Weekend of Walking

Sunday, May 10, 2009
söndag 10 maj 2009

I've just finished my last English book to the tune of fiddles playing somewhere across the water, which was very Romantic, but now what to read? There are many books down below in the media room but they're all in Swedish! Although I'd like to practice reading in Swedish I'm sure I would go crazy.

Yesterday I got home probably at 1:30 or so, which is why there wasn't a good account of that day's goings-on...until now!

After I posted that video that I rather like, even though it's kind of ridiculously gross, I set off for the Nordiskamuseet. I was in need of coffee, and had a nice little cup of coffee and a kanelbulle, which turns out to be a CARDAMOM BUN! And there I was thinking it was just a silly cinnamon bun. Why don't more things in America have cardamom in them? I wrote down a few things about the museum that I liked first off--the easy-to-use coatcheck lockers, which are operable by depositing at 10 SEK piece that you get back when you put the key back in after your visit; the pictures of Sami people in their traditional dress taken by a scientist and his wife whose scientific exploits were questionable (the days of measuring craniums to determine race, intelligence, etc), but whose pictures are, as it usually happens, incredibly important for preserving the Sami costume of the time (mid- to late-19th c., I believe); the really awesome and totally free tour in English with this cool little wand thing that acted like a remote control--there are little receivers throughout the museum that you point the wand at and press a button for start and stop, the volume is controlled by swiveling the end...very cool. The building itself is incredible; I think it was part of Skansen at the beginning. The big hall right after the entrance was apparently built specifically for celebrations and festivities pertaining to national culture and pride, which I love. Plus, it's staggeringly large and open. I saw lots of wonderful Swedish things, and I will probably go back a few times, there's a ton to see. As I explained to my dinner partners later, no matter how many museums I see, and how many times I promise to myself that I will amend my ways, I always try to take everything in instead of seeing those I'm most interested in first and taking in whatever I will afterward. So I was too museumed out to look at the neat hats downstairs, or even to go in the reference library that is lined with awesome 20th c. (and maybe some slightly earlier?) dresses!

When I walked out THREE HOURS LATER it was beautiful and sunny out, so I nixed my idea of a museum day. I DID walk past the Nationalmuseet to check the times, and it's open until 8 most days of the week, so I'll do that after work sometime. I debated going to Gamla Stan again, but since I was right on the edge of Skeppsholmen again, and I had talked to Johan about the boatbuilding school, I figured I could waste some time by walking around Skeppsholmen and its satellite island, Kastelholmen. Literally; I just walked around the waterfront edge of each, stopping on the end of Kastelholmen to walk up to its highest point and look out at my beloved Djurgården. Unfortunately, the overpowering view was of the amuseument park (Highest Freefall in Europe!!!), but I could see the darling Sankt Erik and Vasamuseet to the left.

I was wearing my beautiful J.Crew flip flops (surprise), and although they are very classy and sleek with their leather soles, they don't offer much support. I actually fell down the stairs earlier at the Nordiskamuseet with their equally beautiful and equally dangerous marble stairways, but thankfully no one saw or heard. But foot-weary I decided to find something to drink and hang out in the park and read--it was something like 1430, I knew where a park was, and I didn't need to get on the train to head out to Fred and Emma's until 1600 or so. I wandered around and around looking for reasonably priced refreshment, and and ATM, and found both finally. I found a nice spot to sit with all the other sunworshippers at Berzelli Park, and drank my overpriced Coca Cola Light, and read. So many adorable tow-headed babies, and they all were rather upset with me for sitting on the wall surrounding the small pool behind me--they actually had to get off and go around me, shooting their stick-guns all the while.

Theoretically, I knew where the Tunnelbana Centralen was--I had come across it while getting lost in that crazy overhang-plaza place, now known to me as Sergels Torg. Before I got there, I attempted to go to Systembolaget to buy a bottle of wine for F & E, thanks for having me to their house for a delicous barbeque! There is an extensive flowerstand across the way, and I figured that would be a nice addition. A lavender plant won out over rosemary and lemonbalm. I turned around to get into Systembolaget...and it was empty. Closed at 1500...it's now something like 1410, maybe later. Oh well; I had been informed that there would be "wine, beer and whiskey", so nothing lacking there. Plus, I had my darling lavender plant.

I went into the overwhelmingly busy T-bana station, and hopelessly poked at a kiosk in English first, then in Swedish, somehow deluded that the information I wanted might have been withheld from those seeking in English. Having incredibly cleverly read the map, I knew I needed a zone ticket, and it would offer me many tickets that I'm now almost positive I could have absolutely used, but you never know with transportation systems. But it would not show any zone tickets!

