a lady came down the street. Both in leather jacket and boots. I switch to fight-or-flight mode, in case they notice me and decide to cause some trouble. Either because they are badass, or they are tipsy after a night of drink. They walked past me, stopped behind at the station entrance. Then they just stood there continuing their chat. It didn't take long for me to notice that they are "finishing" their cigarette. Once they were done, they chucked the stubs in the rubbish bin. After that they went their seperate way, one entering the station. I went up to the rubbish bin, I found this sign:
Obviously, the German are more law-by-law than us. Here, late in the night, with no official checking at the station, with no gates and fences, all that was needed was a signbaord that says "Rauchfreier Bahnhof", non-smoking station.
I remembered few years ago, also in Germany, but in Cologne, I was rushing out of my hotel to the train station. I was no later than 7 in the morning, in winter, and the street was empty. The pedestrain light turned red as I was about to cross. I decide to cross anyway. There was no traffic police in sight. Then, one of the local stopped at the other end of the crossing. And there he waited for the light to turn in our favour. I was about to cross, but I stopped: when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
The City Night Line sleeper train arrived in Fulda just before midnight. There wasn't many passengers getting on, other than a family of eastern european. It sounds like they were speaking russian. I wonder why they are heading north. I have paid for a seat ticket. Luckily the seats are in compartments with a sliding door. Two rows face each other. One side was occupied by one guy, the other was empty. I took that row, push the armrests up, and the seats are no worst than a sleeper bed.
Left on the seats were pamphlet, and on the wall were posters, all about safety on the train and the trip. It became clear why no sea journey is required to get into viking countries. A series of tunnels and bridges link Germany and Denmark.
In the middle of the night the train stopped at the Hannover statio, and the mystery of the eastern european was solved. Waiting across the platform on the other track was a Russian Railway train.
It looks like it will be heading east, and stopping at least in Litomysl, Czech.
The train stopped again in Hamburg before it left Germany for Denmark.
By the time I woke up in the early morning, I found myself already in Denmark. Looking out the window I was surprised to see what look like a steam engine sitting on a track about three platforms away. I could clearly see steam puffing from its engine. The first word that came to mind was "Thomas". The engine was actually blue. It couldn't be Thomas the engine. But as our train pulled away from the platform, the front of that blue engine came into sight. What I saw was the unmistakable round face of Thomas. I took note of the station: Odense. When I next have access to the internet, I googled "Odense Thomas train", and there really was a Thomas engine in Odense. I wasn't dreaming.
Before pulling into Copenhagen, me and my compartment-mate for the night exchanged some idle talk. He came onboard from Basel and will be moving onwards to Sweden to meet with his friends. His luggage were packed full, including gifts for his friends: "Cheaper to get in Basel than in Sweden." Coming from someone from one of the most expensive country in the world, I was worried how expensive the Scandinavian countries are going to be.
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