Can We Make It To Copenhagen | Day 24

Stockholm has been awesome and have to say I’m a bit sorry to leave. However, there is a small band playing in Copenhagen this evening and I really want to see them! Metallica I think is the name haha. The train from Stockholm to Copenhagen has been one of the more difficult ones to secure. I tried via the Eurail app and it wouldn’t let me. Back in Vienna, the first time, I went to the ticket counter and they said they couldn’t sell me one. The SJ site was going to charge me full price for the ticket even though I had a rail pass and there was no where, that I saw, to input my pass number. It was a real mess and by the time I got some help for where to add my pass number the early train was sold out. This left the later train that would land me in Copenhagen about 4:30pm and the concert started at 6pm. Granted it was the warm up and there was no real press to get there but attempting to guard against potential delays it was a bit of a bummer to have to be on the later train. I took a short Uber to the Stockholm Central station which was walkable but with two cases I rather pay the $7. The Uber driver was on his game and had the track number and everything so took the guess work out of it. I walked in to the station and just to verify I looked at the board but in fact he was correct and I headed to track 11. I sat on the bench at that platform and waited for the train. One left and another one replaced it. Every train I have taken, as I mentioned, has just been the most stressful part of the trip. There was 10 minutes before the train was set to depart and the one at the platform currently had yet to leave. I sat there a bit longer and looked up and there was 5 minutes before the scheduled departure and still the train sitting there hadn’t left. I stood up just to look and sure as shit it was the train I was supposed to be on!!! I grabbed my stuff and ran to the car number I was supposed to be on and threw my stuff on. I got to the seats and someone looked at me and I asked if this was the 531 train. He said, like I should have know, “Ya.” Right after he responded the doors closed and the train was moving. After all of the fire drill trains this one arrived 15 minutes early and then hangs out?? No announcement or anything, that I heard. I would have lost my shit if I had missed the train I was supposed to be on because unknowingly I was looking at it waiting for it to leave so the correct one could arrive. Of course all the luggage space was filled and I had my giant roller. I saw someone have their bag in the aisle so I found my seat, put my small roller in the overhead rack, and then tucked my big bag as close as I could to my seat.

The train trip from Stockholm to Lund, Sweden, was about 4.5 hours. In stark contrast to the Romanian train this train happened to be a high speed train. It would reach speeds up to 125mph and part of what could make that possible was a leaning system. To compensate for the G-Forces the train will tilt toward the inside of the curve. It was a new experience that is for sure. I’m not sure America has any of these types of trains. Walking on trains is already hard enough but then throw in a tilt every so often and its game over. I sat for about 45 minutes and then the ticket collector came by. He informed me that my main roller bag couldn’t be in the aisle and would have to be stored in a luggage container. Luckily enough he told me that there was room in the previous car. I gave him my ticket and then moved my bag to the appropriate location. I returned to my seat and went back to working on the computer. That lasted a solid hour or so and then I became hungry. I saw others with food so I deduced that this train had a snack car. Since the 1st Class cars were towards the front of the train I started to head toward the back. I stumbled the 3 cars until I hit the snack car. The leaning things is rough haha. The snack car was pretty crowded and they had a decent selection of items. I went for the salami and cheese sandwich with a Pepsi and mineral water. I navigated the cars back to my seat and enjoyed my little lunch. For some reason this particular writeup was tough for me to get focused. I would start it, take a break, start again, get distracted, and so on. The few hours passed and we were on our approach to Lund, Sweden. There was only a 10 minute gap between the train I was on and the connecting one to Copenhagen. Fortunately the connecting train was on the opposite side of the platform we pulled up to. I threw my stuff off of the train and walked to the opposite side and waited for the train to arrive.

Per the usual it was a fire drill. I found the first class car, launched my stuff on, and searched for my seat. Each train is a bit different and some have 6 seat cabins, and others are just seats in a line down the car. This one had a cabin and I was the only one in it. I sat next to the window and I looked at my maps to see how far away we were. The connecting train was only an hour and 45 minutes but it showed that we were to cross the Oresund Straight. The Oresund bridge connects Sweden and Denmark and just off the south side of the bridge is Sweden’s largest offshore wind farm. That was pretty neat to see especially because we have wind machines in Hawaii but they are land based so to see a ton of them out in the water was cool. Also a fun fact about the Oresund Bride is that it is the worlds longest cable-stayed bridge for combined road and rail traffic. The bridge is just under 5 miles long. We coasted in to the Copenhagen Airport stop which is the final stop of this journey. I hopped off the train and opened the Uber app. I found, just like in Budapest, that Uber doesn’t operate in Denmark. I then opened the Bolt app to find that wasn’t a thing either. Opening the maps app it showed that I was only about 30 minutes by metro to the hotel and it would take two trains. It was already 4:45 and I wanted to just get to the hotel so I started the journey to the metro.

