Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key travel issue – and what it means for you.
Birch trees in their thousands (millions, perhaps) prove mesmeric as they race past the train window. Sometimes they are jostled out of the view by stands of pines. Occasionally the view opens up to reveal a lake. The monochrome surface, as sullen as lead, reflects a sky blanketed by cloud. Colour is provided by the cottages and farmhouses that straggle beside the railway line, uniformly painted in “falu red” – the rust-toned paint that appears to be a national obligation in Sweden.
