Scandinavia 2006

This is part of what I wrote down over the last 4 weeks in my journal. And it is really long even though I am leaving out lots of stuff.

21/6/06 12.50
Watching planes take off from the gate at Stansted. For some reason, the realisation that I will be rubbernecking around Scandinavia for 3 weeks has not set in. I'm not nervous, apprehensive or questioning, just waiting.

Hopefully I will keep up at this and not get lazy. Lazy - Mario - Flatmates - Florian: Eccentric, rude, arrogant, stereotypical asshole French guy. The Swedes and I took the piss outta him for the last two days after he left. I don't feel bad about it. For only having lived together for a month, Patrick, Emily, Erica and I all got on quite well. I thought it was really nice when they all came into my room and gave me a hug and said goodbye last night in the flat. Good mates.

18.30
First thoughts of Copenhagen were neutral/reminiscent of Amsterdam. I never like seeing a city for the first time in overcast weather as it makes everything gloomy. There are loads of bicycles and the city is for user friendly for them. I really like when a city puts a map and red dot with where one is on it every few blocks or so. In saying that, I am still terrible with maps and took the scenic route (walking around the block numerous times) to my hostel. Wouldn't mind except for the 18 kilos on my back.

23.30
Note the time. It is still light out, like dusk. It is cloudy but most of it is still there. Today is solstice, which explains that. I imagine as I go further north it will become ever more noticeable. But living in the north of the US, I have yet to see anything quite like this.

22/6/06 22.00
Should I find it unsettling that I find cemeteries to be among the most tranquil places to possibly be? I also find them to be "neat" to walk through, sit in, think in and see. Tombstones and mausoleums really are a work of art. I note this because last night I went to the Assitens Kirkegard and found the burial spot of Hans Christian Anderson and Soren Kirkegaard. It is also on of the first detours I take in any city. Apparently the Danish youth think it is a place other than letting the dead rest in peace; I walked through on of their parties.

When I set out of the city this morning there was more bicycle traffic at intersections than there were cars. Score one for Copenhagen. I had a proper Danish roll from none other than 7-11, weird! Loads of 7-11s, no starbucks and only 1 souvenir shop! I spent the entire day walking. I went to this "kastellet" which I assumed to be an old castle but was actually an active military complex. I went in anyways and walked around the ramparts. Then walked to the completely opposite side of the city and went to the Carlsberg brewery. At first I thought it was closed so was frustrated I had just walked the 5km over there, but realised later I wasn't even at the right door. Horay! A tour of the brewery and a few beers later I was walking back to other side of the city. NB-Danish grocery stores aren't that great.

A few more hours of wandering around brought me to a massive hippy commune called Christiania. 10 ft past the entrance dude starts telling me he's 1/8th Indian because his grandfather is the shaman of the Black....whatever tribe. He was playing a guitar. Use your imagination. Cool place! I guess the city government averts its eyes to the way the place funds its self (drugs) so that they have some income and a place to live. You can find people in suits smoking a joint over their lunch hour.

I've enjoyed Kobenhavn because it is the furthest thing from a European tourist trap. No shitty street vendors, few American companies, few useless and over priced sights and a city that caters to the people that live there. That's about all I can pick up from 2 days of being here. Next stop Malmo.

24/6/06 14.00
Im sitting in the botanical gardens in Lund, Sweden and realised I haven't written down much. Why can you never wee for free in Europe? Or why am I a forgetful idiot? Yesterday was Malmo. Lunch and a bus tour was all it needed but I was there a lot longer than that. The city was pretty much closed down because of the mid summer holiday. Everyone was dancing around a maypole. My London university hoodie is still somewhere in Sweden. The last couple cities have been dead; like MN, everyone goes to their cabins.

25/6/06 10.00
On a coach to Goteborg and I feel like I am going through rural MN or Westconsin. Probably why the area has so many Scandinavians! Only difference is that there are more Volvos. Once again I barely made it on the coach this morning. I don't know how I do it. Got to the station with two minutes to spare so it was a good thing I took the bus the last two kms and didn't walk.

13.30
Sitting in Goteborg waiting for the hostel to open for check in - 2 hours from now. Fortunately I am eating chips and salsa so it is all OK. I am not a fan of the Swedish chain hostels. They are overpriced and you don't get a lot out of it. If you want anything more than a bed you have to pay for it. It feels like it is going to rain on me...

26/6/0615.30
Rainy day in Gothenburg. FIrst day of the trip is has even rained, but it is the drizzly on going rain that makes your clothes stick to your skin. Bother. Couldn't walk for more than 3 hours before it came unbearable and I was soaked. Here are some things that is has become acceptable to do in Europe:

1. Drink beer at anytime you please
2. Eat ice cream at 9.30
3. Men can wear capri pants

So maybe the first two are OK if you are on Holiday, but even in some cultures (Japanese) beer in the morning is totally unacceptable.

Hundreds of kroner later I have solved my camera problems and now have two of them! I got a bus ticket to Oslo for 49 crowns! That is cheap, a beer costs more than that! Definitely helps out my budget! The last bus ticket I bought was about 6 times as much. Still raining....

