To Oulu -reflections

Posted on 1st Mar 20261st Mar 2026 by insightndes

That was an amazing trip to Oulu and back.

Negatives: getting food poisoning and train delays. Germany really struggles to get trains to go on time. Eurostar also had its issues. I did have a 77 minute delay on the sleeper to Stockholm, but that worked in my favour. The sleeper Stockholm was also too hot and the curtains were poor allowing flashes of bright light into the cabin while travelling.

Questionable things: seeing people smoke on train platforms in Germany was strange, and also a bit objectionable. The speed that cars drive at in Hamburg is ridiculously high and not suited to the roads. Also objectionable.

Positives: the trains in Finland, Sweden and Denmark were great, excluding the sleeper. In time. The rolling stock was high quality throughout including Germany. Met some great people. The cycle facilities in Copenhagen and seeing so many cyclists was incredible. We should be doing this in the UK.

Exceeding expectations: The ferries between Stockholm and Helsinki were amazing, good prices, amazing views, great facilities. Finland in winter, incredible, stunning snowy landscapes.

Tips:

Don’t plan to catch the last train of the day.

Don’t make connections too tight.

Travel in your sports gear, make it multi purpose. (Sensibly)

Travel as light as possible.

Plan for the weather.

Don’t arrive late and leave early, it’s exhausting.

Staying for more than one night is more pleasant .

Rucksacks are better than wheelie luggage.

Make use of the late checkouts in hotels.

Carry just in case food and drink.

Make use of sleeper services.

Double check reservations.

Download apps for local public transport. They can be used to get the correct tickets and give directions.

Double check routes given by apps, sometimes they are sending you to the wrong place.

If in doubt, ask a local.

Chat to people on the trains.

Use tracking apps so friends and family can follow your progress. It’s fun and good for safety.

Give someone your itinerary- routes, hotels etc.

Look at and enjoy the landscape, as you travel through.

Travel

Hamburg-Far North Scotland via Cologne, Brussels, London and Inverness.

Posted on 28th Feb 202626th Feb 2026 by insightndes

I was fit to travel the next day. Decided to reduce the odds of missing connections by catching an early train than planned.

I was traveling to Cologne, we were told there had been a problem with the staff arriving from a previous train. The train departed 40 minutes late. Following the announcements was interesting, as one train to München leapfrogged the other. They were going different routes.

Had time to stroll to the cathedral.

And watch aircraft flying by.

Back to the next delayed train, again 40 minutes and a platform change. Now heading towards Brussels.

The lateness of the train meant that the comfortable cushion to get through border control was disappearing.

I discovered another issue. Somehow the Interrail app had booked the wrong date for the Eurostar, and I had not spotted this, so no seat on the train. Thankfully the very helpful Eurostar employee got me on with a ticket, which strangely had no meal guarantee written on it. I was not sure what this meant.

Then another delay, by possibly an hour, dueto problems in the Netherlands. This would make my next connection in London very tight.

We left 44 minutes late.

I pointed out my non guarantee of meal when I received this meal.

Not very large portion but ideal as my appetite was not back.

It was now dark so no pictures.

The reduction in delay from an hour to 45 minutes meant I made the Caledonian Sleeper well on time. A quick walk from St Pancras to Euston.

And next morning in the Highlands…

Then heading further north.

Almost home.

Travel

Copenhagen to Hamburg

Posted on 27th Feb 202625th Feb 2026 by insightndes

Catching my first Danish train, to Hamburg.

There is still some snow about.

The fog struck again when crossing the bridge from Zealand to Fyn

Crossed from Fyn to Jutland. Back to mainland Europe.

Another foggy bridge crossing

We enter Germany, At the border I am asked politely by a policeman why I was going to Hamburg, how long I was going to be there and where I was going next.

Next it is a crossing of the Kiel Canal

The track loops round to gain height. Do we travel underneath the track that we will travel on.

Crossing Kiel Canal

The bridge disappearing in the distance.

Walked to the hotel.

I always wondered what would happen if I took unwell on one of these trips. I found out when I started feeling a bit strange. This progressed to a very unpleasant evening, I must have picked up some kind of food poisoning.

Would I be in a fit state to continue?

Travel

Hamburg to Stockholm- through the night

Posted on 14th Feb 202613th Feb 2026 by insightndes

I shared a cabin with five other travellers.

We crossed the divide between the Binnen Alster and the Außen Alster.

The train set off late evening? Travelling through Denmark in the early hours.

Just after crossing the border into Denmark- snow.

The train was a bit dated with a seventies vibe,

The train was sending clouds of snow into the air.

Horses feeding on hay with a large barn behind.

There was a bit snow ingress through the window.

Beginning to snow- Linköping

Now getting close to Stockholm,

Skating and walking on the Riddarfjarden

Arrived at Stockholm Central 77 minutes late.

Tourism

Hamburg

Posted on 12th Feb 2026 by insightndes

It’s cold and wet in Hamburg.

