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Recipe for 1981, four country, Scandinavian vacation, without reservations: Take Eurail Pass to nearby, northern German rail station for initiation and validation. Once validated, walk with luggage in hand to the end of the tunnel beneath the tracks. At the end of the tunnel, where one stairway leads to southbound trains and another leads to northbound trains, there are two Deutsche Bundesbahn travel posters: one for Bavaria, the other for Scandinavia. Consider each very carefully, for at least a minute, before proceeding to the train platform. Choose north because here comes the train. Take the northbound train by way of Baltic ferry to Copenhagen, Denmark. Once there, rush madly to the docks to catch hydrofoil ferry to Malmö, Sweden. Turn eyes away from vomiting child in the pitching, tight quarters of the passenger lounge and concentrate on staying cool. Once in Malmö, proceed up the dock to the train station. Board Swedish train for two-day trip to Narvik, Norway by way of Swedish iron ore fields north of the Arctic Circle. Once in Narvik, find hotel and spend the night. Next morning, over a smorgasbord breakfast of bread, hardboiled eggs, cheeses and all sorts of herring, ask waitress for vacation suggestions. Following her advice, proceed to docks to board mail boat bound for a town called Svolvær in the Lofoten Islands. Late that afternoon, arrive Svolvær. In the dwindling light, walk to general store near the Svolvær docks. Ask storekeeper to suggest accommodations for weeklong stay. Follow directions to youth retreat used three seasons of the year for winter-survival field trips. (See pictures.) Discover that home for the next five or so days will be a freestanding, A-Frame hut with kitchen, toilet, loft, living room, fireplace, balcony-deck and a spectacular view of a nearby lake. Spend the most glorious vacation week in memory tramping around the fiords and across the trails of the Lofoten Islands. At the end of the week take yet another mail boat for an overnight cruise to the northern terminal of Norway’s rail system: Bodø. While on boat, beg Norwegian postal official for rainbow colored souvenir mailbag (later discreetly delivered). Arriving Bodø at 5:00 am, wait in rail yard built with WWII surplus track from German occupation. Take morning train along spectacular scenic routes south to Trondheim and from Trondheim to Oslo. From Oslo return to Hamburg, Germany. No, really! That’s how it happened! | ||||||||
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