So, its 2:30AM and it’s my last night here. It’s been great and I will surely miss it. Spent the day running errands, packing, and cleaning. Got a full day of traveling ahead of me. I arrive at LAX Friday 11:37PM.
I may or may not post about my final trip to Prague and Amsterdam. Depends on how much time I have during the holidays.
See everyone soon!
It would be a packed trip full of things to do, because we would only have 2 full days there, however, it was so windy the night we were suppose to leave. We had checked in at the airport, went through security, and were waiting in line to board the plane when the lady told us that our flight had been cancelled. I remember just being in shock. I did question whether the planes would be able to fly in this weather. It was really windy. I literally was pushing my way through it to get to the bus stop. Anyways, I couldn’t believe it was happening. All that the company did was give us some papers (many of the customers didn’t even get that because they ran out) claiming our rights and how to contact the company. I felt pretty lost, we didn’t know what to do. We just sat there and wondered if we should go home or try to rebook our tickets. We had bought a lot of tickets online for our time in London so we didn’t want that to go to waste. Luckily there was enough space on the next flight but it set to leave in the afternoon of the next day. Meaning, we would have to sleep in the airport and hang out for quite a while. We were planning to sleep at Stansted anyways since we were suppose to arrive close to midnight. But we settled on some benches and stayed there all night. Tried to get some sleep although it wasn’t the most comfortable resting area. Managed to get a couple hours but it was quite cold, especially because we were next to big windows.
Morning came, and we just sat around and played monopoly deal with an english girl who we met in the same situation as us. Finally the time had come and we were able to check in and board the plane. Flying RyanAir, although they are cheap, it just makes for a tacky flight. They had odd classical music playing when you get on board, and advertisements plastered on all the storage compartments.
When we touched down, we ran towards customs and tried to get out of the airport asap because we had a musical to catch at 7:30 that night. We decided to take the bus to town, which would take over an hour and go straight to the theatre with our luggage because there was not enough time to drop it off at the hostel. Got off the bus and went to the train station to buy oyster cards for transportation in London and took the train to the theatre. Thankfully, we made it just in time. Phew, finally, it was time to relax a bit and begin to soak in what London has to offer.
We watched Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Apparently it’s like #4 of things to do in London and since Lion King was overly expensive, we bought tickets to this one instead. We didn’t have any idea what the story was about but I checked it right before I left and it was about drag queens. Hah, great. We sat in the balcony, which didn’t have a great view of the stage so we moved to a lower level during intermission. The musical was very glittery and flashy. Had a lot of fun songs and the performers had such amazing voices. It was confusing at first but once you get the story, it was quite good.
It was already 11PM when the show ended and we still hadn’t had dinner because we didn’t have enough time to. Luckily, the Palace Theatre was located right by Chinatown so there were a lot of asian restaurants nearby. We were definitely excited about that. Went to a Korean Restaurant and ordered Spicy Tofu, something that I have missed for a very long time. Definitely hit the spot.
Day 2:
So we only had one full day in London but we spent it wisely.
First we went to the Tower of London, her majesty’s royal palace and fortress. It was founded in 1066 so you can just imagine how old this place is. What was most interesting was how it was surrounded by such new modern buildings.
We first went to “Torture at the Tower” where there are a few torture contraptions. Then to the White Tower. It is the strongest structure in the medieval castle and contained lodging suitable for the lord. Inside, there were exhibits of the armor and weapons. There was a jeweled pistol decorated with 1517 diamonds. In another room there was an awesome statue of a dragon constructed with guns, shields, helmets, coins, barrels, etc. The Royal Mint was based at the Tower of London from the mid 13th century until 1810. I found out that one pound used to amount to 240 pennies because the weight of 240 pennies was equivalent to 1 pound in weight.
