Sunday, September 16, 1928
Got up by six and for breakfast finished the rye and mustard. Rode to the station, sent my bike, and bought a 4th-class ticket. It left at eight. The car was like a box car divided into three parts with wooden benches around the walls. It was packed. From Rostock to Sassnitz, 85 miles, the train made 25 stops. At Stralsund there was an hour-and-forty-minute wait to change trains. I walked about the town and got some lunch.
At the edge of town the second train ran on a boat and thus we crossed a mile of water to Rügens. It was just like a picnic. The people got on, rode a couple of stations, and then got off. They would not sit down, but had to stand around and hang their heads out of the windows. One husband kept pointing out familiar landmarks to his wife and all she would say was Ach nay in an awed voice. The train poked along from 15 to 35 per and at the larger places stopped long enough for those who wished to get off and have a beer. When time to go, the conductor would blow a little whistle and off we would go for a couple miles more. It was really quite a social event of the season with tables all over the platforms, etc. After nearly five hours, exclusive of the change, we rolled into Sassnitz, a small place with several hotels. Here I left all my stuff except the camera, diary, toothbrush, comb, and slicker. Guess my bike is at the RR depot.
After buying a loaf of raisin bread, I went aboard the boat. It takes a Stockholm train over to Trälleborg, Sweden. As we left the island, it was very beautiful, the hills and high white cliffs. The sunset over the calm blue sea and the cliffs turning purple in the distance. Our boat was a very good one in every way. Made the trip in four hours and landed at 8:30PM after dark. I took the train to Malmö. It was a fast one and we were there by 9:30. Then began the long hunt for a reasonable hotel, which only ended after I had walked from one end of town and back again. Took a nice room in the Central Hotel for 3 Kronas, down from 3.50 K. The woman who runs it used to be a governess in New York and Boston. I asked her for something to put on my bread and she brought me two poached eggs, a pitcher of milk, and lots of butter. I really eat after all. Gee, it’s cold here.