The metro was connected to the airport stop and I rode the elevator to the top level and then crossed a sky bridge to get to the metro stop. There were glass doors that guarded the metro and it appeared that you needed a metro card to enter. Some of the places I have been to the metro had been free but this wasn’t one of them. I followed the prompts on the ticket machine and chose a 24 hour pass for the whole city and it printed my ticket. I put the paper up to the blue orb that said Tjek Ind (check in) and the doors opened. The metro was pretty crowded but wagged my stuff on the train heading to a central station Kobenhaven H where I would change trains and head to Orientkaj. There was a younger couple sitting in the seat in front of where I was standing and metro agent was walking toward them. He was checking tickets it appeared and when he got to them he asked to see their ticket. They replied that they didn’t have one and didn’t realize they needed one. He told them that in Denmark the metro isn’t free and he would need to print them a ticket. He then explained that he could only print one so they would need to get off to purchase another one for the fellows girlfriend. They went back and forth about what was the best thing to do. That prompted me to pull out my ticket and when I looked down the ticket I had said “This is a receipt and not a ticket.” HOLY SHIT! I took just the receipt and not my actual ticket! We pulled up to a station and the agent told the couple that they all should get off to sort out the ticket. He exited the train with them and I dodged this awkward conversation we were about to have. When I exited the first train of course I didn’t check out or check in to the new train. I simply walked with confidence and wasn’t going to make a big deal of it. The next train didn’t have one of those agents on it so I gather that they just do it randomly to catch people who don’t want to pay. The train terminated at Orienkaj so knowing when to get off was simple. The metro station was just half a block from the hotel so that made it all the easier. Rode the elevator down to the street and started to walk to the hotel. Just before the hotel there was multi-level wood sitting area that led to an enclosed area of water. There were ladders on both sides leading me to believe that you could swim in it. When I reached the front desk to check in I asked if that was what it was for, and it was! I bet that water is frigid. They checked me in to my room and walking through the lobby I was surrounded by Metallica fans. They were heading out the door, sitting in the lobby, and drinking and eating at the restaurant. I hustled to my room, dropped my stuff, changed, and headed back down to the lobby.

I had looked to see what was the best way to get to this evening’s stadium. It was a 15 or so minute metro ride which I would take the M4 2 stops and then transfer to the M3 for 2 stops and then bam was there. Possibly with their being an event the train skipped the first stop and went straight to the second one where I had to get off. Boarded the M3 which was SLAMMED! The train arrived at the station and we all piled out. As I exited up the stairs and in to a sea of people. You would think the concert had let out with how many people there were. The metro stairs led to a large square that was attached to a park and. I followed the crowd down the small street. Across the street there was a flat that looked like owners had gone to the market to get sausages and were grilling and selling them out of their yard. They had a cooler with drinks and they had a pretty decent crowd haha. Pretty smart really and I bet it pays off at the end of the day. The walking was slow and when I finally reached the stadium the enhanced experience tents were further down the path on the opposite corner. I fought my way through all of the people going in to the stadium and finally hit the tent. The guy working had a US accent so I asked where he was from. Turns out he is from Chicago and hopped on board to work the Enhanced Experience booths. We chatted just for a second and then he handed me my hard ticket. He did say that for this show for some reason they weren’t doing wristbands. Its a wonder that people in the stands didn’t try and hop a fence to be on the floor. Right next to the tent was a spot called Gasoline Burger and they had about a 15 person line and the food looked pretty good. I stood in line and as I got closer I looked at the menu. They were smart and wasn’t going to take up people’s time with 10 different options. They offered a cheese burger, lemonade, and beer. The End. I ordered a beer and burger and the total came out to just under $20. As I left the stand someone had stood up rom one of the benches so I took a seat. The other folks at the table left too not long after but soon to be replaced but a family and two buddies. The family and I got to talking. It was a family of four with a son and daughter. The daughter looked about 20 and the son was about 16. The son was the clear Metallica fan in the group and in a nice way drug the rest of his family to the show. We chatted for a good 15 minutes or so and then was time to head for the entrance. I told them not to have to much fun and said goodbye.