After that we went to see the Jewel House, where the crown jewels rest. This was my favorite part. The crowns are simple extravagant and unbelievably beautiful. They were decorated with gems and diamonds and looked like they weighed 10 lbs. The staff, however, told me they were almost 3 lbs. Still heavy. Also on display were silverware and such. There was a gorgeous gold punch bowl that was big enough to bathe in and a ladle in the shape of a conch shell. Really beautiful.
There are ravens at the Tower of London. Legend says that the Kingdom and the tower will fall if the 6 resident ravens ever leave the fortress. We were able to approach one within a few feet. They seemed to roam freely.
We went to another section where there was a live theatre performance in a random room.
Our next stop was the Tower Bridge. Thought it was the London Bridge that was the famous one but apparently not.
We continued to walk, in search for a place to have fish and chips. Well looked but couldn’t find it so we decided to go see Tate Modern Museum instead. We past Shakespeare’s Globe and the Millennium Bridge, which is a very interesting looking pedestrian bridge.
Tate Modern Museum was a pretty good museum. I think modern art can be hit/miss. Sometimes the work leaves me questioning how it is art. Other times its very interesting. One section there were different families. Some only had a few people, others consisted of over 100 people. Each family had a unique story. For example one had a father kidnapped by North Korea. Another involved polygamy.
After Tate, we continued to look for fish and chips while on our way to Big Ben, etc. It started to rain when we came across a Christmas Market. Thought they had to have it there, but NO. So sad. There was glogg and german food…not what we were looking for. We walked around a bit, then passed the London Eye and then across the bridge to Big Ben. Couldn’t really enjoy it too much because of the weather.
We continued towards Trafalgar Square and luckily we finally found a restaurant that wasn’t too pricy and served fish and chips. It was nice and warm inside, a good break from the rain. The fish and chips were good. Crisp and flavorful. Came with peas as well. Super satisfying after we didn’t eat all day. Thankfully, by the time we finished, the rain had stopped. We walked to Piccadilly Circus, then Oxford Street. London is filled with stores. So much shopping to be done. And walking around London at night is just lovely. We shopped around for some time. Then, we decided to go on the hunt to find Chipotle. Yes our long missed Mexican food. I was so excited when I learned they had a Chipotle here. We got there and were very happy. Shared a burrito bowl and chips. Although it tasted a bit different from the States, it was still really good. Prices were 1.5x here but oh well. There was a couple of American girls behind us in line that were just as excited to be there. Lol.
Our next stop was Kings Cross Station to find platform 9 3/4 (yes, all you harry potter fans know what I’m talking about). We spent so long looking for it and asked so many people for direction. Finally one worker decided to lead us to it personally. But he led us outside the station and around the corner and … there it was. It was moved into a shed looking thing. A little disappointing but we still had our fun posing with it.
Tired, we made our last stop at Buckingham Palace. Unfortunately it was night so the gates were closed and we didn’t see the guards. No fluffy hat men for us. But it was cool we were all alone there.
By the time we walked back to the station, however, it had closed. So we had to find the bus stop and it took forever for the bus to arrive. The good part was that we would be able to ride a double decker bus.
That pretty much sums up my short lived trip to London.
What I observed:
1. english people who take the tram ALL READ. A lot of them are just reading newspapers. They seem so cultured…
2. we saw a whole bunch of people jogging around town. It was quite surprising.
I really wished I had more time in London. I wanted to soak it up more.. I will definitely be back.
(PS. Home in 10 days! I don’t want to go home but I’m excited… such mixed feelings)
So my corridor had a baking/cleaning day last week. Every semester there is a cleaning inspection that we must pass. Thus, we have a big day of cleaning. And since Christmas is nearing, we decided to bake Lussekatt (saffron buns).
Wow, when Swedes say they are going to clean, they really clean. I’ve never cleaned so much in my life. We basically worked from 11am till 5pm, straight. No lunch break, only a 10 minute fika to have our saffron buns and julmust (which is a christmas soda). Every spot in the kitchen was cleaned. Every little bit of it.
