08.01 The travel thirst is back. We will start a new trip today to take care of that problem. It is Midsummer Eve and it is raining. Another thirst is the thirst for coffee. I will take care of that now.

10.08 We’ve just got on the first train of the trip, an X2000-train. The weather has improved and we will leave Sundsvall and head for Stockholm. It is time for yet another backpacker summer. The train back to Sundsvall (6/1 2008) was delayed. Because of that we got an economic compensation. We used that money to buy a first class ticket. It was, strange though it seems, cheaper to buy a first class ticket. The Swedish railway company SJ has a strange price schedule that is built on offer and demand.

13.40 We’ve reached Stockholm and we´re sitting down at Store & Coffee at Stockholm Central Railway Station. It is time for lunch.

14.29 New entering on a new train. This will take us to Nyköping. We are once again going by first class tickets. Nyköping is the stop of the day because we will fly with Ryanair from Skavsta like so many times before, this time to Frankfurt Hahn Airport in Germany.

The hostel Railway at the railway station in Nyköping.

15.54 We have checked in at room number 4 at the hostel Railway in Nyköping. The room cost the two of us around US$60. The last time we were here was in January this year. Now we will calm down before we go out on the town.

17.33 We are sitting on a bench looking at the castle Nyköpinghus and the river Nyköpingsån.

The medieval castle Nyköpingshus

Empty square in Nyköping at midsummer.

18.15 We’ve been looking for a place to watch tonight’s quarterfinal in the European Championship of soccer, Euro 2008. We are so far without any luck. Now we are resting in a small park. There is a TV at the hostel if everything else fails, but will it be available?

19.03 We are once again at the pizzeria Olympia (8/3 2007, 1/1 2008). We are here for dinner. After that we will look for some breakfast for tomorrow before we carry on the TV search.

20.47 We have bought breakfast. It was bought at a petrol station nearby we went to earlier this year (1/1 2008). We tried to find a shortcut but all we managed to do was to meander among houses and midsummer parties. We finally found it. Now we are watching quarterfinal number two, Croatia vs Turkey. It is possible to watch it here at the hostel. The other guests want to watch it too.

23.33 Turkey won the game after a goal in the final second of extra time and then penalties. Now it is time to sleep.

Saturday 21st of June

04.06 I can’t recall any midsummer night’s dream but I can recall having breakfast. Now it is time to get dressed before we´ll catch a bus.

04.58 We are once again at Skavsta Airport. They wanted our check-in code as we were about to check in. The bad thing is the fact that it was in a backpack. We remembered it though. We tried to check in via internet but failed the evening before we left Sundsvall. It is time to exchange money to euro.

06.32 We’ve boarded the flight to Frankfurt Hahn. We are sensing that the trip has begun. Another thing that we can sense is the fact that we only slept for a couple of hours this night.

GERMANY

08.54 I am sitting at one of the cafés at Frankfurt Hahn. Just like Stockholm Skavsta Airport is 100 kilometres from Stockholm, Frankfurt Hahn is 120 kilometres from Frankfurt. It is time for a real breakfast. I will have coffee. The café in question is Jung, or at least in the Jung branch (http://www.jung-back.de). I managed to sleep on the plane but I am still a little sleepy. On the plane there was a family of the larger kind with a lady in command. Her poor husband (co-occupant?) Aziz had to do all the work. The children were told when to chew and spit out the chewing gum, when to insert the earplugs and when to remove them and so on. Had Aziz arranged everything for everyone? Why wasn't he where he was supposed to be etc?

Christer outside of Frankfurt Hahn Airport.

09.51 We’ve sat down on a bus to Luxembourg. We are going there with flibco.com and the ride cost us 22 euro. We are way more spirited this time compared to our last visit to Germany (13/7 2003).

10.28 We are travelling through a green landscape. There are green meadows, fields and forests. We really feel that the trip has begun. The airport is in the middle of nowhere but close to so much. It is nearby Frankfurt, the Rheine valley, the Mosel valley and Luxembourg to mention some.

10.58 We’ve seen vineyards and the river Mosel. We have also seen the outskirts of the town Trier. We’ve not seen the Danish film director and screenwriter Lars von Trier.