The floor entrance was on the other side of the arena so made my way down the side and added myself the the queue. They have employees that hand out these small cards that have a QR code. You peel off the cover and the scan the code and if you are the lucky person then you win Snake Pit tickets. I have yet to win haha but I keep trying. I made my way towards the floor and a saw that this venue was a bit different than the previous ones. This time the stadium had a retractible roof and the chose to have it closed. This made it a bit warmed inside which was nice and also backed my decision for not bringing a hoodie. I found the beer stand and grabbed a beer to drink while I walked around the stage finding the best place to stand. This venue as well didn’t have that same rule about alcohol having to be in a secondary space further from the stage. In fact, they would sell you as much beer as you could carry and even give you 6 hole cup holders for your walk. I headed to the far side first and there didn’t seem to be many people over there so I worked my way towards the stage. This side of the stage was where the drummer was for The Architects. As soon as I got pretty close the intro music to their set started. I won’t bore everyone with the same details but they were great. Crowd enjoyed them and looked like they had a blast too. I deemed it safe to run out for another beer as the space wasn’t ultra crowded and it looked like I could get back to the same spot with a good amount of ease. I scooped another beer and found my way back to the same spot. Standing against the rail was a dad and his son who must have been about 14. He was talking to another younger couple about where to go and what to do around the city. His accent wasn’t from Denmark but more from East Coast of the United States. I had gotten involved in the conversation when it came up about the tribute bands. I asked the guy where he was from and he turned out to be from New York. He had married a Danish girl and they had their son and he lives out here in Denmark. This was not his first Metallica show but it was for his son. His son was so amped for the show and even more so that they scored a spot on the railing. We all chatted for the hour between bands and they were a metal family for sure. His dad and seen a ton of bands, and festivals, and even taken his son to a few as well. He had asked me if I saw the Weekend at Bernies dude haha. I said no I hadn’t and he then pointed out this guy sitting on one of the towers across from us and he was passed the F out haha. I mean legs up on the railing, head back, sunglasses on, and just out son. We all got a good chuckle. Just before show time the crowd started to cheer and when we looked over the dude had resurrected from the dead. He was up and the crowd roared. This prompted him to take his shirt off and twirl it around his head before throwing it in to the crowd. This dude was an absolute legend. The lights went down, For Those About to Rock started, and we were off and running. The set was awesome as always and we even got to hear another new song that I hadn’t heard on tour yet which was Hit the Lights. As I have said before if you have a band time at a Metallica show then you are doing something terribly wrong. The son was a gosh darn pick magnet haha. Two stage hands had come by and given him a handful of picks each and the kid was flushed. When it got time for the beach balls to descend on the crowd I said, “now lets see you get a beach ball.” He didn’t know that that was part of the show but when they came raining down his face lit up. For a good part of the first and second song people hit them in to the air but before to long some started to get popped and the plugs were pulled. His son wanted one so bad so his dad made every effort to get one. Sure enough he latched on to one and pulled it down laying on top of it try and get all the air out. It is a double edged sword because you don’t really want it to be popped but also it takes forever for the air to come out just through the vent. Finally he just popped it and the air came rushing out. It went in to their bag and the collection was complete. Throughout the show our man on the tower danced the night away and his wife had given him another shirt to which he promptly chucked in to the crowd. It was hard not to see this dude and I know everyone got a kick out of him. The show had finished and it was time to navigate the crowd, and the metro, home.

Since I was in no rush and the exits were moving at a snails pace I decided just to walk around the stage and see if I could run in to Brett the photographer. With there being absolutely no care in the world about how much beer was sold or consumed the illuminated stadium floor was an absolute wasteland a carriers and cups. I mean next level amounts to which even I had never seen. The concert goes were no different. People being held up by their buddies, some passed out, others being carried by friends, it was truly impressive. I stood along the rail on the opposite side of the stage from where I was standing for the show and just hung out. Finally a security guard came up and said it was time go. I acknowledged and started heading toward the exit. Finally making it to the street it was pure insanity. Everyone walking in the same direction but barely putting one foot in front of the other. Some people were pushing their way though and others just standing. It took a good little while to reach the metro entrance but once I did I found an officer there saying that this entrance was now just an exit and we would have to go to the other side to access the train. Well you can imagine what that looked like. Just a sea of people trying to find their way down 3 sets of stairs. I knew I wasn’t all that far from the hotel and instead of the scooters Lime offered bikes. Its been forever since I have ridden a bike but I had all the confidence in the world I could still do it! I rented a bike and they came equipped with pedal assist. Basically you pedal and a small motor kicks on to help speed you up. They have little holders on the handle bars, just like the scooters, so I was able to load up my maps and see how to get back. The ride was super easy after getting out of the crowd. It only took me about 15 minutes and it was cool outside so it made the ride even better. I got near the hotel and pulled in to one of the bike racks, ended the ride, and walked the block back to the hotel. Since I only had had two beers at the stadium I was keen on having one in the lobby if they were still open. Not only were they still open but it was crowded with Metallica fans wanting to get in a few last beers. I ordered two from the bar and sat on one of the benches and enjoyed it until the bar finally closed. Headed up to my room and put some batteries on charge. Like the previous days I didn’t really have a plan except just go out and see the city. I knew I wanted to see the main city center but beyond that I figure I just walk around and see what I see. An adventurous day to say the least but another successful one. Lets get up tomorrow and see what the day holds!