The Stockholm Syndrome
Hi Everyone, why do I always post about cities long after I've left? I'm now on a boat from Stockholm to Helsinki and I recognize I'm 2 days behind on my blog. Having just scammed 25 mins. of extra internet time I feel it's my duty to update on my adventures, I have met many new people in the past 72 hours. Start from my waking up on the train from Oslo.
Remmeber how I mentioned the 2 German girls that I had met on the bus to Ã…ndalsnes were on my train to Stockholm? Well, running into Leah again, I suggest we hook up for the morning to tour Stockholm. They're game, but they're also the self-catering type and want to picnic while I'm checking in at the Chapman (My Hostel, a converted old boat docked on the island of Skeppsholmen). They're saying goodbye to a young woman with a Canadian flag sewn to her backpack and I strike up a conversation with her, Brenna, from the 'Peg, studying in Halifax, moving to T.O. I have all of these vitals and she's looking for someone to have breakfast with, so we split from the German girls (They will meet me at my hostel at 9am (It's 7am now), and Brenna and I strike off for Breakfast, finding the best options at the local McDonalds (BK last night, McDonalds this morning, I am slumming big time for food). Brenna has just met the man of her potential dreams on a DFDS boat from Oslo to Copenhagen (The one that sailed 24 hours after mine!) I hear the whole story and so on and so on! She's changing a lot of her trip plans to meet up with this guy back in Copenhagen. Sounds cool, I hope it works out for her. They seem to have both fallen pretty hard, but travel is an intense experience. I want her to join the German girls and I tonight, but we get to her hostel and she has to wait an hour to check in! So we make a date to meet up the next morning at 9:30 and I book for my hostel.
After a long walk, I arrive at the Chapman Hostel, set on a boat overlooking the Stockholm old town of Gamla Stan. The location's near ideal and the view is spectacular. The room's what you would expect and I'm disappointed to be bunking with people again but my roomies seem fairly laid back. About a minute after I get out of my hostel the German girls are already there and we head for the old town of Gamla Stan. In true travel nerd style, I find a walking tour in the Rick Steves guidebook (The girls have been to Copenhagen before, but thanks to Rick, I find new things to show them). We follow the walking tour, I get a bit lost, and ultimately we end up in Södermalm, which is the young, hip area on the south side of the river. After a lot of walking and some nice views of Stockholm, we end up back in Central downtown on Kungs GardenStrade, a grand open area with fountains and cafes. The girls relax and I am planning to split with them there. I say my goodbyes, pass them my e-mail address (We talk of echanging photos) and I head for Gamla Stan again for the changing of the guard. On the way I see a sound check for what sounds like a nice open air concert, so I head back again to tell the girls, but they're already there. I head over to watch the pomp and ceremony of the guard oparade, as they approach the castle, full marching band in tow. At the square where the ceremony takes place are hundreds of tourists snapping photos enthusiastically and I am no better.
The ritual over and Gotland's guards properly installed as the protectors of the palace for the day, I set out back to the KungsGardenstrade to see the concert and say my last goodbyes to the Germans. The folk group playing is actually quite dull, but they are succeeded by an Indigo Girls style duo, Swedish but singing in English. The songs are very good, and after the show I buy their CD. Ask mne nicely and I'll break it out sometime back in Canada.
Looking for a place to eat lunch, I stumble across the fruit market of Hotorget and the underground market, Hotorgshallen. There's a fish restaurant with a great fish soup there, according to Rick, so I buy it, despite the fact that it's close to 30 degrees outside! It's delicious, full of fish and seafood, and there's complimentary refills!!! Having had my fill of fish soup I head back to the harbor and take a ride through the canals and islands of the Stockholm archipelago, it's a nice ride but the boat is not great for sightseeing, it's hot as hell, and the pre-recorded narrator is some stuffy English guy. However, every few minutes Waterloo by ABBA comes on, forcing me to rock my head back and forth to the music!
After the boat tour I take a quick trip to the National Museum which has an OK art gallery but nothing spectacular. I can finally check into my room at the Hostel, so I do, since it's a 2 minute walk to the hostel from here. At the hostel I take the time to do my laundry, since it's been a day and a half since my climb, and my clothes from that are pretty heavy and nasty. It's a chance to relax, do some e-mailing and posting. After I am cleaned and settled, I head back to Gamla Stan. There's an organ concert I've heard about at the Royal Church, my chance to see it and hear a grand pipe organ. First I head to the Zum Franciscas resturant for dinner, which is on the opposite side of the harbour from where my hostel is, and it's supposedly one of the oldest restos in Stockholm! I order a traditional Pytt Y Panna, which turns out to be the exact same Corned Beef Hash I love at home! Who knew it was a Scandinavian traditional dish! After this I head over to the concert, arriving slightly late and tired out from the efforts of the day and the large beer I had with my Pyt Y Panna. I fall asleep several times during the concert, and I am not the only one. The music is beautiful nonetheless, and I was glad I went. After the concert I walked around Gamla Stan, took a few rides on the Stockholm Underground, and finally returned to the Hostel, getting to sleep at around 1am.
