Winterrail 2022-23

This winter interrail trip took us to Aix-les-Bains (France), Mannheim (Germany), Helsinki, Kangaslampi, and Tampere (Finland), Gothenburg (Sweden), Aalborg (Denmark), and Karlsruhe (Germany) between December 17 and January 8th. We passed through many other places changing trains and ferries, like Geneve, Biel, Basel, Stockholm, Frederikshavn, Strasbourg, and Lyon. We have usually been very lucky with the weather on our vacations, but not this time. It was mostly grey and gloomy, and rainy. During our three-week trip we saw the sun only on three and a half days. This was one of them in Tampere.

Whenever on our travels people have learned that we are from Finland, their first reaction has been "But, you are used to cold!", and our default response has been "No we are not, we know how to protect ourselves from cold." And that idea became so concrete on this trip: all the indoor places in Finland --- apartments, restaurants, trains, and shopping malls --- were excruciatingly warm. The temperature at my mother's apartment was +25°C, and this is a person who in the summertime starts complaining when the outdoor temperature rises above +20°C!

Because of the bad weather we had throughout the trip, we didn't take many landscape pictures, but a lot of pictures of food instead. There are two scenic rides to particularly note, though: steep and snowy mountain slopes between Biel and Basel, and fairy tale winter wonderland between Stockholm and Gothenburg. Pictures were hard to take, because of the lights in the train reflecting from the windows. On our outbound trip we had an hour long stop in Biel, and found Back-Caffee, and these delicious sandwiches with asparagus and salami. A concept you can't find in France.

Our first overnight stop was in Mannheim. We stayed at the hotel Leonardo and had dinner at ZITO Little Italy NY|since 1924. We started with vitello tonnato, and had a steak with rosemary potatoes and gorgonzola pasta for mains.

Leonardo hotel had a super narrow double bed with a skinny duvet, so we were lucky not to kick each other out of the bed, and deprive each other from the blanket. The breakfast was really good for our Finnish tastes.

The third day of traveling took us to Berlin, where we had four hours to spend before the night train to Stockholm departed.

We spent all that time at the main railway station, and at a corner table of the restaurant Vapiano. We had a pinsa diavolo and burrata salad, with a bottle of primitivo.

The bed in snälltåg (express train) was not the most comfortable, narrow and hard, and the blanket was way too large for such a narrow bed. The temperature was good, though. In the morning we picked up our carry-out breakfasts from the conductor.

In Stockholm we had five hours to spend before the ferry to Turku (Finland) departed. We had a couple of rounds of beers at Pickwick's.

Before heading to the cruise terminal early, we had a goulash soup and shrimp salad. We still had several hours to the departure, but did not want to eat too heavily, since the dinner buffet was awaiting on the ferry (the buffet was awesome!)

We took the subway to Slussen and had a short (1km) walk to the terminal in the freezing evening, only to learn that we could not board the ferry but 20 minutes before the departure.

Fast forward: next morning we were in grey and slushy Helsinki.

Again we had several hours before we could check in to our Airbnb apartment. We spent that time productively visiting a couple of outdoor stores and getting us crampons, since friends had warned us that it was very icy and slippery in Helsinki. (pictured: Beef ramen soup at Seoul 88 for lunch)

The view from our first apartment in Helsinki.

Then we were ready to do some grocery shopping, just to meet this impressive selection of yogurts sold in one litre tetras. In France, yogurt is sold in small, around 1.25dl, plastic cups. In our town they are recyclable, but still produce excessively unnecessary waste.

Having been in all of these three places, I still don't know what those roasts are like.

We met a friend at the restaurant Bistro t(raba) in the neighborhood I used to live before moving to the States. I had boeuf bourguignon that was a lame university cafeteria version of the dish that we have mastered making while living in France.

View from our second apartment in Helsinki in the evening.

View from our second apartment in Helsinki on the Christmas Eve morning.

Also the Christmas day started with a mostly blue sky.

We prepared for a long and chilly walk in the east side of the central Helsinki --- an area neither of us was really familiar with.

This steam turbine electrical power plant in Suvilahti was completed in 1909. It ceased operation in 1976. Today the plant is used for artistic and cultural activities, being home of photography studios, artists, writers, production companies, and advertising agencies.

Bike shop 'Peloton' in Suvilahti. 'Peloton' is actually an adjective in the Finnish language and means 'fearless.'

Hanasaari B coal-fired cogeneration power plant, producing electricity and heat, was commissioned in 1974.

Mustikkamaa. The name of this island literally translates to 'Blueberry land.'

The bridge from Mustikkamaa to Korkeasaari, and island where the Helsinki Zoo is located.

This bridge to Mustikkamaa is called 'Grandfather.'

Another view of the Grandfather bridge.

Vending machine for facial masks at the Kalasatama subway station.

The next leg of our interrail trip started the following morning when we boarded the train to Southern Savonia region of Finland to visit Tomi's parents. The weather also changed dramatically.

The first morning in Kangaslampi was grey and cold (-6°C), and by the time we braved the weather a blizzard had started.

It was a very short walk, not much more than to visit the only grocery store in this small town.

we stayed at Tomi's parents "new" house they were renovating, while they themselves still lived at their old apartment. The kitchen was not up to any complicated cooking, but we managed to prepare this delicious beef stew.

Next morning was equally grey but a bit warmer, only -3°C.

We went for another walk, and saw a glimpse of the sun.