LUXEMBOURG

11.18 We are in Luxembourg. Soon we will reach the capital with the same name. They have built bridges for the deer to reduce traffic accidents involving those animals.

11.39 Christer is walking in a new country for him. To celebrate this and to reduce his hunger. he went for some shopping. For me it is a return. I went here for the first time in March 2001. I thought it was a gray and dull place then. French is the language of the day.

12.13 We are having a bench break under the trees in Vallée de la Pétrusse. It feels great put down the backpacks. Now we will figure out in which direction our next home is.

14.26 We relaxed for quite some time before we got up and walked to our new home, Luxembourg City Hostel (http://www.youthhostels.lu). We were surprised as we checked in. The reception guy said "oh oh" and we heard a small alarm. We feared a copy of last year’s start (24/6 2007). All was alright though. His female colleague told us that everything was paid for, something that we had missed/forgotten. We had to buy a card that we are supposed to gather some hostel stamps on.

15.42 We’ve strolled around in Luxembourg City. We are far from alone but we are hungry. The city is more beautiful now compared to my visit in March 2001. It might have something to do with the season. Right now the bells of the Notre Dame cathedral started to ring.

Finally we arrived to Luxembourg in Luxembourg.

The eternal flame, Luxembourg.

Our hostel should be somewhere behind that hill.

Neumünster Abbey in Luxembourg, a cultural centre these days.

Christer taking a Saturday walk in the city of Luxembourg.

Luxembourg street.

Place D´Armes, Luxembourg.

15.54 We’re sitting down at Café beim Renert for something to drink and eat.

16.18 The thirst is quenched but the hunger remains. They “only” served beverage. We chose Bofferding, a local beer.

17.11 The two gentlemen are happy; we had a grillwurst each. We bought them from a gentleman with a sausage wagon, apparently German sausage. The stamina and energy is back. Time for me to count money before I visit an ATM.

18.34 It is time for dinner at Pizzeria Bacchus. Here we will have penne/tagliatelli Bolognese. We have been served small pizza slices and white sparkling wine. We will drink apricot-/orange juice to our pasta.

19.50 We are back at the hostel. We are waiting to get a computer. We want to check our e-mails, book bus tickets for tomorrow and perhaps take a look at our webpage. The question is how long it will take to get a computer. I must say that the start of the trip is just wonderful.

19.55 People at the hostel walk around in tuxedos and evening gowns. What is going on?

20.22 We got access to a computer and after some problems with the mouse and a screen that went black, we have booked tickets for the trip back to the airport Hahn. I had to register as a member at flibco.com to be able to book. The ticket suddenly got 5 euro cheaper just through internet booking. We will buy the ticket to Frankfurt as we get to the airport. Now we will watch some football, a game that will be seen with others in the lobby of the hostel.

21.35 It is 0-0 after the first half between the Netherlands and Russia. Now we are outside to get some air.

22.35 The Netherlands managed to even the game with just a few minutes left of the game. It is time for extra time. I must say I had preferred some sleep. The game have gathered some different people, among them some men from Bosnia who got here by bus during the day.

23.15 Russia scored twice after a goalless first half. A 3-1 win for Russia and time for us to sleep. I am looking forward to it.

We went out to breathe some fresh air at this beautiful spot.

Sunday 22nd of June

08.45 We’ve slept; I´ve had a shower and soon Christer will do the very same. After that breakfast awaits down in the breakfast room. This is a great place to stay, recommended!

Luxembourg City Hostel

10.20 We’ve begun a long stroll to the railway station. We are currently seated on a wooden bench. Before we sat down we saw a jogging young woman who was naked under her clothes.

10.55 We got to the railway station and the right bus stop. Christer went to buy some beverage for both of us while I gathered the backpacks. As I stood there some young men started to push on an information board made out of paper. I wonder what they wanted to accomplish. There was no space for our backpacks in the luggage compartment so we brought them with us inside the bus.

11.00 It is time to leave Luxembourg. The country that today celebrates its national day. It has been a pleasant stay and a great start of our long trip this summer. Now we will head for Germany and Hahn again.

