Torsdag i Aften

I arrived in Stockholm at around 5:30 yesterday evening after my "fast" train took a not so fast 6.5 hour trip from Copenhagen to Stockholm. Apparently there was trouble with the track at parts so we had delays, etc...It was quite boring despite the picturesque Swedish countryside dusted with a light covering of fresh snow. When I arrived in Stockholm my first priority was finding a room since I had read that you have to check in to some of the hostels by a certain time. I reserved my room for the night in a hostel close to the central train station, only for the night because my plans were still up in the air (don't you love my pretenses of spontaneity). There was a steady snow falling and darkness had already set in so I made straight for the hostel and found it in short order.

The hostel is nice. Its rather cozy and even a bit homely, especially when compared to my spacious, but bare, Copenhagen apartment. They have free Internet access, which is why you are hearing from me, hot showers, free laundry (I should have packed it all with me!), television and the works. I took immediate liking to the "living room" type area where I could curl up with a book for the evening. My room is shared with 7 other people and the bed is comfortable enough. I still have not bought a pillow in Copenhagen and I had forgotten the pleasure of letting your head hit the pillow after a long day.

Almost right away I met 5 of my roommates. They are from Tokyo and on there way north to catch "the lights." They are very friendly and invited me out with them for the evening. I considered declining and just relaxing for the evening, but why not? I want to get Stockholm from every angle. I highly approved of their choice of venue for the evening, a high-end jazz club featuring a live jazz quartet led by a popular Swedish jazz guitarist. The music was great and the company pleasant so I have no complaints (I was a bit out of place in the club though amidst the suits and ties, etc...the grungy kid in the corner! How odd it is, my delicate balance of bourgeois sensibilities and my "everyman" ethos.). The show ended just after 11 so I made it back in time to hit the sack early and get a fresh start today.

This morning I awoke around 6 am and hopped in the shower. Ah, the lost art of waking up in the morning...by 7:30 I was still the only person awake in the entire hostel! So I proceeded down the street to the train station to buy my ticket back to Copenhagen and tie up this little masquerade I have been carrying out the last few days about my undisclosed plans. After speaking to my new friends from Tokyo, and a few Swedes I met last night, it seems the northern lights will not be forthcoming on this trip. My roommates are catching a 16 hour overnight train to northern Sweden this evening and have a cabin for 4 nights. The Swedes said that is the way you have to do it since there is snow and cloud cover at the moment. Unfortunately, my schedule does not allow anything near 32 hours roundtrip on trains. As for Helsinki, well, its just too much money to take the boat, and I would be spreading myself too thin as far as time spent exploring the city. So its Stockholm until Sunday morning!

So far Stockholm reminds me of a big American city, like New York. Or at least certainly much more American than Copenhagen for instance. The buildings are massive edifices that rise out of a concrete landscape crawling with thousands of anonymous pedestrians. I actually feel a little more at home here, but I also realize the perks of Copenhagen, which has not fully bought into the phallic city-planning of many other major urban centers in the West. In Copenhagen many of the buildings are short, boxy, and pragmatic...not beautiful or sublime like some modern skyscrapers, but the benefit is that you can walk around any part of the city and see the sky or the towers from the castles and churches that reach toward it. These major metropolitan centers that try desparately to spread in all directions, horizontally with the sprawl, vertically with skyscrapers and subterranean transport, they often make me feel like I am walking in a box!

Anway, back to Stockholm. I awoke early, of course, and I enjoin all of you to do the same...it is my new religion! Get up just before sunrise. I did some light walking in the surrounding areas and took some photos, the theme was Sunrise in Stockholm. I hope they turn out well cause it was quite beautiful. Although I do wish I could have gotten to a different part of the city, a different perspective, so I could better frame the beautiful and antiquated architecture that dots the Stockholm skyline. I also took a picture of a monument by my hostel...I don't know anything about it, but it made me laugh out loud when I saw it. It looks like Stalin surrounded by enamored on-lookers! Probably an inside joke, but whatever.

The plan for Stockholm is simple. Today I will start of with a guided bus/boat tour (Stockholm is actually situated on a series of islands) that will last either 2.5-3.5 hours. After that I will return to places that peaked my interest for a closer look. This evening I will be on the prowl for a good cafe and a high quality cup of tea...part of my "banal tourism" project that seems to really have blossomed. Tomorrow I will hit up museums if they are not too pricey and if I am not too over budget...otherwise I will just pick one and really soak it up. Then Sunday morning its back to my home-away-from-home in Copenhagen. I will try to keep updates while I am here.