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 When I am in a hurry to get to Lapland, I fly. But when I can avoid travelling on the great silver bird, I take the train.
Recently I had a conference to attend in Rovaniemi. Not only did I have time, but I was also in the mood for something pleasurable and comfortable. After all, the conference was about the experience, leisure and travel industries. So I combined them all by booking a first class sleeping cabin on the train. The first class cabins are located on the second level because it is much quieter up there. You also get some aerobic exercise going up and down the steps. Basically, they resemble the second class sleepers except that they have a built-in sink, toilet and shower. How cool! The bed is rather comfortable, and there is even a reading light, an alarm clock and something that looks like a radio. I say looks like because it did not do anything, so maybe it was there just for appearances The train left at 19:30 sharp (as you would expect in Finland). For a while, I just watched the scenery change from cityscape to various sceneries such as forests and villages. The train gently rocked and rolled me until I started to get drowsy. To avoid falling asleep, I went into the bathroom, pulled a couple of levers and moved the wall. Voilà, the world’s smallest shower! But it works and there is hot water! Thoroughly refreshed, I headed for the restaurant car. It was a couple of kilometres from my sleeper, but the hike gave me a nice aerobic exercise. The restaurant is a quite modest affair. It is sort of like a gas station café, albeit a very nice one. The cuisine is fairly uncomplicated: concoctions of pasta, vegetables, meat, potatoes and bread. The couple across from me seemed to be delighted with their selection. However, I was a little suspicious of their taste, since they were both drinking wine and beer at the same time. Talk about weirdoes! New acquaintances As I was not all that hungry, I ordered a chicken/bacon/barbeque sandwich, which was actually rather tasty. I also tried something else: a tomato and mozzarella roll, which was also decent. I washed them down with beer and watched the scenery, both the landscape outside and the human players inside. The train restaurant is an easy place to meet and chat with people. For example, the woman next to me had lived in the USA for the last 10 years and was explaining how difficult it was getting over the culture shock of being back in Finland. When she got off in Tampere, I immediately started talking to a group of four young men about Finland’s sport scene. I tried my best to act like I knew what I was talking about. Later I met an outdoor adventure guide and a chef who took businesspeople on primitive wilderness excursions with luxury lodging and gourmet food! They seemed to have a profitable idea and loved what they were doing. We should all be so lucky. At around midnight, I ambled back to my cabin and took another shower. I certainly had no trouble falling asleep. I woke up refreshed with the Lapland sun shining over the trees and reflecting on the snow. I took one more shower before getting off at the quaint, little Rovaniemi railway station. The town centre was not very far away, so I did not need a taxi or a bus. I just used my own version of Nordic walking that I call “Nordic luggage rolling.” It was a great aerobic exercise! 15 minutes later I checked into my hotel, ready for another shower. For more information in Finnish as well as in English and Swedish: www.vr.fi Rusty Snyder - HT |
