Syroos picked me up at the airport in copenhagen from sweden then we ferried the car across the water. Stayed in Halmstad with them which is a summer holiday retreat, but it was very much winter when i was there @ 7 degrees FARENHEIT!! We drove to Göteborg for COMDEX (computer show) and next i traveled on a short regional train down to Lund to stay with kim and stoffe. Lund's a cobble-stoned university town.. beautifuL.

Then came my first trek aboard a high speed train across the baltic sea from denmark to köln, pronounced colôn, germany. I ate part of my lunch then slept until the morning train change. The third train through brussels was a riot!

I had asked the man sitting beside me if he was going to brussels as well, he said that he was going to paris, that brussels was the next stop (riding time: about one hour). An hour passed, so when the train stopped at the next station i proceeded to exit. i said goodbye. He chirped his farewell in french and i went for my tank suitcase by the door. Except the door did not open when i pressed the button. All I could think of is, i can't go to paris, melita will be waiting for me in perpignon!!!

I left the tank there and ran to the next caboose, but again, no way of opening the door. I ran back to my caboose, the door didn't want to open! This whole time i'm anxiously looking for the conductor inside and out. A woman trying to help me begins tapping the window at someone outside the train. I left my tank and ran again to the next caboose and the next, back to mine,,, By now I've got a guy trying to help me open the door too. Finally i decide to pull the red lever for EMERGENCY door release. The door makes a decompressing sound but the door button does not open it. I go to the next caboose decompress, still no opening, so i run to the next two cabooses and decompress those, still no sign of help. Suddenly, the conductor appears and i try to communicate that i need to get off the train.

At this point the train starts moving. I beg to be let off the train, but the conductor says no! Finally he sees my desperation and goes for a special key to stop the train. I tell him my luggage is two cabooses over. He curses me in french, but follows outside. I run to the section where my tank is and notice all of these men in petticoats coming out of the offices. They come to where i am. They use their special key and open the door to my luggage. I haul it off and when i jump down with my tank i fall totally on my butt, the tank obviously weighs more than me..

So the petticoats ask for my passport and rail ticket. I hand them both then one guy says "She is going to brussels." but aren't we in brussels? "n0!" So does this mean i should get back on? i ask the conductor who is already boarding the train.

"No!" he says, "we're leaving, you're staying here to answer some questions." The train quickly moves. One of the gentleman (the main chief)... unshaven and quite good looking for an old guy, escorts me to where i can catch the commuter train to brussels, but not before he writes down on a notecard all of the stops the train will make on my way to brussels midi station.

The card reads: 1) Leuven, 2) Bruxelles Nord, 3) Bruxelles Central, 4)*Bruxelles Midi ** is super highlighted!! When i notice the time it's 11:15 and we're barely at the first station. My train to perpignon leaves brussels midi at 11:25. (Lucky for me brussels is tiny so the next two stops don't take much longer). I arrive at midi at 11:21 and have only four minutes to get on the next train.

I find a red capped boy and ask him where i can catch my train. He looks at his watch, begins to explain, then quickly gives up and runs down in front of me. I'm lugging the tank, two backpacks, and lunch (no time to pack tight). Patiently, i ride down the escalator; i've got no choice. Then, with all of the strength in my body, I run as fast as i can, wading through the busy station. The red cap points me to another wing in the direction of my train and says "Go!" No time to ask where, I run in the direction his finger points.

Way in the distance i see 4 escalators going up in every direction, so i select 3, praying i've made the right choice.. I try to run forward on the conveyor belt escalator, but the tank begins to roll down, pulling me with it. So i stop and grip my toes on the slide. I finally reach the top and can see my train; the clock next to it reads 11:25!! I jump on the first caboose, throw in my packs and ticket flying onto the floor (i've got superwoman powers at this point). I lunge for my tank, pull it in the doors, which then compress shut on the tank, but i snap it in, and the train begins to move.

i made it!!!!!!!

After the adrenalin rush i relax in my first class seat and eat more of the lunch kim packed for me.... yogurt... flax seeds! juice,,, breads, crackers, pita, hummus,,, hard-boiled eggs, avocado,,,,,,,,,,, peanut butter & jelly,,,, aWesoMe treats.... tacK!

Lesson one learned- always double check the station at hand and never rely on the expertise of other passengers.!!

total train travel: 27 hr

3.54 pm
Lund > Copenhagen
Copenhagen > Köln
Köln > Bruxelles
Bruxelles > Perpignan
6.46 pm