Now, how did I almost ruin Christmas? Well, it was the first sunday of advent and someone needed to light the candle. I had the honors of doing so, except after I lit the first candle, without thinking, I was about to light the second one. Oops. Thankfully my corridor mates caught me before doing so.
First time in Berlin, second time in Germany. This trip took place earlier in November but didn’t have the time to blog about it till now.
We first went to Brandenburg Gate, which was the meeting point for the free tour, recommended to me by Clara. Definitely worth the time; it was about 4 hours long and was very informative. So much history learned that day. We had to rush there from the airport, to the hostel, then there but we made it in the nick of time. The Brandenburg Gate is the only remaining gate of a series through which Berlin was once entered; it once led to the city palace of the Prussian monarchs. Then we walked to the Holocaust Memorial (Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe). The memorial consists of a 19,000 square meter site covered with 2,711 concrete slabs arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field. Each block has the same width and length but vary in height. Some are 0.2m, others are 4.8m high. We learned that it was convroversial to build: for one, the holocaust didn’t murder just Jews, however they were the biggest group of victims. Other groups have memorials around Berlin, but are much smaller. Also, the memorial cost 25 million euros to build. Some thought it would be more effective to use that money to make a free service taking people to the concentration camp nearby, but ultimately it would be put there to remind people of the holocaust in their daily lives. Something you can’t avoid.
Then we walked on and stopped at a small parking lot for an apartment complex. Weird, why would we stop in such a random place. Well, it turns out that we were standing over Fuhrerbunker, the bunker that was located beneath Hitler’s New Reich Chancellery. It was in that bunker where Hitler married Eva Braun shortly before they committed suicide. Pretty crazy to think you were standing right below where it all took place.
We then walked to Detlev-Rohwedder-Haus, constructed in 1935 to house the Ministry of Aviation. It is known for its typical National Socialist architecture. Everything about it makes one look so small and insignificant. Even the door handles are about 5 feet off the ground. The building is just big and prison-like. An 18m long mural runs along one side of the building that depicts the Socialist ideal of contented East Germans facing a bright future as one big happy family. In contrast, a huge blown up photograph of 1953 protesters runs the same length of the mural on the ground in front of the ideal mural to show the reality of it all.
We then got to see part of the Berlin Wall, the wall that existed from 1961 to 1989 to split East and West Germany. Its not as high as I had imagined. Our next stop was Checkpoint Charlie. We were told stories of couples passing through the checkpoint for love. We continued on to Gendarmenmarkt, which is a town square with 3 architectural buildings: a concert hall, German church, and French church. A group of protesters came to the square, making some commotion but seemed to be staged.
We then walked to Bebelplatz, where Humboldt University and the Opera House are. The Opera House is being rebuilt for the 4th time; it was destroyed twice in the same war. We saw the burning of the books memorial, the site of the infamous Nazi book burning ceremony, where 20,000 books were burned. The memorial consists of a glass window on the ground showing empty white bookcases, enough space to fit 20,000 books.
We then went to The Central Memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany for the Victims of War and Tyranny (what a long name…). It was just one room and sittin gin the center is a sculpture of a mother holding her dead son. There is an open hole in the roof situated directly above the statue. Apparently it looks cool when it snows.
Our last stop was Museum Island, which holds 5 significant museums. It was there where our guide told us the story of how the Berlin Wall accidentally fell. By then, it was dark and we followed our guide and whoever else wanted to go, to The Pub. It’s really cool there because you pour your own beer from the tap, which is located at each table. Definitely not the easiest thing to do. My first cup was all foam. Had schnitzel and fries; fattening but good.
We then went on a Pub Crawl. Four bars and then a club. However, by the 4th bar, we were all way too tired to continue on so we just went back to the hostel.
Day 2:
We decided to go to the big Flea Market. Getting there wasn’t fun because we kept getting on the wrong tram or it would reverse direction. Complicated.. But we finally made it to Mauerpark. The market was HUGE. So many things and so many random objects. I absolutely loved it. We walked around for an hour and a half and I still didn’t get to see it all. Saw some really cool old cameras, typewriters, sewing machines, clothes, books, records, etc.
