Thanks for the well wishes for my little hobbit. They're slowly perking up so I'm sure it'll be well.

And thanks for the fun comments during our German parliament visit!

And to end my review of the Copenhagen to Hamburg train route: Please DSB, buy some ComfortJets (or rent some DB Talgo's.. ;-)) and repurpose your own Talgo 230s for medium distance commuter lines.

Argued a bit with DSB staff who told me I can only unfold the stroller outside of the train.

He had no solution to us being placed in the middle of a standard seating area and the stroller being a necessity. "That is not my problem. These are DSB rules." As usual corridors being fully impassable with large luggage is ignored.

Otherwise good train. Wish DSB wasn't involved.

#train

Toddler is showing this really is an excellent train to be sick on. They're uncomfortable, not sure why, annoyed, puking and yet.. doing ok-ish.

For me though, it's a cuter reminder of those 1990s long distance EuroLines trips where the drunk stranger with massive knife next to you aggressively smelled like poop and/or puke.

Also: apparently you can borrow board games at the info-point ️. This really might be a north-sea ferry cosplaying as a train.

The bad:

All the other toilets. They're small and not friendly to tall people / people with kids / people with humps etc. This is a downgrade compared to ICE trains. Especially as when you cannot pick your own seat you might have to cross half the train to get to the accessible one.

#tinybitsofreview

The good:

-childrens area. It's part of a normal corridor wagon so no special cabins. Still. It's friendly, has a large capacity and there's a little cinema. At both ends the doors only open with a little button (note: children love to press little buttons..). Lots of stroller storage. It's good.

No photo of the cinema due to it being full of kids.

#tinybitsofreview

The good:

-restaurant wagon. Friendly staff, decent offers (we only got a coffee due to sick child), nice seating.

-handicapped and children toilet. It does what it should do. Surprisingly for a train running in this region there's no paper beyond that on the toilet rolls. Nice wide changing table. Could do with a soft cover (as there's no paper).

#tinybitsofreview

The amazing: the door sensors are absolutely perfect. Like, the innovation of this is something that should be replicated in all trains. Basically you walk towards a door, trigger a sensor, and the door opens!

No more awkwardly waving your hands or waiting for someone else to pass.

Truly innovative. Basically Star Trek.

#tinybitsofreview #startrek

First of all: both the German train staff from DB and the Czech restaurant staff seems to dislike DSB. And they didn't need me to prompt it but started all by themselves when asked "cool train, love the route, do you think it'll go well in the future?"

I won't repeat the reasons here (DB staff asked me not to, restaurant staff is as much non-DSB related as DSB-related) but: seriously wow.

#tinybitsofreview

Info system is super nice. Instead of dumb games or ads it is simply explaining all features of the train.

*most noise is from Swedish people being much louder than needed to operate as a human being. It seems to be cultural

#tinybitsofreview #ComfortJet

The little Hobbit is still a bit sick so I don't expect to do much of a review.

For now though: comfy seats, functional info system, lots of luggage space and a truly surprising amount of legroom. It's not often you can have a folded stroller in front of your legs.

Basically: #DSB sell or repurpose your Talgo units and order a couple of these things right now! Your passengers demand it!

#train #review #CrossBorderRail

Today the little hobbit is not doing too well. The heat got to them yesterday and last night. 🤮 So we're using the stroller as a drying rack for our backup clothes..

Also: we didn't get a little train toy as I was stupidly honest in answering if the Hobbit is three years or older (no == no little train for you). I guess, safety & fair. We did get a little book meant for older kids

DB at the same time is actively advertising the children section in their Talgo 230 units.

At least be honest ffs.

edit: also, the manner Marlene supports her face makes me suspect she might need to see a dentist.

#train #dsb #bahn

If @europeanspodcast were to organise city trips for parents & kids this would basically be it:

-take a brand new international rail connection (which then craps out and you get to complain about European train infrastructure),

-to a capital so hot you don't know how to be outside,

-but luckily you can spend half of your entire one-day in the city inside the national parliament,

-where you receive crayons from a Christian conservative member of parliament,

-which your kid uses in the park.

I collected some sequoia seeds for our tree nursery. This was the first time I remember picking up cones and the seeds falling out in abundance just from the movement of lifting them. I can only guess the combination of drought and them being in the direct sun / heath triggered this.

Anyway. #berlin is too hot.

The CDU lady (actual member of the Bundestag!) who went out of her way to chat with us, was half-amused / half-annoyed / half-bemused (hence the three halves) at my lame comment about toddler clearly already being a typical CDU voter.
Her very conservatively dressed assistant actually said: more like our neighbours (AfD). Which, honestly, made me LOL.

We received pens, a first aid kit, air conditioned playgrounds and encountered lots of interesting and friendly people.

There was also the AFD offering free hotdogs, which we denied as a nazi hotdog is as good as no hotdog. The Greens compensated with vegan curry wurst.

CDU offered crayons, which seems on brand.

#europe

#WhenInRome

At least it's not that warm yet. Right now it's 18 degrees. Later in the day it'll be closer to 30.

We're in central station to visit a supermarket. Berlin Hauptbahnhof reminds me Germany can have massive train-stations where passengers don't feel the need to get a tetanus vaccination. Subtweeting Hamburg specifically..

Oddly enough I do find Hamburg Hbf a friendlier place to be. People are rude here.

Or: OMG DAD, DANDELION!