This civil guard house goes by the nickname 'Manttu' and it was built by the owner of the largest estate in Kangaslampi, Elias Walfrid Sopanen (1863-1926) from 1922 to 1926. With its size (800m²) and stone walls it is a rare building in Finland, let alone in Savonia. When the castle was almost finished in May 1925, it was completely destroyed in fire --- only the stone walls remained. After the fire the son of E.W. Sopanen, who lived in a castle at the time, rebuilt it adding 1.5 more floors.

We did not have much luck with the weather in Savonia; our last day also started grey and cold, -3°C.

The walk of the day took us to the skiing tracks that were lit in the evening and the early morning.

Fast forward: the next day we were slushy and icy Tampere. We visited Tei's mother on the New Year's Eve, and then decided to spend an extra day in the town. It was a good decision, since the first day of the year 2023 started cold but sunny.

We had quite a nice walk around the historic center of Tampere.

Tammerkoski, a channel of rapids that connects the two lakes between which the city of Tampere is located.

More of Tammerkoski.

Still Tammerkoski.

Tampere cathedral.

Next day it was time to begin the long trip back home. Luckily since the weather had turned bad again. First, we took a train to Helsinki to pick up Tei's new glasses, have lunch with a friends, and then board the train to Turku.

In Turku we had a little more than an hour before boarding the ferry to Stockholm, and we spent that time in Mallaskukko pub having a round of beers and watching U20 World ice-hockey championship quarterfinal match Finland-Sweden (we lost). Originally we had planned a different return itinerary, but it turned out that taking the ferry from Turku to Stockholm, and then a train further south was really the only viable option, if one didn't want to fly or travel through the Baltic countries.

Stockholm central railway station.

Some hours later we were in Gothenburg, having lunch at the restaurant Shiraz. The portions were enormous, and the food just ok.

Because of the substantial lunch, in the evening we didn't feel like eating much, so we visited the nearby Brewdog's pub for burgers (Forest Fromage & Chuck Norris) and a couple of pints.

Next morning it was time to move again: to take a Stena Lines ferry to Frederikshavn in Denmark.

The weather just turned worse and worse, if possible, when we walked to the train that took us from Frederikshavn to Aalborg (Denmark).

Luckily by the time we reached Aalborg rain had stopped and we stayed dry when walking from the railway station to the Airbnb apartment. The check-in did not go smoothly since the previous guest had not checked out on time, and the host needed some more time to prepare the apartment. So we had to loiter somewhere. At the time it was raining heavily again. We found a cosy looking pub, but before entering we noticed that people were smoking in there! Luckily we found another place nearby.

We didn't do much in Aalborg but sleep and do laundry. The apartment listing indicated that there was a free washing machine, but not that it was shared by the whole building and needed a reservation. We ended up using a coin laundry nearby. We had communicated with our host in English, but when checking the laundry room, we talked to each other in Finnish. That's when we found out that the host was also a Finn! (we really need to be careful when communicating even in such a small language --- you never know what other people know)

Our next stop was in Hamburg. Again we didn't do much else but eat and sleep (in Super 8). There weren't any interesting dinner places nearby so we walked a bit farther to an Italian restaurant La Famiglia. We started with vitello tonnato and carpaccio.

Tei's main was saltimbocca, and

Tomi had a lamb dish.

For dessert we ordered tartufos; one white and one black, which we, after the server's explanation, thought to be truffle ice creams. In reality the desserts are so named because the ice cream is made to resemble truffle using cacao powder. It originates from Pizzo in the Calabria region of Italy.

The food was only so-so, but the overall dinner experience was pleasant. And it was nice to walk a bit outdoors after a long day of sitting.

The last leg of our Interrail trip started the following morning when we boarded an almost completely booked train to Karlsruhe. It was only then we realized it was Epiphany and we knew that in Germany all shops are closed on holidays (and Sundays). We got a bit worried. When walking to the Airbnb apartment, we noticed that indeed all the stores were closed, but few restaurants were open. The apartment itself was also a disappointment: it had a moldy smell and did not have a washing machine as listed. It turned out that the host uses the same pictures and text to advertise all her five apartments, and the one we booked was the only one without the washer.

We returned to the railway station where we found a small grocery store 'Station Food' open, so we could get basic items for breakfast.

Despite the abysmal reviews, we booked a table at the restaurant PURiNO for dinner (since it looked so charming at lunchtime), and were happy we did, since it was packed (like it was at lunchtime).

The reviews turned out to be quite realistic. We got to order quickly but then waited for the starters for a long time. The pizzas arrived soon after, and we returned them to kitchen, hoping they will be remade, and not just reheated.

Our final whole day of traveling began grey, but it was supposed to clear up in the afternoon. We started the day with a trip to a supermarket, where we found these ingenious shopping carts with magnifying glasses attached.

We spent rest of the morning watching skiing on TV, and once the Sun came out, left for a walk to the palace gardens. 'Junge Kunsthalle' (children and youth museum) of the State Art Gallery, exhibitions of which are targeted to younger visitors.

The botanic garden.

The botanic garden.

Kahlsruhe palace.

We strolled around the palace gardens before returning to the apartment to watch some more skiing.

Karlsruhe palace.

Then it was finally time to go home. On our way to Grenoble, the first connection was in Strasbourg (the main railway station pictured), and the second in Lyon. In Grenoble we rented a car and drove home. This was quite a nice vacation, although we don't remember ever having such a bad weather on our travels, even in Finland. But we learned some things, too: after living in France for nine years, it was hard to get used to all shops being closed on Sundays and holidays (Germany), all foreign movies and TV series being still dubbed (Germany), missing dedicated pedestrian crossings over tramway lines (Sweden and Denmark), huge selection of different foods in supermarkets (Finland), extreme indoor heating (Finland), cleanliness of apartments (Finland), and of course people not greeting you on the street (all of those countries).