Afterwards, we headed to the Eastside Gallery. The Eastside Gallery is a lengthy part of the Berlin Wall that is covered with murals on one side, and graffiti on the other. The murals are great. So many different pieces of art. I tagged my name on the wall while there. Such a rebel. But I also really enjoyed this place.
Our next stop was Museum Island to visit the Berliner Dom, a cathedral built in 1905. It is simply beautiful inside. We got to climb to the top and get a nice view of the city. Below was the crypt containing many caskets.
After, we walked over to Berliner Kunstmarkt. It is a fairly small street market with crafts, paintings, etc. A lot of cool things that I wanted to buy. We then stopped for a light pre-dinner at Curry 61, one of the many currywurst shops in Berlin. Seriously, you can find currywurst everywhere. Had a delicious rostbratwurst in a bun. So good!
Then we went back to The Memorial to the Murdered Jews to see the museum below the memorial. Had a lot of stories of Jews all over Europe who were sent to concentration camps. Just a preview of my trip to Auschwitz the week after.
We were getting hungry again so we took the subway to Alexanderplatz and at the base of the TV Tower we had dinner at a nice restaurant. Had pasta but it wasn’t very good. We ended back at the hostel hanging around in the lobby. Ended up talking to the guy at the reception for 3 hours. Friendly guy.
Day 3:
We first set out to Charlottenburg Palace. Wasn’t all that great, we just took some pictures from the outside. Then we went shopping. I swear, there were 5 H&Ms on the same street. Ridiculous. Had lunch at KFC. I haven’t had any fried chicken since I came to Europe so KFC sounded very appealing. The chicken isn’t as greasy here, tastes much healthier and crispy.
We went back to Checkpoint Charlie, had some ice cream, and then to the Typographie of Terror, which is an exhibit about WWII. Lots of reading, pictures, and documents. That was my last stop in Berlin.
Berlin is definitely a really cool city, filled with history. Loads of history everywhere. So many things to do and see there. Favorites from this trip would be the flea market and eastside gallery. Worth the visit!
I’m truly thankful for the opportunity I have received in coming to Sweden and living abroad. All the new experiences, cultures, and places I’ve been able to soak in. Thankful for all my friends and family back home and my new friends abroad.
I’m really bummed that I won’t be able to spend Thanksgiving with family this year. I know I’m going to be missing out on a great feast.
Even though Swedish people don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, some of the kids from the UC program will be getting together and cooking up a storm. It will be a long day of cooking and then feasting. Hopefully it turns out just as pleasant as if I were home.
PS. I’m going to be home in exactly 1 month from now!
Edit;
Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, more veggies, candied sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, spiced apple bread, and apple pies with ice cream. We made it all and it was delicious. So full. I think we did good.
(I’ve decided to post out of order, Poland first, then Berlin out of laziness)
I was very excited for this trip. A little nervous of what we would be doing there, visiting Auschwitz, but nonetheless very excited. This trip would be very cheap, flying through wizzair. It was like 50$ roundtrip.
We boarded at Malmö airport and the flight attendants were wearing bright pink and purple, to match the colors of the plane. Got lucky and sat in the XXL leg room section. We arrive at Katowice and had to take a minivan to Kraków, which was over an hour drive. I noticed people swerve lanes much quicker than in the US. The roads usually have 2 lanes and some cars are just so slow, at times when there is only 1 lane, it makes things much more frustrating. Driving through Poland, it just looked like going through so much history. I already felt the concentration camp vibe. It was super cold and the land looked dried out from it.
