hejsan! Well I’ve managed to find a place to stay for the time being, it’s located at Tumba which is situated south west of Stockholm, about 25 mins by train to Stockholm Central. Here are some pics of the views from the apartment:
It’s a very, very welcome change from the hostel way of life – I tell you what the ‘symphony of snoring’ almost every night was wearing pretty thin… Also after living on toasted Ost och Kalkon (cheese and turkey) rolls from 7-eleven it’s been nice to cook and eat some decent food for a change. mmm spicy beef… soo tasty… I found some new Lingonberry jam too. mmm that sweet Lingon-nectar…
This is the very narrow spiral staircase leading up to the apartment
Needs to be carefully negotiated after a few beers...
It actually costs you money if you want to go to the bathroom here, in the city at least. It’s usually SEK 5 which is 1 whole aussie buck. Can you believe that! Apparently they are kept clean and so people here are happy to pay. Well I’m not happy to pay and so I must say a big THANK YOU to the banqueting department of the Radisson SAS Royal Viking Hotel, for their very kind provision of ‘free’ bathroom facilities… hehe I wonder how long I can get away with not paying for…
3 of my favourite brands actually have STORES here in Stockholm. ARC’TERYX, Helly Hansen and The North Face. So much awesome gear! I just wish I had thousands and thousands of Kronors to spend at them… ARC’TERYX is my favourite brand of all and is hard to get hold of back in oz. The store here is the second largest in the world. Yeh, is dangerous news for the bank balance that’s for sure. I’ve also discovered a new fave; Haglöfs – a Swedish brand that makes all kinds of awesome clothing and gear.
I’ve noticed that a significant amount of car honking goes on in this city. I’m itching to drive something as it’s almost been a month since I was last behind the wheel. They drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road here (no, not the right side, the wrong side!!!) and so that means that everything is done on the wrong side, like running, bike riding and walking on the road, pavement, sidewalk, pathways, up and down staircases and on escalators – btw they have the longest most massive escalators I’ve ever seen here, they are almost like an amusement park ride I’m not kidding! The other day I actually tried to hail a bus from the wrong side of the road! (yeh, what on earth was I thinking…) ok, relevant abuse is deserved and welcome.
It’s interesting to note that above ground trains (pendeltåg) are on the left side. Swedes used to drive on the left side of the road back in the dark distant past and this is the reason why trains are still on the left – it was too much trouble to change them over to the right (why oh why didn’t they just keep everything on the left!)
I’m getting to know my way around the place, the public transport system here is massive and very well organized as most people rely on it. I haven’t gotten lost in the subway yet (quite an achievement I reckon…!)
Graffiti from Årstaberg Pendeltågstation - Train Station
Nattklubbs here can be expensive to get into – around SEK 100 which is 20 aussie bucks. Then of course you have the cloakroom charge which is another SEK 15-20 (3-4 aussie bucks) so you’re looking at almost 25 aussie bucks before you’ve even bought a beer! They will set you back anything from SEK 35-56 which is 7-11 aussie bucks depending on where you go mostly. Fortunately not all clubs have a door charge. Svenska öl är jättebra! (Swedish beer is great!) So far I’ve tried Falcon, Småland and my favourite Mariestads. mmmmmmm beer…
I’ve been doing quite a lot of socializing lately and am meeting lots of interesting people and finally some swedes for a change! I was checking out the Royal Palace one bloody cold day and noticed 3 blokes trying to have a photo with a Swedish soldier standing guard at one of the entrances. The mistake one of them made was to enter his personal space to try to put an arm around him for the photo. A big no no and this bloke was just seconds away from a butt stroke to the head from the soldiers' rifle.
After they moved away I respectfully approached the soldier and asked if he is allowed to talk and he said yes so we chatted for a few minutes. It really was seriously cold that day, especially if you are just standing there, at attention, unable to move around, or on the ‘dark’ side of the Palace constantly in the shade. The cold seeps through your clothing and into your bones and there’s no way you can escape it. I asked him if he was cold and he said no but I knew he was. I let him know I used to be a soldier back home and so I know what he’s going through. He seemed to appreciate this and I wished him a long warm Summer and said hejdå!
I finally got my samordningsnummer so have opened a bank account, got a library card (which provides half an hour of free internet access per day) and now have cheaper mobile phone charges. hoo-ya!
Stockholm seems to have been trying to decide if it wants to stay cold or embrace the warmth of Spring. The last 2 days have been absolutely beautiful and warm so I'm pleased to say Spring is finally here!!!
I've been for a walk around the Tumba area and taken some nice shots for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!
Stay tuned for the next exciting installment…
hejdå!
There is still some snow and ice around...
A climbing thing I discovered whilst walking around
It's actually bigger than it looks - about 5 metres high
Yeh I couldn't resist I had to climb it!
The sign says that they don't clear away snow
or put sand (gravel) down in the winter
Finally, a beautiful Tumba sunset
2 Comments:
Heya!!!
So great to finally read another blog entry- have been waiting... *_* The photos are great, all the trees look so beautiful, it must be so wonderful to be about to just cruise around and soak it all in!!!!
Hehe, the bit about the soldier is funny, I bet he appreciated your understanding, man, that job would suck!!
And yes, it is definitely a worry that Stockholm has all you favourite stores...we are never gonna get you back are we!! (sob sob) *_* Love ya! ☆ducky
Hey Buddy!
Great to hear from you again, starting to think that some Inga had met the man of her dreams and had fatal attracted your ass and you were tied up in her bedroom ;)
But seriously though it sounds like your really enjoying it, which sounds like a good move for you and one that you won't regret.
Don't suppose you have actually thought about doing any work over there yet... who am I kidding when has any aussie actually gone looking for work.
Take care bud and keep the updates coming, its the only way we know your alive and that your not some chics sex slave ;)
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