Tuesday, 14.01, Freiburg - Hamburg - Copenhagen

Who would have thought? Actually, I managed to leave after postponing it several times. I had known all along that I would do the Interrail trip, but when I boarded the train, it was an unusual feeling for a journey start: I hadn't booked anything, not even the train ticket. Of course, there was a rough plan, but the possibility of being spontaneous really excited me and was new to me. In addition, I have no travel companion (except for Felicitas). So, the only compromises I have to make are with myself. This kind of feeling of freedom has remained until now (the 16th of January), I notice it especially every time I just get on any train, for which I would have otherwise paid 80 €. Very nice experience.

My farewell was particularly heartfelt thanks to Linda and Lucas, who even came to the train station for me. There we made a pact: They give me Felicitas as a travel companion, who gets a selfie with me at every travel station. The proof of this will of course be part of this blog. As a reward, Felicitas will become a full-grown plush rabbit when I return, as a result of her great experiences. And I trust her, Felicitas is already very hyped...

The ICE from Freiburg initially ended in Hamburg, where I had just over an hour of time before continuing my journey. A brief glance from the train station turned into a spontaneous tour through the city, which became more of a jog towards the end due to lack of time - a bit uncomfortable with a backpack that weighs about two tons. Hamburg is a city that could definitely be worth a longer visit (Vincent, what do you think?). I like the contrast between the old port city and modernity. Only the weather was a bit damp. However, the streets there, not surprisingly, are well asphalted, so I can't call the city "Schlammburg" (mud-burg). So, I managed to include this brilliant pun after all - brilliant.

At around 9 pm, I arrived in Copenhagen. You can read my impressions of the city in the report of the next day. Quickly found a cheap hostel, which turned out to be a good choice, and went up to the room. Small but stylish with an interesting view. There I immediately met my roommate Hugo from Australia. Very nice guy, although he seems to have misunderstood my name. He constantly called me "Mäit". Weird.

With Hugo, I wandered through the city to a Vietnamese restaurant and several pubs. Honestly, I have to admit that I was taken for a ride in billiards, but it was still fun with him. Not so fun are the beer prices in Scandinavia, and it's only mediocre.

Back at the hostel, I was able to discover for myself that hostels are truly a melting pot for young people from all over the world. I played table football with nice Irish people and then got to know two young South American women who study in Israel and one of whom wanted to be married already but somehow gave the opposite impression. Maybe we should also go to a hostel in Freiburg, there are funny people on the way!

So, that was already the first day. I'm writing this whole thing now rather quickly in the hostel in Stockholm, it was about time for the first report. For that reason, it might not be quite as elaborate, which is not particularly dramatic considering the fact that I'm probably the only one with any demands. As mentioned in the introduction, tomorrow evening I will spend eternity on the train to Norway via the Arctic Circle. I'm looking forward to it, because the route is supposed to be one of the most scenic in Europe. And maybe my writing pen will get a little carried away with me too... The next report will be available the day after tomorrow, when I have arrived. Several at once. Thanks to all the readers who have read everything thoroughly until this point. Keep it up!