We reached Kraków, found our bearings and got to the hostel by foot. Accommodations were great and so cheap (10$ a night). Very new, spacious, and clean, got a bed in a 10 person room, 6 of which would be occupied by our party alone. Starving, it was already close to 4pm, which meant the sun was already about to set, so we set out to the main market square. Food prices are so cheap in Poland compared to Sweden, we were all very excited. We stopped at an Italian Restaurant that also served Polish food. Ordered Polish cutlet and baked potatoes, a very hefty portion. Yum. Then we met with Matt, Ray, and Katie, who had went to Warsaw before Kraków. Went and had dessert and drinks. Hot apple cake with whipped cream. Enough said. Did a little exploring then called it a night.
Day 2: Auschwitz
What a heavy day it was. We were picked up in a van and transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The ride took over an hour and during that time, we watched a documentary about the liberation of the camps. When we got off, omg, it was freezing. It was -7C. We saw a pond frozen over. Yes, we Californians were freezing our butts off.
Our tour guide told us a story of how her father in law was sent here back in the 40s and survived. Before he passed away, he told her she should work there and that is what she has been doing for 30 years.
First, we saw the entrance, the sign that says “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Work sets you free). Turns out that the sign was stolen a few years back by a Swedish guy and was recovered in 3 pieces a few days later. Hah, really, a Swede? They are such harmless people. Anyways, I just couldn’t believe that I was here and that I was stepping on the grounds that horrible things took place not long ago. The barbed wire fencing, outlook posts and uniform buildings. It was just getting started.
So many of the buildings have turned into exhibits. In one, the halls were filled with pictures of victims with their enter and death dates. So many faces, just staring at you. Some only lasted for a year, some a month, some a few days. In another building, we saw standing cells, where prisoners had no room to sit or lay down. They were placed there as punishment and stayed there overnight before coming out to work 10hours the next morning. Then we saw a room filled with empty cans of poisonous gas that was used in the gas chambers where they told prisoners they would be taking a shower, but stuffed 2000 men, women, and children into one room to be killed. We saw a big pile of glasses, metals, pots/bowls, clothes, suitcases, and so many shoes that were brought by the prisoners to the camp. However, the most emotional sight was seeing the room filled with human hair. The very same hair that was cut off prisoners’ head. There must have been thousands of pounds of hair on display.
We walked by where people would be publicly hung. Then visited a gas chamber/crematory. It was dimly lit, and just walls of cement and in the next room, places to burn the bodies.
The second part of the trip, we took a van and drove 3 km to Auschwitz-Birkenau. We pulled up to the front and wow, this is exactly what you see in the movies and pictures of the holocaust. A brick arc way through which trains would enter. The trains that brought millions to the camp. We walked in and just knowing that you are stepping the same paths as millions who were condemned to death and hard labor, a life of absolute misery, is overwhelming. We stood on the train tracks. “To the left, those healthy enough were sent to hard labor. To the right, instant death.”
We walked past 2 gas chambers that were destroyed. Many of them were destroyed by the Nazi to hide evidence of any wrongdoing. Only one was standing at the end of the war, but was soon destroyed by the victims.
We visited the barracks. Cold and dark, lined with wooden planks to sleep on. Those who slept on the top bunks would be exposed to snow and rain that would fall through the holes in the roof. We also entered a room that had 3 long lines of cement with a whole bunch of holes. It was used as a bathroom. All of the toilets would be used at once, twice a day and you would have a time limit to use them.
As we left, it was getting dark. We had enough of the heavy feelings for one day so we went out for dinner in the main market square joined by 2 Dutch guys from our hostel. We settled at a medieval themed restaurant. Steping inside, it was fully decorated, live music, and costumes. Our long wooden table was dimly lit by wax candles. I ordered the chicken roulade with boiled potatoes and honey beer! That’s right, honey beer!! Poland has awesome beers. It had the taste of honey but wasn’t as sweet as cider. Very delicious, why don’t they have them elsewhere? The food took an hour but finally came and it was great.
Afterwards we went to a bar. We decided to split some polish shots so we could all give it a try. 6 shots for 20pln (which is like $1 a shot). Its very hard to sip on vodka. One tasted like gasoline. hah. Sat around and had some drinks, then the girls went back to the hostel and the guys went to another bar.
