Kristian Skjellum AasMay 29, 2023
Train travel time again! Starting in Warsaw, I will make my way to the computer party #X2023 in Someren, Netherlands, and all the way back home to Oslo, Norway.
Check out my (Norwegian) travel microblog on Twitter (@kristianaas), and my (Norwegian) blog post about the journey, the party and my Commodore 64 demo group Hoaxers here: https://togoglok.wordpress.com/2023/03/24/neste-prosjekt-gamle-datamaskiner/
Neste prosjekt: Gamle datamaskiner!

Ok, da har jeg vært på løkfestival. Jeg har besøkt Europas største matmarked. Og jeg har hatt en vinter der jeg i stor grad har vært hjemme. Men jeg trenger et nytt, litt sprøtt prosjekt, og det ko…

Tog og løk
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasMay 29, 2023
As a test, I will be doing English updates here, Norwegian updates on Twitter.
My first train trip is tomorrow. In the meantime, I will just be hanging out in wonderful Warsaw.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasMay 29, 2023
Now calling in for the night. Met a Norwegian woman from the Togferie-group at the wonderful Hala Koszyki earlier tonight. Highly recommended, both the food hall and meeting up with people you just barely know.
Tomorrow, it's time to head west. South-west, that is.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasMay 30, 2023

First train of the journey! From Warszawa Centralna, a station I find hard to love, I will head southwest towards one of my favourite Polish cities: Wrocław. Unfortunately, today I only have time for lunch there.

From Wrocław, I will head further towards what I hope is the very ugliest station in the whole country.

Show threadKristian Skjellum Aas
On this trip, I travel on a mix of single tickets and Interrail. Today and tomorrow, it's single ticket time.
Traditionally in Poland, tickets for PKP and regional trains must be bought at separate websites. As I have a connection with regional train today, I decided to try the independent ticketing app KOLEO, that can buy it all in one go. And it works very well indeed. Maybe an app you can add to your guide, @seatsixtyone?
May 30, 2023 at 9:13amWeb
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasMay 30, 2023
Train number 2: a local train from Wrocław Głowny to Węgliniec, during rush hour. I promised to get some photos of this and the next train for @jon, but it will have to wait until Węgliniec: the platform in Wrocław was far too crowded.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasMay 30, 2023
Train number 3 was this cute little thing, rattling me along from Węgliniec to Zgorzelec Miasto, probably the ugliest train station in Europe.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasMay 30, 2023
Things immediately got better when walking towards Zgorzelec centre, and downright stunning when entering Görlitz. I can see why people dub it the prettiest city in all of Germany.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasMay 31, 2023
Hello from lunch in Dresden! This morning, I got the train from Görlitz at about 10, even if I had a ticket for the train at 12. For the local-traffic leg of longer journeys, there are usually no obligation to take the exact train. However, on IC/ICE-trains, you should get the right one.
A marvellous walk through Dresden, and now lunch. Onwards to Leipzig afterwards!
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasMay 31, 2023
My trusty, old friend for the past 14 years has come to the end of his life. He doesn't roll anymore, so I have to drag him along, and he makes a noise like a drunk percussionist. So I will leave him here in Leipzig, in his country of birth (Titan, from Bavaria, bought in Köln).
Because now I have a new one! Shiny, blue and with wheels that actually roll. Fresh from the bag shop at Leipzig Hbf.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 1, 2023
Leipzig was a treat! Big recommendations to the cheap, oddly-named hotel Gwuni Mopera, with a nice beer garden and bar, and very helpful staff.
Now, I'm on my way to Amsterdam, where I will meet up with the computer kids of the late -80s this afternoon.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 1, 2023
Almost in Amsterdam. From Osnabrück, this train has become party central. Two party crowds compete in singing as loudly as possible, and they are scraping the bottom of their song chest. Last song howled was "Country Roads".
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 1, 2023
My dwelling in Amsterdam. This one night costs me more than the accommodation in Warsaw, Görlitz and Leipzig combined.
Many words can be used to describe Amsterdam. "Cheap" is not among them.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 2, 2023
Finally arrived at the #X2023 party in Someren, Netherlands! Now for some Norwegian-Finnish cultural exchange.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 2, 2023
Some people arrive in style to #X2023, others opted for this.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 3, 2023
Interview with the legendary Commodore 64-composer Rob Hubbard, the biggest star on #X2023. Even though the interviewer, Flex/Artline Designs, is also quite a legend in his own right.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 4, 2023
An amazing demo competition on #X2023. The winning demo from Performers, the runner-up from Bonzai/Pretzel Logic and also the bronze effort from Censor Design shows that the old bread box is far from dead. For me, I preferred the hard-hitting criticism of the consumption society in the Bonzai/PL demo, but the technical and artistic level was awesome all round.
https://youtu.be/3aJzSySfCZM
C64 Demo: Mojo by Bonzai,Pretzel Logic ! 3 June 2023!