Finally I asked the woman at the counter, and she sent me to the Newpaper Store for cheaper tickets-thank you. They gave me 8 tickets (120 SEK) and told me it would take four to get there, four to come back. I went to the counter, beaming with pride, and gave her four tickets. She asked me if I was just one, and stamped two tickets. So....I looked at all the signs a million times, and didn't see any of the three words I needed....so I politely asked a security guard, and she told me to go down, go up, and go straight, and that's where the commuter rail was. Great, thanks.

So I went down, up, and straight, finally seeing the word for commuter train, and...went through the departing gates. So I just wasted 30 SEK for a T-bana ride I didn't go on. Anyways, I kept walking and got to...another area full of words that were not the two stations I was looking for. So, with great insightful powers I walked on, finally seeing at least one of the words I wanted--Bålsta, the end of the line I wanted. Kungsängen is another stop, but Emma, knowing that some trains went to Bålsta and some just to Kungsängen, two stops earlier but also correct, noted both, so I just said Bålsta and gave her four tickets. She asked for two more, since it's six to get to Bålsta. After she had stamped my last two and I had walked through the gates, I realized my wasteful mistake, but whatever. As I waited for the train's arriving platform to be announce, I noticed that the train right before it was marked for platform 14....across the tracks to the right. If MY train was on platform 13 or something, I was seriously considering jumping the tracks, since I was on platform 15/16. Mercifully, it came in at 16. The time is now 1658. I was asked to be there between 1630 and 1700...and although I was sure they would understand, I didn't want to be rude, and felt bad. Oh, and I later found out...it should be 3 tickets to get there. Damn....but worth the crazy experience...and now I know what NOT to do.
The ride was nice, and quicker than I thought. I then followed the great map Emma gave me, and arrived at their wonderful little suburban house, with this great backyard and a big trampoline. I was offered a drink, accepted a beer, and met Magnus' sambol, which does not translate well, or exist in such a way that we would create a word for it. It is widespread in Europe, and somehow at Plimoth Plantation--we used to say partner but now that tends to have a homosexual connotation in most situations, so "mother of my children" or something like that will do, although it doesn't do it justice. And a younger man from England whose name I also can't remember, even though there were not that was the lot of us! I've developed this semi-selfish habit of repeating my name so that people don't get it wrong (which they so often do), and that usually replaces me listening to their name in a way that I would remember it.
Anyway, we sat outside in the beautiful evening sun--even though it was something like 1745 by the time I got there, the sun was still high in the sky...I don't see why anyone would ever be inside with such long days! We listened to the neighbors with their kareoke machine, and waited for Karl Olaf, one of the writers for Vasa I, the book, and a praktikant of sorts years ago, working with and for the excavators and archeologists whom raised the ship!

For appetizers, we had the amazing pork with the ridiculously crispy skin we had tried at the Saluhall, artichoke hearts wrapped in proscuitto that Magnus had brought, which I can't believe I had never heard of, because I'm currently obsessed, and some of the last batch of Hunter's Sausage Fred's father had made before he passed away. It was beautiful in look and flavor; it was delicately flavored but hearty and just wonderful! I'm honored that we were able to try it.

We started the grill, and the first course was reindeer, which apparently is not great on the grill, so it was wrapped in tin foil. The first piece was just a bit rare, in that perfect way, and was amazing! With it we had chickpeas in what I took to be an Indian or Middle Eastern sauce, potatoes with a traditional Swedish sauce (plus a little extra garlic, yum!), and there were radishes and a few other delicious things. But the reindeer was really something else!
Next, Thai-marinated kebobs, and THEN, if you can believe it, some amazing beef that had been aged 3 weeks or so, and cooked very, very lightly by our Chef Fred on the grill. So rare, so good! But I will profess that the reindeer was really it for me.

And what wonderful conversation all night! I won't trivialize it by trying to paraphrase, but when you have so many interesting--and interested--minds around a table, there's never a moment of silence or a lacking conversation. It was just perfect.

More wine, more wine, and then a lemon tart that Emma says was half the size it was supposed to be...but judging by the fact that when we were done there it was 100% smaller than it used to be, I'd say it turned out pretty darn well. Coffee, tea, more wine, more conversation. Mostly in English, which I'm eternally grateful for, but some Swedish, which I felt I understood more and more the more wine I drank. I promise I didn't understand a thing.

At midnight we realized the last train was at 0024, and we piled into the car for Emma to drive us to the station. I was paid for, which I appreciate greatly, and we took the train back to the Centralen stop, Karl Olaf getting off earlier, Magnus staying on to get to his flat in Södermalm. We had a really interesting conversation about flags and national pride and all that, stemming from Magnus' comment about how visiting Americans were confused and complained that they couldn't find a translation for Americans--how silly of the exhibit designers to have supposed that a British flag might universally indicate an English translation.

Anyways, I was escorted back to the Karlaplan stop, constituting my first T-bana ride, and I walked home to my little ship, read a little and fell asleep!