If you're reading and want to say hello, feel free to post in my comments section or send me email!
Remmeber how I mentioned the 2 German girls that I had met on the bus to Ã…ndalsnes were on my train to Stockholm? Well, running into Leah again, I suggest we hook up for the morning to tour Stockholm. They're game, but they're also the self-catering type and want to picnic while I'm checking in at the Chapman (My Hostel, a converted old boat docked on the island of Skeppsholmen). They're saying goodbye to a young woman with a Canadian flag sewn to her backpack and I strike up a conversation with her, Brenna, from the 'Peg, studying in Halifax, moving to T.O. I have all of these vitals and she's looking for someone to have breakfast with, so we split from the German girls (They will meet me at my hostel at 9am (It's 7am now), and Brenna and I strike off for Breakfast, finding the best options at the local McDonalds (BK last night, McDonalds this morning, I am slumming big time for food). Brenna has just met the man of her potential dreams on a DFDS boat from Oslo to Copenhagen (The one that sailed 24 hours after mine!) I hear the whole story and so on and so on! She's changing a lot of her trip plans to meet up with this guy back in Copenhagen. Sounds cool, I hope it works out for her. They seem to have both fallen pretty hard, but travel is an intense experience. I want her to join the German girls and I tonight, but we get to her hostel and she has to wait an hour to check in! So we make a date to meet up the next morning at 9:30 and I book for my hostel.
After a long walk, I arrive at the Chapman Hostel, set on a boat overlooking the Stockholm old town of Gamla Stan. The location's near ideal and the view is spectacular. The room's what you would expect and I'm disappointed to be bunking with people again but my roomies seem fairly laid back. About a minute after I get out of my hostel the German girls are already there and we head for the old town of Gamla Stan. In true travel nerd style, I find a walking tour in the Rick Steves guidebook (The girls have been to Copenhagen before, but thanks to Rick, I find new things to show them). We follow the walking tour, I get a bit lost, and ultimately we end up in Södermalm, which is the young, hip area on the south side of the river. After a lot of walking and some nice views of Stockholm, we end up back in Central downtown on Kungs GardenStrade, a grand open area with fountains and cafes. The girls relax and I am planning to split with them there. I say my goodbyes, pass them my e-mail address (We talk of echanging photos) and I head for Gamla Stan again for the changing of the guard. On the way I see a sound check for what sounds like a nice open air concert, so I head back again to tell the girls, but they're already there. I head over to watch the pomp and ceremony of the guard oparade, as they approach the castle, full marching band in tow. At the square where the ceremony takes place are hundreds of tourists snapping photos enthusiastically and I am no better.
The ritual over and Gotland's guards properly installed as the protectors of the palace for the day, I set out back to the KungsGardenstrade to see the concert and say my last goodbyes to the Germans. The folk group playing is actually quite dull, but they are succeeded by an Indigo Girls style duo, Swedish but singing in English. The songs are very good, and after the show I buy their CD. Ask mne nicely and I'll break it out sometime back in Canada.
Looking for a place to eat lunch, I stumble across the fruit market of Hotorget and the underground market, Hotorgshallen. There's a fish restaurant with a great fish soup there, according to Rick, so I buy it, despite the fact that it's close to 30 degrees outside! It's delicious, full of fish and seafood, and there's complimentary refills!!! Having had my fill of fish soup I head back to the harbor and take a ride through the canals and islands of the Stockholm archipelago, it's a nice ride but the boat is not great for sightseeing, it's hot as hell, and the pre-recorded narrator is some stuffy English guy. However, every few minutes Waterloo by ABBA comes on, forcing me to rock my head back and forth to the music!
After the boat tour I take a quick trip to the National Museum which has an OK art gallery but nothing spectacular. I can finally check into my room at the Hostel, so I do, since it's a 2 minute walk to the hostel from here. At the hostel I take the time to do my laundry, since it's been a day and a half since my climb, and my clothes from that are pretty heavy and nasty. It's a chance to relax, do some e-mailing and posting. After I am cleaned and settled, I head back to Gamla Stan. There's an organ concert I've heard about at the Royal Church, my chance to see it and hear a grand pipe organ. First I head to the Zum Franciscas resturant for dinner, which is on the opposite side of the harbour from where my hostel is, and it's supposedly one of the oldest restos in Stockholm! I order a traditional Pytt Y Panna, which turns out to be the exact same Corned Beef Hash I love at home! Who knew it was a Scandinavian traditional dish! After this I head over to the concert, arriving slightly late and tired out from the efforts of the day and the large beer I had with my Pyt Y Panna. I fall asleep several times during the concert, and I am not the only one. The music is beautiful nonetheless, and I was glad I went. After the concert I walked around Gamla Stan, took a few rides on the Stockholm Underground, and finally returned to the Hostel, getting to sleep at around 1am.
If you're reading and want to say hello, feel free to post in my comments section or send me email!
posted by Steven at 4:41 PM
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