YouTube
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 4, 2023
Now, I'm a happy man in the #DiningCar of the ICE Sprinter to Hamburg, after battling the rail replacement buses between Venlo and Mönchengladbach earlier today. What a complete and utter lack of planning and competence.
1h30m after we should have left Venlo, a bus actually came along, and did not ask us to wait for the "Schnellbus" two minutes later. That never appeared.
I feel like I have deserved this one.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 4, 2023
In Hamburg, after some Labskaus, I discovered that my night train is not to be found on the website of SJ, who runs the train. However, it's on the board in the station, presumably on time.
Swedish train information makes the world just that little bit more exciting.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 5, 2023
Indeed the train appeared, and I have spent the night in a couchette with four very nice British lads, having a train tour through the Nordics. Now speeding towards Stockholm, approximately on time.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 5, 2023
Now for something really exciting: the Stockholm-Oslo train.
Normally a straightforward, 5h affair, this summer work on the line between Laxå and Kil, past Karlstad, makes for a spectacular detour.
The route through Eskilstuna, Frövi, Ställdalen and Nykroppa, partly on tracks usually not frequented by passenger trains, adds 2h to the travel time. Yet, the train is 100% packed. On a Monday.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 5, 2023
Today, we worked up a delay of over 30 minutes. But huge slack in the timetable meant that we had to wait at both Arvika, Kongsvinger and Lillestrøm, for about half an hour. It must be possible to make this train quicker, even with today's infrastructure.
Now, I'm back in Oslo. Thank you for following, it was certainly a great trip!
Show threadKjetilJun 4, 2023
@kristianaas Ser ut som du fikk Labskaus uten sild på toppen? Jeg er generelt glad i det tyske kjøkken, men ble jo litt overrasket første gang jeg bestilte Labskaus i Hamburg. Var lenger unna den norske varianten enn jeg hadde trodd.
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 5, 2023
@kjeree Hvis du ser nede i venstre hjørne, ligger det en rullet sildefilet.
Show threadKjetilJun 5, 2023
@kristianaas Se der ja. Labskaus mit Matjesfilet und Spiegelei, autentisk hamburgermat om ikke annet ☺️
Show threadChristiaan JacobsJun 5, 2023
@kristianaas it's even more chaotic around Amsterdam. All trains have been cancelled yesterday evening, and even this morning, due to what they call "system crash" in the control room... Treinverkeer ook vanmorgen plat rond Amsterdam, hinder op rest van spoor - https://nos.nl/l/2477766
Geen treinen meer rond Amsterdam door storing, ook gevolgen voor ochtendspits

ProRail meldde rond middernacht dat er 's avonds geen treinen meer zouden rijden. Hoeveel impact de storing bij de verkeersleidingspost zal hebben op de ochtendspits, is onduidelijk.

NOS Nieuws
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 5, 2023
@cejjacobs Oh dear! Fortunately, I'm now speeding towards Stockholm on the night train from Hamburg.
Show threadTor LillqvistJun 5, 2023
@kristianaas As long as you didn’t start fighting over the fairness of some old ski jumping or cross-country skiing thing…
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 5, 2023
@tml No, we instead united in hassling with the Swedes over Eurovision Song Contest...
Show threadTor LillqvistJun 5, 2023
@kristianaas Cha cha cha!
Show threadJonas BoströmJun 6, 2023
@kristianaas @tml Menar ni att det inte var rätt låt som vann? 🙃
Show threadTor LillqvistJun 6, 2023
@Jonas_Bostrom @kristianaas Har ingen personlig åsikt. Försöker ignorera ESC så gott det går varje år… (Men Ukrainas låt ett par år sedan var grym, speciellt den första versionen. Go_A: Shum.)
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasJun 10, 2023
@tml @Jonas_Bostrom Shum var episk! Men svært lik et par av låtene på Hedningarnas aller beste album, "Trä".
Show threadJon WorthMay 30, 2023
@kristianaas It is wonderful. Just a bit eerily quiet in the evenings on the German side!
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasMay 30, 2023
@jon Eerily quiet? I 'm having a ball!
Show threadJon WorthMay 30, 2023
@kristianaas the square behind looks quite empty!
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasMay 30, 2023
@jon It is. And it doesn't seem like a city where there's a lot going on. A bit museum-like, but drop dead beautiful.
I just came from Warsaw. It's quite a contrast.
Show threadEdmund LauterbachMay 30, 2023
@kristianaas @jon Like other East German cities, e.g. Plauen, Görlitz had a large loss of population. Almost 100,000 in the 1950s, about 55,000 today. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einwohnerentwicklung_von_G%C3%B6rlitz
Einwohnerentwicklung von Görlitz – Wikipedia

Show threadJon WorthMay 30, 2023
@kristianaas Right. And all along the border - Slubice/Frankfurt, Gubin/Guben, Lęknica/Bad Muskau, Zgorzelec/Görlitz it’s like this. Polish side a bit rough, but it has life. The German side spotless but a bit eerie and quiet.
Show threadMarion GrauMay 30, 2023
@kristianaas takk for tipset
Show threadEdmund LauterbachMay 30, 2023
@kristianaas In 2010 I was on a trip to Prague, Zittau, Görlitz, Decin, Dresden and of course the railway lines in between. It was a kind of overflow of impressions.
http://www.myway.de/souvenirs/prag-zittau/index.html
http://www.myway.de/souvenirs/prag-zittau/index2.html
Durch Böhmen und Ostsachsen

Show threadJon WorthMay 30, 2023
@kristianaas Oh dear! I have seen some bad stations, but that is the worst of the lot!
Show threadsebastian büttrichMay 30, 2023

@jon @kristianaas

that station is wonderful! it just needs a club for experimental industrial music or such. or just a punk rock club.

Show threadKristian Skjellum AasMay 31, 2023
@jon Meanwhile, back on Twitter, my tweet about Zgorzelec Miasto has sparked some local interest. And even an explanation on how the station ended up like that.
Show threadPoiluMay 30, 2023
@kristianaas It's just unfinished...
Show threadKristian Skjellum AasMay 30, 2023
@Poilu It has been like this for more than ten years. Do you know why?
Show threadPoiluMay 31, 2023
@kristianaas sort of joking actually...