As the D-Day (Darol Day obviously) approaches we are soon lifting anchors and
setting a sail on the luxurious Silja Serenade from Helsinki that is home
to many people who are unsure where cities such as Tampere or Jyväskylä are
located. Our travel destination is the beautiful Stockholm, the biennial host
of the Eurovision Song Contest and during other years flamboyantly gay for no
specific reason. Having taken a quick look at the participant list I notice
that this year there is nobody from Sweden, so I'm not even going to erase
that last sentence from my eloquent newspost.

I am really looking forward to meeting the creme de la creme who are
graciously delighting us with their presence but it goes without saying that
it's nice to see some mudders too. But as often is the case with obscure
cities that are not located by the harbour, one must use one of the slow
teleportation methods that are at our disposal. We have chosen the train.
Nothing is as classical as the train. Train was the stage for Agatha
Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. It is a tireless locomotive that
uses its many pistons to push itself forward. If one wants to stay on the
right track, one chooses the train. We of course didn't choose Pendolino, this
apex of Italian savoir faire, but instead decided to choose Intercity train,
because we like the cozy atmosphere, the downshifting hipster companions and
the artistic souls that...fine it was cheaper.

I will finally come to my actual point. As this is the third chapter it may
also be a personal record for me, but before I digress more, I'll just spill
it out. The InterCity train 142 from Jyväskylä to Helsinki via Tampere and
other idyllic villages leaves at 10:13 and arrives to Helsinki 13:52 and
is boarded by eccentric rapscallions including yours truly and some other
merry men. So if you are taking the same train to get on the cruise, please
take a look at the cast of characters below that can be found on board.

Name: Heidel
Status: Archwizard
Likes: coding areas, trains, kaleidoscopes, photosynthesis
Dislikes: olives, onions, introductions written by other people, Islamic State
of Iraq and the Levant

He is an Archwizard extraordinaire; sharp as a tack, handsome as an axe. He
has often been described as the Sauvignon Blanc of people and brings certain
elegance and finesse to our coterie of compatriots. He is a breath of fresh
air amid the ammonia leak of our consciousness that we call life.

Name: Belse
Status: has life
Likes: Rene Descartes-lookalikes, assorted collections of alcohol, drones,
bikes, outdoor activities, flip-flops
Dislikes: Bees, Rene Descartes-lookalikes drinking assorted collections of
alcohol owned by Belse.

Nomen est omen is something that Romans used to say, but do not be frightened
by his slightly ominously sounding name because this devilish rascal is in
fact a saint. Almost. I assume I'm supposed to write it SA-INT. With him on
board it's like having your own Terracotta soldier watching over your safety
and if he was one, I'm sure he would be called Cassius Clay.

Name: Darol
Status: Archwizard
Likes: longwinded explanations, jokes, misfortunes of others
Dislikes: 127.0.0.1

While yours truly may well be a man of many hats he is surely not Saruman of
Many Colours. Yours truly is a wonderful conversationalist and he doesn't
meander in immaterial tangents. His words are without hidden meanings and
nobody is as transparent as him, except maybe a father who used to be a
mother.


So, should you be on IC train 142, the gauntlet has been thrown! Wait..why
is this a challenge exactly..?