Day 3: City Exploring
The girls got up and went to a nearby flea market. Except, it wasn’t really a flea market, more of an open air market. Clothes, shoes, fruits and veggies. Those sort of items. Then we went to the main market square because there is shopping there too. In the center of the square, there are vendors selling souvenirs and amber among other things. Lots and lots of amber. I think half of them sold it.
We met up with the guys for lunch at a place called Kokos. The polish girl that Matt, Ray, and Katie stayed with in Warsaw recommended it because it was cheap and gave good portions. Indeed they were. For 15pln (under 5$) I got a bowl of chicken noodle soup, salad (that were pickled veggies) and schnitzel with fries. So much food. So good.
Then we went to the Church of the Virgin Mary. Very decorated and fancy inside. They had the pope’s voice on loud speaker which sorta freaked me out. Then we walked to Wawel Royal Castle. Finally, something that really looked like a castle. Pretty cool architecture. We visited the cathedral because that was the only thing open and saw the dragon statue. They are very big on dragons there.
We then went to a nice cafe and sat there for a while. Ordered a caramel macchiato. Lots of foam and wasn’t strong at all. Although I really wanted to go to Schindler’s factory initially, it was nice to just relax at a cafe. And besides, we already had enough heaviness the day before. All rested up, and although it was dark out, we decided to walk around the Jewish Quarter. But we didn’t really see much so went back to the city center and had dinner. Went back to the hostel. So the owner, Michael is such a nice guy. We didn’t make reservations for the night because our flight was at 6am, so we would leave Krakow around 2-3am. And he didn’t have any reservations that night but he let us leave our luggage there. We asked if he wanted to go to a bar with us and he accepted. Katie and Ray stayed behind to do work and Michael was nice enough to give them the keys to the hostel. So the rest of us went around the corner to Chata. I ordered a raspberry beer (yum) and we talked with him. He told us about why he started running a hostel and about the Hoscars (Oscars for Hostels) and how there are 150 hostels in Krakow alone which means lots of competition.
After that we went back and chilled till 2AM, when we left for the train station. Everyone passed out for a bit. We were sad to leave but Michael said he was sad to see such great visitors leave as well. Aw.
The van ride to the airport was a bit scary because there was so much fog and it was pitch dark out. Sometimes we could only see about 5m in front of us. We were excited to come home to Sweden weather. Yes, I can’t believe I said that but I did. But we got off the airplane, and what the… it was JUST AS COLD THERE. What happened?! It was so cold that when I was walking back with my bike, frost was forming on the hairs of my finger. So ridiculous!
But yes, I realllllly enjoyed Poland and would definitely like to visit again one day. I also will miss all the cheap food.
Hey all, I’ve been busy writing a paper and traveling around. Just got back from Poland, where it was -7C. Will have a new blog up soon on Berlin!
I took a mini cruise from Copenhagen to Oslo, Norway. You spend two nights on the boat, and one day in Oslo. The company, DFDS Seaways did a promotion: you pay 200sek for the trip, but you are given 200sek to spend on the boat. So in other words, it was basically free.I couldn’t believe it either, but hey, I’ll take that deal any day. To make things even better, they give you train tickets from Lund to Copenhagen and back.
So Sunday, I took the train to Copenhagen, then took the shuttle to the port. Checked in and got on board. Had my own room and bathroom, it was a sweet deal. I sat around in my room until we left the dock. Then I met with some others from the EAP Program, along with a Finnish guy who also studies in Lund that they had just met. We ate dinner, which was just sandwiches that we had packed and played games in the room. Also ended up hanging out with a group of students next door who were also from Lund. Afterwards, we checked out the club for a bit. Then Jessica and I went to the deck. It was super foggy and windy. Climbed over the gate and went to the very top. Couldn’t see anything but it was pretty cool to be up there all alone. Everything around us was pitch black; sort of a scary feeling to be out in the ocean with nothing in sight.
