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Published: February 4th 2024
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What happens when your previous year's ski trip plan gets mangled in the mix due to a complete lack of snowfall? You focus on some other area of the world which looks more snowsure, and prepare for a glorious week on the slopes in a nation already very close to the soul. This being my 7th visit to Sweden, it would not surprise in the slightest if this featured in the top 3 of my most-visited countries, but, statistics aside, I was Sweden-bound, and landed at Stockholm Arlanda airport with all the right kinds of arrangements in place to make this a truly terrific ski trip, even before I was whizzing down the first slope. The hotel of choice was located within a shopping mall in the industrial city of Borlange, reachable by train from the airport, and an easy enough walk to the final destination from the main station. Borlange itself comes across as a liveable and sufficiently well-supplied city, which has the right amount of substance to make it warrant a stay in the city as opposed to the actual ski resort itself, which is a 25-minute bus ride away. There is a scattering of international eateries in the
area, alongside a varied spread of shops and stores which provide for a few much-needed conveniences which the visitor can benefit from - ideal, considering the fact that on Christmas Day, the city itself fell into the category of a city temporarily on snooze. The shopping plaza of Kupolen, in which the hotel (Kupolen) is located, had something of a festive theme running right through it in terms of the numerous displays dotted here and there, where animals and snowmen brightened up a shopper's visit in no small measure. A bus from Borlange's central train station brings the passenger to Romme Alpin ski resort at a time in the morning which is deemed ideal for a commencement to a ski day, and the sight of sunrise upon arrival made it look and feel like the most welcoming sign of promise which set a skier up for an equally pleasant day on the slopes. The ski resort proper makes full use of the terrain which it occupies, and very shortly after its opening just a couple of days before Christmas day, it appeared that the skiers and snowboarders descended on the place in significant numbers, making it a well-supported ski resort
with the correct level of atmosphere and buzz about it. Mountain restaurants are dotted here and there, one or two of them being satisfyingly thematic, such as the waffle house in a prominent spot where winter sports enthusiasts dropped by for a casual lunch or refreshments break. The slopes in Romme Alpin resort are mostly suitable for beginners to intermediates, and though the mountain presents little challenge for the expert skier, it is perfectly clear that this resort functions on a variety of levels, ranging from a family resort, to solo skiers, and all in between, to suit a wide variety of age ranges. The ski lodge is no doubt where the bulk of visitors based at the ski resort will call home for the duration of their stay, and the hotel appeared to have a congenial atmosphere which appealed even to the casual drop-by visitor such as myself, the result of an unexpected change in bus schedules back to Borlange. Six full days on the slopes were characterized by three full days on which the snow came down in a constant flurry, thus reducing visibility, but making the experience so fairy-talesque that you'd hardly want to criticize the whole
state of affairs. The final ski day led to a hugely satisfying 'mission accomplished' range of emotions, and from there, it was onto Borlange's main station by taxi, bound for the University city of Uppsala, a 90-minute train ride away in normal circumstances. Random-natured incidents forever coming my way though, these were far from normal circumstances, and this became apparent when a prolonged stop at one station came coupled with the announcement that a train approaching from the opposite direction had indeed derailed, at low speed, to the tune of no casualties, but a chaotic scramble to get all train passengers to where they needed to be via a combination of bus and train. This involved being temporarily stranded at a middle-of-nowhere train station where snow came down thick and fast, and revellers created their own party-like atmosphere to retain a certain level of emotional warmth to see through the disruption in a way which seemed celebratory and really rather humanistic. Arriving in Uppsala beyond midnight, way over the original time frame, ceased to matter upon arrival at the Botanika Uppsala hotel, a delightful property in a really strategic location. The following morning, a superb breakfast buffet started the whole day off in fine style, which was followed by a one-day trek around the entire city of Uppsala on foot, to a glorious and fulfilling outcome. Part of what made this momentary dream come alive was the constant light snowfall, which just added an element of festive gorgeousness into the mix, and made it achingly apparent that some cities in the world definitely take on a new sheen when weather conditions portray them in a different light. The cathedral and the castle are Uppsala's two main draw cards, though this is very much a University city, so the University buildings are equally alluring, and earn their place on a visitor's itinerary. What appeared to be so very appealing about Uppsala is the fact that it is compact enough for a full day of urban exploration, with small and satisfying discovery processes along the way, such as the indoor market-cum-food hall, and shopping culture, which provided the right kind of scope for the right kinds of purchases, destined to make this a memorable one day of exploration. Leaving Uppsala by train on that very evening, an overnight stay at the comfortable Good Morning Arlanda airport hotel felt like the run-out groove of the entire trip wasn't destined to sputter out either, and flying home from Stockholm made it all the more apparent that when you become attached to any one nation, regardless of your length of stay, there are emotions of the 'I'm going to miss this place' variety which should, I hope, provide inspiration to those who seek reliably fine experiences of this nature. I can only hope that the message has got through to you all!
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