Went to visit the Hamburg Bunker.

Good views from the top.

Towards the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg.

Then to the old Elbtunnel.

Transport options

Landungsbrücken and the entrance to the tunnel on the other side of the Elbe.

Then visited the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, a few photos from the top.

And then into the centre.

Travel

London to Hamburg-four countries in a day

Posted on 11th Feb 2026 by insightndes

It’s an early start to catch the 0816 Eurostar to Brussels. The ticket tells me to turn up at 0701.

Not off to a good start, there is a 24 minute delay. But this should not be a problem as there is plenty of time for the connection at Brussels,

We travel through Kent.

Difficult to get decent photos from the train in Kent.

Struggled getting decent photos in France too.

Arrived at Brussels Midi only 12 minutes late.

I checked the notice board for the train to Cologne. Spotted that there was an issue, it looked like the train was delayed and was leaving from a different station, Brussels-Nord. I confirmed this, and was told what train to catch.

Liège station is an interesting building

The next leg is to Hamburg. This train is also delayed, by maintenance work on the track.

Coming into Hamburg about ten minutes late.

Travel

Hamburg to den Haag.

Posted on 16th Nov 202416th Nov 2024 by insightndes

Catching the 1243 train I was due to get in to Den Haag at 1910.

The German Premier Inn breakfast was not as good as the British version. Fuelled up for the journey.

Premier Inn – Alster ( nearish to the Alster).

It’s only a 12 minute cycle to the Hamburg Hauptbahnhof.

Arrived punctually at Osnabrück.

The connecting train to Amsterdam was 27 minutes late.

https://videopress.com/v/B7Kyflu5?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Passing goods train at Osnabrück provided entertainment.

The train to Amsterdam arrived, off we went, crossing the border onto the Netherlands. The train guard had changed from a German to a Dutch person. The announcements went to three languages.

And then the announcement came on, the train was terminating early at Amersfoort Central, due to an accident on the line between Amersfoort and Amsterdam. We were told to catch a train to Utrecht.

Off we got at Utrecht where I followed the crowd who started running. After resisting the urge to join in, I sprinted on the platform to join a very crowded train.

The Christmas decorations are already up.

The next train to arrive at the platform where I had got off was heading to Den Haag, very conveniently. This was the same train I would have caught from Amsterdam. Which meant I arrived at Den Haag on time.

Environment, Tourism

Hamburg

Posted on 15th Nov 2024 by insightndes

Hamburg combines a massive port, industry with a beautiful city including two large lakes, Binnen Alster and the Außen Alster. Lots of history, lots of culture, lots to see. And the there is the Elbe, used by ships to reach Hamburg, which is inland. The container port is built on the Elbe.

Hamburg has a really good public transport system including the S Bahn.

Hamburg has a number of impressive churches.

View from the St Michaelis , including the Hamburger Dom.

Petrikirche- the oldest site for a church.

Not as old as the churches is the Elbtunnel opened 1911. You can cycle or walk through it, free of charge.

View down the tunnel from the north side.

And then there is the Spiecherstadt. A complex of old warehouses next to canals. Now mainly repurposed.

A view of the warehouses next to a canal.

Some of the bridges have two levels.

Warehouses, picture taken from above the previous picture.

There are other interesting buildings.

Schanzenturm- now a hotel. Formerly the biggest water tower in Europe.

FC St Pauli stadium, Grüner Bunker and Fernsehturm.

The former bunker now has a garden on top.

Every year the Hamburger Dom takes place in Winter. It has its origins in the 11th century.

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There is a lot of culture in Hamburg, with the Elbphilharmonie standing out as a landmark, built on top of some warehouses.

Elbphilharmonie partially hidden by the bridge to the Spiecherstadt. St Katharinen Kirche in the background.

The Elbphilharmonie is a good place to view Hamburg and the Hafenstadt.

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The Elbharmonie has a long curved escalator.

The port is huge, the third largest in Europe. The Elbe gives an advantage, bringing goods inland reducing costs, but the downside is as the ships are getting bigger they can no longer travel up the river.

https://videopress.com/v/P78wQl2l?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Vehicles for moving the containers.

https://videopress.com/v/3JauRiYq?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

On a bus tour

There is of course the Reeperbahn

The Davidwache-the famous police station.

Just off Davidstraße is Herbertstaße. No men under 18 and no women allowed.

A few more Elbe related pictures.

https://videopress.com/v/TNjc4YfR?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Near Hammerbrook

Hamburg is a a beautiful city but like many cities it suffers from the dominance of cars. The roads are crowded with cars and the seems to be little observance of the 50km/h speed limit. Unpleasant!

There is good provision for cyclists, but could be better. Occasionally the routes are not clear and there are frequent road works which particularly seem to affect the cycle paths. Touring Hamburg on the bike was fun.

And a tip for rainy days. Buy a HVV day ticket and travel on the U3 , which does a loop, mostly above ground, sometimes elevated.

Travel