I woke up refreshed and read for a bit in my cabin, since it was gross outside AGAIN. But once I saw the sunlight reflecting off the water onto the ceiling (right, ok) of my cabin, I put on some real clothes and headed out! I debated all sorts of things to do, and decided for suresies this time to GO TO GAMLA STAN. As I was leaving one of the little tourboats was pulling up to its station right next to my home, sweet home, and I rushed to get there...and then couldn't figure out if this one really went to Gamla Stan or not, and decided it wasn't really worth the 40 SEK one way. I can hear Fred saying, GET THE 30 DAY PASS ALREADY. But I walked, wearing far more sensible shoes this time.

On my way, I happened upon a little book stand in the middle of a park, which you can guess I couldn't resist. I chose two books, one which will remain a secret, for 30 SEK and a book about traditional costume (wow!) for 100 SEK. I ended up paying 110 SEK somehow, and the guy seemed to be upset about it, but he gave the change, whatever. So, idiot with two books to carry around all day, but it's worth it.

Upon reaching Gamla Stan, I walked up the hill to one of the entrances of the Castle, and heard people cheering....which turned out to be people alternately cheering and booing...and it was some sort of rally, for USS or SSU or something....something about jobbs.

So....I kept walking, in sort of circles for a bit. I walked through a little squre and happened upon the Goodwill-like store I had been looking for, but, like most stores, it was closed--söndag. I thought about eating at one of the places there, but there were so many people, and blah blah blah. And thank goodness I kept walking, because I found the most wonderful Cafe!! There was no one sitting outside, but tons of people inside, and I walked in and looked at what they had to offer, and yum yum yum! I ordered coffee and a mozzerella tomatpaj, which is mozz and tomato quiche. I hope he didn't see the look of surprise on my face when he said 75 SEK, but it looked worth it. And when they put it down in front of me, boy howdy was it. Not only this HUGE slice of amazing quiche, not all eggy like you get in America, but two slices of warm bread with butter (and a wooden butter spreader, YES Sweden) and a great salad! I ate and checked out my new exciting Swedish-language traditional costume book. Oh, and I tried some Saffron Honey that was very good, but what do you use slightly savory honey for? I guess it would be good on toast...but I didn't buy.

For everyone's edification, seriously, if you're ever in Stockholm, go to this place. Gamla Stan is worth seeing, anyways, and I hope this guy has tons of business. It's a tiny little place, part of a stable built in 1480!! It's called Coffee and Other Things, as he translated it, I believe that's Kaffee och Andre something....K&A is what the window says. And on the door it says Skeppscafe--Ship Cafe! Yay! But they were very nice and the food was just awesome. There were something like 5 different tables of different sizes with various seating arrangements and kinds of chairs. It's at Österlånggatan 9, which is the name of the street it's on in Gamla Stan, and the number it's located at, of course. It's right next to this little walkway out to the eastern shore of GS.

I just wandered around and around for the afternoon, realizing how lucky I was to have stumbled upon that dear little place, since I ended up on this miserable, awful street that must have been Västerlånggatan. It's the tourist trap, that extends back to the mainland, through the Parliament buildings, and up, up, up....all awful touristy stores (that I totally looked in for silly things to buy for people, I cannot tell a lie) and big chains once you get to the mainland. Österlånggatan, the first street, was all sorts of wonderful little shoppies, like Stonington Borough...and Västerlånggatan was like Ye Olde Mistick Village.

But I was just in a walking mood all day, so I continued on Drottninggatan, which is that gross continuation of V.gatan, and after a few blocks came to that DAMNED PLAZA I CAN'T ESCAPE! But I kept walking until I got to a park, walked right two blocks or so, and walked back in a parallel direction on Sveavägen, since I was only partially sure where I was. I got to the big circular fountain that I mentioned before, and went to a few different H & Ms, Topshop and Åhlens...all sort of the same. Nothing exciting, except a pair of really neat green pants I totally should have bought but they were just...not right. The pleats would have really upset Rebecca.

Anyways, I just kind of walked home after that, nothing terribly exciting, except that boat that I love, the Matilda, had a very handsome young man working on it. We'll probably get married and live on that boat forever, I can't wait.

And now it is 2045, and Fred is going to be on the show Filip och Fredrich tonight at 2100!! it's a very famous comedy show here, I get the idea that they're pretty famous; icons for the bored and hip. He's interviewing Zach Braff about his trip to the Vasamuseet, how random is that? Fred hates F&F. When I checked them out online, they didn't seem very funny, and everyone at his BBQ last night concurred. We discussed it as a sort of post-comedy, funny-for-being-dumb-and-awkward sort of show. But I can't wait! I don't think the TV gets that channel, but I'm going to go grab my last Pripps Blå and keep trying....then, do what? I'm not sure, since I don't have any more books!!!
Seriously...send me some books.

Wish me luck with the TV!