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Published: August 4th 2013
Done Stockholm in one day. Speed tourism. With only the day to look around it was pretty restricted to the tourist traps. ABBA was good fun. The Museum is a happy experience so even if you haven't been a huge fan like I wasn't for many years it's an interesting and fun experience. Heather and Lyn singing and dancing with the ABBA holograms definitely the highlight.
Stockholm's old town is a visual feast. The colours of the buildings are restricted to a defined palette so there is a coordinated feel to the look of the city which is very attractive. My camera got red hot. We walked the cobblestones, gazed at the water and the boats interlacing the city, ate at sidewalk cafes, window and real shopped, had a beer - it was 28 degrees, or as Lyn says, "bloody hot!
Our train to Gothenburg where Raymond and My live, was high speed, 200 kph, and smooth. We chilled. The countryside was pretty much fields and trees and the occasional farm house. Very little livestock to be seen. No moose sighted.
The train arrived about 9.30pm, we got on a taxi and bus and arrived at R and
M's. For those who don't know, Raymond and My (said "Emmy") met at high school in Paraparaumu when My was studying as an overseas student from Sweden, eventually meeting up later in Europe and getting married. Raymond has done his tertiary study here graduating with a degree in Ecology. I'm in awe of him doing his study in Swedish. Gavin and Heather are his parents.
Not much of an impression of Gothenburg until we were up and about the next day. Still hot, around 26 degrees and humid. But the day began with a big treat for us sports nuts as Raymond streamed the Super 15 final live through his computer onto the big tv screen. Yay!
The second big treat was riding the Segways. Raymond had organised this as a birthday present for Gavin and we all gingerly stood on the thing and got it going backwards, forwards, sideways. Stopping was a problem for me. You're supposed to stand in an upright neutral position but somehow I kept pivoting backwards and forwards like a dolphin kick standing up getting faster and faster. In the end the instructor took pity and rescued me. Then we were off into
the streets of Gothenburg to terrorise pedestrians, cyclist, babies, old people. Very cruisy.
We wandered the town after the Segway thing. Like a city anywhere really. Gothenburg seemed dirty to me. The cobbles have rubbish collected in the cracks and there is litter in abundance - felt like home. Oh look, there's a Macca's box; and there's a Burger King bag.... we went separate ways, some to shop and window gaze, others (Raymond and me) to find a pub. We found one that sold beer at wine bottle prices. Very like the craft breweries in Wellington. I like the taste but ... Is it worth it? Gothenburg has a gritty feel to it. It feels much more like a working class town than Stockholm did. I guess it's not on the tourist route so it just gets on with life.
Dinner at an Italian restaurant staffed by Iranians.
And back to our digs.
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Disey and Linds (aka TTATs)
non-member comment
Go ABBA!
Hi Houses and Thorleys, Wow, what look-alikes! Still looking great and svelt....... Looks like you had a lot of fun. Yes, it's disappointing to see all the rubbish about in what should be lovely places. We too found footpaths with cracks full of dirt, weeds, chewing gum, and the usual Macs and Burger boxes. 28 degrees? Hot? Enjoy the time and have fun.