27/6/06 10.00
The rain never let up. When I did go outside it absolutely poured on me. Doesn't help I have the worlds worst umbrella. I made it 25 minutes before I was soaked once again. There is a bar, in Malmo I think, called Kiek in de Kok. I didn't go in.

14.20
I'm going to go for as long as I can. I figure since I am unemployed and homeless in Europe, its the perfect time to try it out and look as hoboish as I can. I don't think I will ever look as hoboish as the dude that was sitting next to me: stained gray sweatpants, grotty trainers and cap, a patchy beard, loaf of rye brad in one hand and twitchy fingers on the other.

I think I have found the penultimate neighbourhood/street in Gothenburg, Sweden. There is a broad sidewalk for pedestrians on each side. Closer to the centers and going in both directions is a path for bicycles - two lanes in each direction. This is followed by two lanes for auto traffic - one each direction. In the very center of the street are rail and overhead lines laid out and strung for a tram network. City bendy busses are also able to use this part of the street. Not only are there this many lanes for so many kinds of transportation, but firstly, priority is not given to the car. Secondly the whole length of this avenue (a bit more than a mile) is flanked by 5-8 story mixed use buildings. The ideal urban center; one particular type of urban planners dream street. My kind of city! You wouldn't think this could get any better but it does. At the south end of this area is a massive park with frisbee golf course. At the other side is the Haga district, a small part of town of cobbled and pedestrianised streets surrounded by 3 story warehouse style buildings. This area connects the first part to the "Kings Park" that surrounds the city centre. This is in a city of over half a million. It is possible.

28/6/06 9.00
Oslo is beautiful! Even in the rain, and it is only 14Cº!!! That doesn't bother the people that live there because they were all in the park listening to live music. There is music coming from everywhere, literally every street corner. There were two guitarists soloing from the top of the hard rock café! I walked around the city and found the Brasilians still partying from their victory over Ghana.

22.00
The new digital era is here. Get ready for the pin-chip-in-palm society. Thanks Google.

29/6/06 21.10
Norway is blowing my mind and my wallet! I can't believe how incredibly expensive it is, and I get to convert into pounds. I guess that means it is OK I am spending hardly three days in the country. I spent my day in Oslo visiting the Edvard Munch museum, a massive open air sculpture park, and 13th century fortress. I would like to spend more time here but can't afford it. I spent the night talking the old half naked Russian guy, who was really quite nice. We had lots in common and discussed are wanderings around European capitals and how sometimes smaller cities might be better because they don't all look the same.

Today I did my 13 hour tour of the Norwegian fjords and it was absolutely spectacular! I must have looked like the world's biggest super tourist takinexcessiveve amounts of pictures on multiple cameras. I don't care. The fjords are something I have wanted to see for years and for me represent what Scandinavia is: beautifully unspolit nature.

30/6/06 20.30
Now I am in Bergen and this city has really impressed me: two different styles of architecture blending together, the morning fish and seafood market ad its setting in the hills works well together. Norway in 3 days total, but I could have spent another day in each place, but that won't happen because it is too bloody expensive. US$ 10 for a beer, and not even a pint!

I've had a dramatic change of plaaboutot my upcoming travels back on the continent later in the year. No longer do I want to spend weeks and week travelling non stop from Croatia to Lisbon via 20 some days in Italy, 20 some days in Spain/France etc. Living in Europe for a while and coming from London each time makes all the Europeacapitalsls blend together a bit. Questions I need to ask myself and have legitimatete answer to are why am I going there and what can I do/see that can only be done in the place? Its useless going through 14 different cities in 20 days. You won't remember a thing. That iexactlyly what happened in Sweden for me. I have cut out more than 3/4s of the cities I want to see and think I will be better off just staying longer in the cities I really want to see, ie Barcelona, Florence, Dubrovnik etc. Why spend 7 weeks wearing myself out when I can see what I want in 2 or 3?

1/7/06 10.30
Fucking Japanese Tourists

2/7/06 22.30
Stockholm is fantastic!. This city, and Gamla Stan in particular might possibly be the most beautiful place in Europe for me. There are also loads of sights to see for reasonable prices. I spent most of the day at the Vasa museum which contains a Swedish war ship that sank 20 minutes after its debut release from the dry dock; a wave came along and knocked it over.

I think I am coming to terms with travelling on my own. I was at a museum and saw a wife chew out her husband for being 15 minutes behind schedule. I don't have to deal with any of that/ It's the total and complete independence that I am really enjoying. On the other hand I might be going crazy talking to myself all day in my head... I'll assume that won't amount to anything though.

One night I sat and thought about a few possible outcomes to my life. Here is #5:

Move back to MN. Unsuccessfully do the "bar scene." Remain in batchelor status indefinitely. Read Maxim and Nuts (British Maxim) magazines and frequent the Vu. Take pride in the fact that I consume my retirement savings in the form of the King of Beers. Live in shitty retirement home.

Hmm, I'll work hard to make that nohappenen!

Yikes, I wrote too much stuff. I'm just gonna end here cause there is too much more to go. I will eventually get around to putting up the rest. There are some good stories I haven't got to, like the boat ride from Stockholm to Helsinki.