The next day, got up and took some pictures up on the deck as we arrived in Oslo. Then got off and headed to the Opera House, which was close to the dock. The Opera House is the first in the world where you can walk on the roof. Had an interesting structure and was right by the ocean. Took some pictures and then walked to the Central Train Station, then passed the Domkirken (Cathedral), Stortinget (Parliament Building), and National Theatre before we stopped for lunch. Although I wanted to try some fish while in Norway, it probably would have been way too expensive and no one wanted to splurge on a meal. So we ended up stopping at something similar to a 7-11. Got myself a chicken calzone for $12. Yes, Norway is super expensive.
We then continued on to the Royal Palace. It reminded me a lot of the Palace in Stockholm. Looked somewhat new in style and a little fake. Also took some pictures in the big piles of leaves to the side of the palace. I love autumn colors. Too bad it’s not like that in LA.
Then we walked to Vigelandsparken which is a sculpture park. Probably the most visited attraction in Oslo. The park is the life work of the sculptor Gustav Vigeland with more than 200 sculptures in bronze, granite, and cast iron. The walk way is lined with sculptures of naked people, each of them are different from the next. Then you are led to what seems to be a water fountain with naked sculptures. And finally you walk up the stairs to get to the naked tower of people. It was pretty extravagant. We sat around there for a little bit before departing back towards the boat.
The walk back was pretty long and we had to rush because Jessica wanted to buy sweaters. I was going to buy a few souvenirs but geez, one keychain or magnet was $10. There was nothing cheaper. Made it back to the boat with 5 minutes to spare.
Later that evening, Jessica, Matt and I snuck into the VIP room and grabbed some free drinks. There were a few nicely dressed old people sitting around there. Felt out of place, but only stayed for a bit on the fancy computers they had before we left to play some games in the room. Also spent a lot of time in the store buying chocolate and makeup, and trying a whole bunch of perfumes.
Ray and his gf woke up early to see the sunrise the first morning and said it was gorgeous so Matt, Jessica, and I decided to wake up at 6:30AM the next morning to do the same. Unfortunately it was too foggy/cloudy so we couldn’t catch it. Bummer.
Final thought of Oslo: It’s a beautiful city but prices here will make you cry.
Lund to Stockholm is about the same distance from LA to SF.
I went with ESN, which is an international student organization. We left at about 7AM and drove about an hour and a half until we reached Småland, where we would go on a Moose Safari! First off, it was freeeeeezing when we got off the bus. 40F? I was shivering from the cold wind. We then got on a little tram and were given a few branches of leaves to feed the moose. We came across a whole bunch of bison. One of them greedily ate all of my leaves because it was too strong for me to pull my branches away. Oh well. Saw some moose. Our guide, got off the tram and got one to stand up and walk towards us so we could feed it. They seemed friendly. Looking at them as they stand still really makes them look fake. But it was cool and I got to pet one as it walked by.
Feeling like a popsicle, I went to the gift shop and then the cafe. One of our group leaders had made us kanelbulle (cinnamon rolls). Went back onto the bus and continued on. Stopped at a Max Burger for lunch and after watching King Pin (super random movie) finally reached Stockholm. Did you know Stockholm is made up of many islands?
Our hostel was surprisingly clean. Received a bed in a 10-person room which wasn’t bad because there ended up being 7 of us in there so we had a good amount of room. After setting up our linens, we walked to Kungshallen, which is a food court. There was some asian, mexican, italian, mid eastern. Ended up getting a plate of kebab and fries. After dinner we were able to have free time to walk around the city. At night, we went to Club Amnesia, which was probably the best club i’ve been to. Played a lot of American music and the atmosphere was just so great.
