So....yesterday we rode the train from Stockholm to Copenhagen. This train trip was supposed to last a maximum of 5 hours.....and it ended up taking 15. Slightly ridiculous to say the least.
Our day began at 9:30 when we were supposed to meet to go to the train station....at which point we found out our train was delayed 30 minutes. So we sat back down in the lobby since there was neither places to sit nor air conditioning at the train station. So we sit in the lobby for about 30 minutes or so until almost time for our train to come in. Train gets there, we get on, and the train turns off. And thus begins the beginning of the madness. They came over the intercom and informed us there were technical difficulties with the train and we'd get going when it was fixed. A little while later they manage to fix the train and we got going. However, the air conditioning barely worked and we couldn't feel it hardly at all so we were all hot, some more than others. lol Shortly after we got going, they came over the intercom again to inform us that those of us going to Copenhagen have to switch trains shortly before the Swedish border because our train was for some reason incapable of going across the bridge to Copenhagen. So the forthcoming chaos was pushed aside since we still had hours left til then.
Unfortunately, here we hit our next bump in the road. We pulled into a station at a tiny town in the middle of nowhere for a short stop. About the time we get back on the train to leave again, they come over the speakers again and inform us that the next town had lost power so no trains could go in or out of the station. So we sit around for awhile waiting for them to regain power. The professors and tour guide started calling around trying to get buses for us, but they could only get one and it couldn't be there for like 3 1/2 hours. So we continue to wait on the train until we eventually got going again hours later. (Have I mentioned this is all without air conditioning?) So we head for Lund and are enroute when the train breaks down. One of our professors informed us that we were officially in between the middle of nowhere and the middle of nowhere. So we sit there for a significant amount of time until they got it fixed. Eventually, we get going again and are cruising right along and it starts raining, like thunder, lightening, the whole nine yards. At which point the conductor comes back over the intercom, a sound we'd learned to fear and loathe.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you aren't going to believe this, but lighting has hit (insert town name here) and they have lost power." Naturally, we all groaned collectively. So we once again found ourselves sitting on the tracks in the middle of nowhere, waiting to be able to continue our journey. Eventually we continue on, where we somehow managed to get stuck behind a freight train thus further prolonging our little trip. (Have I mentioned that by this time it's at least dinner time if not after and we hadn't actually eaten a "meal" since noon?) Meanwhile, we're getting closer and closer to time for the World Cup game and the boys were getting progressively more cranky. Long story short, we eventually made it to the station where we had to change trains after over 12 hours on board. I wish I could say everything went smoothly from there. First the station is only using half of the tracks due to construction or something, so it took forever to get in. Because of this, we missed our train to Copenhagen, and they'd told us the next train was at 11:42 (the original one was at 11:22). By this point we're all thinking what's another 20 minutes and were unconcerned. However, then they come over the speakers to inform us that they told us wrong and it isn't until 12:22. Which ended up working out because we got into the station with minutes to spare, or so we thought.
After getting all of us and our luggage onto the train, we hear once again the speakers come on, this time informing us that our conductor's train has been delayed and we're waiting on him so we're going to be leaving 20 minutes later than planned. About 30 minutes or so later, they come on to inform us that we're about to leave. Following this announcement a guy in the front of the train car was like "Finally! I've been waiting an hour! I think I should get a refund or something!" Naturally we just laughed at him incredulously. So our train finally starts moving....and we get to Copenhagen and get off the train at 1:40 am (10 hours AFTER the time we were supposed to get here) at which point we have to wait because we only have one rather than the two buses we were supposed to have because one of the drivers contractually cannot drive after midnight so the bus has to make 2 trips so half of us get on the bus while the rest of us stand in/by the street waiting for it to return, supposedly 15 minutes later. After watching some very entertaining Copenhagen natives, we get on the bus when it returns nearly an hour later and head for the hotel and our dinner of pizza that has been ordered for us about 6 or so hours earlier. Meggan and I got to our room at 3:30 where we then couldn't figure out how to turn on the lights because you have to put your room key in to get electricity which we discovered after at least 10 minutes of searching while using the tv for a light and leaving the door open and her suitcase in the hall (and of course both of us nearly crashing into a very large pole in the middle of our room). At which point we see the sky lightening up as the sun begins to rise and gave up on the idea of sleeping because the hotel doesn't have any air conditioning and it was incredibly hot so we kept our window wide open and got online instead, finally ending our epic day with a nap before breakfast at 6:30.
The End.
For those of you wondering, it's about 80 degrees in Copenhagen currently, and most of the buildings don't have air conditioning because they only get this weather about one week a year...lucky us. We went on a walking tour of the city today and then did a bit of wandering, though not quite as much as in Stockholm because a) this city is way bigger and b) it has a tendency to be quite a bit sketchier.
Two castles tomorrow and headed for the airport and London Wednesday morning so my time here is almost over....time to start class. :-/
Well interesting...they have all sorts of hickups in Europe just like they do in America. I had a train ride (I should say a train sit) from Scotland to London one time that was rather lengthy. I never was sure what the problem was in that case. I have ridden some commuter trains which stop about like city buses at every street corner, or so it seems. The Euro Star from London to Paris UNDER the English Channel really is a fast train and with no stopping and starting moves at about 500 miles per hour. The train from Madrid to Barcelona this past march was a good ride with a few stops but not many. For the most part I have enjoyed my train rides in Europe. I am so sorry that yours was not more pleasant than it was. Maybe next time will be better.
ReplyDeleteYes, many of the European hotels use the door key for electricity. It can be annoying until you get used to it.
Of course you picked the one hot week of the year to go to Copenhagen. I remember one amusing event when I was in Wisconsin for a couple of weeks. It was hot--75 degrees. I began to see heat index warning signs everywhere. I asked what that was all about. Well I was told that the houses and businesses do not have AC and that businesses close and every one goes home when the temp is above 80 degrees. I compared that information to snow and Ice in Texas when schools and businesses stay home.
Well I look forward to pictures from Copenhagen.
Love,
Mee Maw