GERMANY

12.50 We are back in Germany, at Hahn, at Jung and by the same table. Now as then we will have lunch. After that we will travel on to Frankfurt for our next stop.

Peter preparing for the bustrip to Frankfurt am Main.

13.21 Coffee and pastry for lunch, well why not? It wasn't that expensive and we also found a 5 euro bill someone had lost. We decided to keep it since someone just said stupid things to our pupils. Someone has told them that there will be no lessons, someone has told them to go home and so on.

13.34 We’ve bought a ticket each in a kiosk and we wait to board the bus to Frankfurt am Main. There we will get off by the railway station and walk in reversed alphabetic order to our hotel.

Rain in the air outside the railway station in Frankfurt am Main.

Our home in Frankfurt am Main, President Hotel.

16.27 We walked from the railway station via Poststrasse, Ottostrasse and Niddlastrasse, crossed Mainzer Land Strasse and reached Ludwigstrasse and President Hotel (http://www.presidenthotel-frankfurt.de). Here we are in room 17 and will soon have a shower.

17.56 Our hotel has TV’s but they are unable to receive the transmission. It isn’t that good since we have hopes to watch the last quarterfinal tonight. We’ve searched for a TV and a restaurant out on the town and found both. Now it is time for dinner at Fennischfuchser.

Peter eating Schweinehaxe.

19.23 It was a lot, it was satisfying, it was schweinehaxe. It is crispy roasted pork knuckles. A poor Japanese man had ordered the same dish as we had. He looked really worn out.

20.19 We’ve rested after the dinner and will now go out to try and watch the game between Spain and Italy.

21.04 We are having coffee and we´re watching the fourth quarterfinal in this year’s European Championships, Spain vs Italy. We are at a café at Frankfurt’s railway station.

22.30 We are back in the room to rest and to follow the end of the match on Christer´s travel radio. The standing is 0-0.

23.23 Spain are in the semi final after a penalty shoot out.

Watching football at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof.

Monday 23rd of June

06.36 We just woke up. The trip to Asia has begun. It is the big transport day.

07.27 We just had some hotel breakfast. Now it is time for the around 30 each we´ve got to be brushed and then we are off.

07.53 After a brisk walk to the railway station we bought some tickets from a machine and sat down on the S-bahn to the airport.

08.22 Now as we´ve reached the airport (Frankfurt Flughafen) we will make sure to check-in in time

08.37 There will be no flight for us with Gulf Air. They are overbooked. We will fly with Malaysian Airlines instead. As a compensation for this we´ve been offered free breakfast. We will arrive in Kuala Lumpur four hours earlier than estimated. We can have breakfast for 12 euro each. It is a generous offer but 12 euro doesn’t buy us much at the airport restaurants.

09.22 It is time to make use of the breakfast offer. Within an hour we will be told if we can fly with Gulf Air or not. We will fly with them after all if not everyone who is booked on the flight will check in here.

10.33 We are back by the check-in counter. We will get the final decision in about five minutes. We had some spaghetti each for "breakfast".

10.59 We will fly with Gulf Air. We were among the first to get to the check-in and among the last to leave it. To top it all we were asked why we checked in so late.

CHANGING TIME ZONE

15.33 I have changed to the time at our next stop, Bahrain. We will land there and transfer for the flight to Kuala Lumpur. We are flying at an altitude of 11887 metres and have 2 hours and 34 minutes left in air. I am looking forward to stretch out my legs at Bahrain’s airport before we keep flying.

BAHRAIN

18.36 We are seated by the next gate at Bahrain International Airport. Our journey will continue in less than two hours. It is time to gain energy. We landed here just in time for today's final call for prayers and the airport was filled with prayer calls from the loudspeakers.

19.11 First we saw a gang of guys in azure caps then came some others in dark blue ones. They all lined up packed together with the other passengers in the right gate queue. Besides from this the airport is filled with Indians, most likely guest workers on their way to or from their home country.

19.58 We’ve boarded the plane which will take us to Kuala Lumpur. It is hot outside, really hot. It is at least 38 degrees. Our friend Shu Ming will meet us at the airport so I have sent her a SMS about our estimated arrival time. Next I will set the watch to Malaysian time and get some sleep.

Waiting at Bahrain International Airport