Day two, had a city tour guided by a former ESN member’s mother. Went to the royal palace and saw the changing of the guards…well sort of. There were too many people and Swedes are too tall so I couldn’t really see anything. But there was a band playing and everything. We ended the tour in Old Town (Gamla Stan). Gamla Stan is so beautiful. It’s like the definition of an old town: small, narrow streets and old antique shops. I really enjoyed walking around there. We walked around there some more after the tour, went into some shops and had lunch. After coming out of one shop, I looked up and see a guy staring at me. It took me a couple seconds but then realized it was my corridormate, Ola! Complete surprise to see him, all the way in Stockholm of all places. Apparently teams of the NHL were there and he had come to see a game.
Emily and I went to the National Museum. We didn’t have much time before the museum was to close, so we decided to go on our own and meet back when it was closing time. Saw some Rembrant, a Van Gogh, Degas, Cezanne, etc. Not too shabby.
After that, we walked around some more, met back up with Yun and had dinner at Kungshallen, because I wanted some asian food. Then after meeting the whole group back at the hostel, we went to Stockholm’s Ice Bar. I wasn’t so excited about it just because it was so cold outside and the ice bar would be -5C. I was dreading that cold. But we got there and were given these big blue poncho like jackets. Super insulated to keep us warm and came with gloves. Honestly, it was colder outside than in the bar with that jacket. Ordered a drink (Absolut+mango puree, etc) served in a glass of ice. Pretty good.
Then went back to the hostel before we went out to go clubbing. Debated whether I wanted to go, but ended up going because I might as well instead of staying in the hostel. Had to take the subway to get there but the group leaders failed and expected people to buy a ticket through text; although some ppl did bring their phones or didn’t have enough money on their sim card. I didn’t have enough to go back. After that commotion, we get to the club, and there is a long queue. When we got in, there was a live band playing. Cool, right? But soon after they left and played house music, the kind of music I don’t like to groove to. Much rather have gone to the club from the night before.
The next day, we just got up and headed back home. Stopped in a random place and ate. Decided to go to IKEA and eat there instead of McD. Had princess cake for the first time, which is a Swedish dessert, usually eaten on your birthday. Soon after we left that pitstop, our engine starts to smoke and we had to stop on the road. Then literally a few seconds after, a couple of fire trucks and police cars come. I was really surprised so many people came to our rescue, and so quickly. We were escorted by them to a nearby Scandia factory to try to get it fixed. We waited, and waited, and waited some more. A new bus came, 4 hours later. Yes, we sat on the bus, with nothing to do for FOUR HOURS. We were suppose to arrive in Lund at 5PM… didn’t come back till 10PM. And to make things worse, it was raining when we got back so I had to bike in the rain. My fingers were literally numb when I got home. Wet, Cold, Tired, and Hungry because I hadn’t had dinner yet.. was not in the greatest mood when I got back. But besides the way coming back, the rest of the trip was worthwhile and I had fun.
So living in Europe is just plain expensive. And as a student, I only eat out at cheap places. Usually, its either falafel ($4-5), pizza ($10), or junior burgers from the deal menu at a local fast food restaurant ($2-3). We never go to fancy restaurants or eat fancy foods. So as an added bonus of having family visit me, I was able to explore some expensive dishes and dine outdoors at fancy restaurants. Definitely felt more like Europe this way.
Also, it was my first time eating a burger with a fork and knife. Americas eat everything with their hands…burger, pizza. But here in Europe, it’s classy. People use utensils. Sigh, makes eating so much harder.
My most expensive meal of my life was the last night my family was here. Steak, potatoes, salad, and 2 glasses of wine. I think my food alone came out to be around $65. Ouch. That’s like 13 meals of falafel!
Also added pictures of the two places we stayed at in Copenhagen. The first consisted of 2 spacious rooms with a studio feel and the other felt like living in a cottage home.
and yes my burger looks like it is vomiting up beans.
 | Chris on PARIS |
 | meganalim on Family Visit: Copenhagen and… |
 | Emily Kwon on Jag cyklar |
the swedish adventure 