Back to my travels, as I relate a journey across Denmark… liberalbureaucracy.blogspot.com/2026/05/inte...

So, I’m no longer the Chair of Creeting St Peter Parish Council. That’s not to say that I’m not still busy… liberalbureaucracy.blogspot.com/2026/05/cree...

So, trans people are going to be punished for what they are rather than what any individual does. It’s a reminder to the rest of us minorities that our rights aren’t necessarily secure and, that if we don’t conform, they could be taken away. Canary in the coal mine, anyone? 🏳️‍⚧️

I’ve rather failed to report back on my trip across Europe, and so it’s time to catch up with Antwerp to Flensburg, in which I reminisce about my youth, miss connections and walk… liberalbureaucracy.blogspot.com/2026/05/inte...

It’s apparently World Bee Day today, so here’s a photograph of a bee from my archive….

Creeting St Peter Parish Council meets, no injuries reported… liberalbureaucracy.blogspot.com/2026/05/cree...

After eight years, I am no longer the Chair of Creeting St Peter Parish Council. I am, in parts, sad, relieved and proud. It has been one of the greatest honours of my life to hold the position but, whilst it might seem irrelevant to some, I’ve made a difference, and not everyone can say that.

And…

And to celebrate my final stop on this possibly crazy journey… I am, I think, worth it… #interrail2026

Und so… welcome to German-speaking Belgium, where I have stopped on my way from Eindhoven to Brussels. I’m in Eupen, the “capital” of the German Community in Belgium, which has its own rather tasteful looking Parliament. #interrail2026

Well, this is amusing. My ICE train from Frankfurt to S’Hertogenbosch was due to stop at Moenchengladbach about 35 minutes ago, where it would then reverse before continuing its journey towards Amsterdam. However, we’re so late that we’ve stopped at Viersen, about four miles away,

A slight detour to reminisce… #interrail2026

Good morning, everyone, and greetings from Strasbourg! #interrail2026

And so, I’m on another train, leaving Linz for München. This is my seat for the next three hours or so… #interrail2026

So, I was supposed to be on a train to Feldkirch this morning, and yet, here I am, still in Linz, on a bridge over the Danube instead. #interrail2026

So, I’ve done the tour of the Budvar brewery here in České Budějovice, drunk the unfiltered, unpasteurised beer, seen the factory and even its little shunting locomotive.

So, what am I touring, and why was it worth a four hour, fifteen minute journey by train, rail replacement bus and another train?

And so, having left my luggage at the station, the true purpose of my visit to České Budějovice can be told. This train is taking me one stop, to České Budějovice severní zastávka for, hopefully, a tour.

The train to České Budějovice is described on the Interrail planning app as “Fast Train”. This is not strictly accurate, in that we switched to a rail replacement bus at Třebíč and reached Horní Cerekev before the train was scheduled to arrive there. #interrail2026

And so, another day begins, this time in **** (as @helenbelcherobe.bsky.social noted last year, we don’t talk about it), and here I am, after a leisurely breakfast, on the 9.44 České dráhy service to České Buděnovice. #interrail2026

Train beer! #interrail2026

Hmmm… we’ve crossed the border into the Czech Republic but our train has turned west towards Ostrava after Chalupki, instead of east towards Bohumin, as it is supposed to. I wonder what happens now? #interrail2026

I did wonder why a EuroCity train didn’t have first class, and now I know… EC307 from Wroclaw Glówny to Graz Hbf has just two aged carriages… #interrail2026

Well, here’s a first, as I leave Częstochowa Stradom - my train is early as it arrives here. Now, as PKP have a 0% success rate so far with all three trains late, will we make it to Opole Glówny in time for my connection to Bohumin? It’s a scheduled eighteen minute connection so… #interrail2026

Well, I’ve reached my next stop… #interrail2026

You might find this hard to believe, but I’m on another train - a rather fancier one this time, from Gdańsk Glówny to Zawiercie… #interrail2026

I am reminded that @baronessros.bsky.social marked twenty-six years as a member of the House of Lords yesterday. And whilst I am hugely proud of her anyway, her journey from a small town in mid-Suffolk to where she is now has been a remarkable one.

Something is happening here in Gdansk… #interrail2026

Welcome to Kaišiadorys, where I unexpectedly have half an hour to kill due to a late running train and a bit of reservation shuffling… Wikipedia describes it as a city, which proves that you really shouldn’t believe everything you read n the internet… #interrail2026

And so, it’s time to leave Latvia and head for the third of the Baltic States, Lithuania. Nice looking train… #interrail2026

Time for a late lunch in Riga before I make my next leap… #interrail2026

In fairness, I only came to Ogre so that I could video call my granddaughter and make her smile… #interrail2026

This is Ogre!

Interestingly, with my Interrail pass, I am “sold” a ticket with a fare which is then given a 100% discount…

So, I’m at another railway station, this time in Riga, and I’m making an unscheduled diversion, funnily enough, on a train (it’s free, right?)… but where am I going on the 13.09 Vivi service? #interrail2026

So, I’m waiting for the 22.16 train here at Tornio Itäinen, and it’s running late… #interrail2026

I am in Sweland, or Finden, and so I guess that this is an obvious place to see here… #interrail2026

This is Sweden. On the other side of yonder river is Finland, an hour into the future…

Once upon a time, Haparanda was a very important station at the border between Sweden and Finland. Now, it gets three trains a day to and from Lulea… but that’s about to change…

Yes, let joy be unconfined… #interrail2026

Karlskrona was fabulous, but it’s time to hit the rails again, starting with a Krösatågen to Emmaboda. There is a train here, but is it mine? Please let it be mine… #interrail2026

The Marinmuseum is well worth a stop too… #interrail2026 #visitKarlskrona

So, I’m walking around Karlskrona, and there are places that I can’t photograph because, whilst it’s one of the best examples of a historic naval base, it’s still very much an active one. #interrail2026

Time for a walking tour of this UNESCO World Heritage town… and it’s still a busy naval base… #interrail2025

On a trip like this, where I’m perpetually on the move, it sometimes helps to be reminded as to where I am… #interrail2026

Karlskrona looks promising… #interrail2026

And next, under/over the Oresund bridge/tunnel as I leave Denmark… #interrail 2026

So, what’s in the cute snack pack? #interrail2026

This is a rather bigger Danish EuroCity Express and look… a free snack pack in a paper bag! #interrail2026