Emptying my brain as I wait for my train out of Stockholm: Stockholm Central Station may be the busiest train station I’ve ever been in. It’s ALWAYS packed. Midday, night, forget about evening. I’m quite surprised by this as much larger New York’s 2 stations, as well as those on the European continent, are quite bustling. It’s not a huge city nor is it a hub of international travel. Maybe every Swede takes the train.
Stockholm is among the prettier cities I’ve been to. Not quite in the Prague-Bruges-Venice level, but quite stunning nonetheless. However, Copenhagen is more fun. The Danes were much more outwardly friendly and eager to please. Swedes are cordial and pleasant but harder to engage. And yes, while Swedes in general are quite attractive I did find the Danes more so. Stockholm does beat out its Danish rival when it comes to food. I had fresh haddock that was amazing, delicious lamb sausage and moose steak to die for. I still haven’t had herring, but I have one more day in Sweden and a few in Norway. It’s everywhere on the menu, but the preparation doesn’t appeal to me. How about in a dill cream sauce? Maybe somewhere. Perhaps in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second city. I’m breaking my train journey to Oslo by spending a day there. Supposedly it is not much to look at, very gritty, but also where much of Sweden’s creative energy is. Some people have compared Gothenburg as Brooklyn to Stockholm’s Manhattan. (Although Brooklyn is the bigger one) In my frame of mind it will be more Gothenburg is Baltimore to Stockholm’s Washington. The latter being the national capital after all, and a little bigger nowadays. So maybe I will love that gritty city and wish I could live there!
As I sit in a (GASP) Starbucks in Gothenburg Station waiting for the train to Oslo because it is the only place where I can charge my iPad, it seems like a good time to empty my brain. Gothenburg is the feisty, earthy, attractive but not gorgeous little sister to the Queen of the Prom Stockholm. It is Jan to Stockholm’s Marcia. However it is in the middle of a major upswing. The downtown and Haga district are quite charming with lovely architecture, but the rest of the city is under a huge construction boom, redeveloping outside neighborhoods and gritty waterfront, There is a creative vibrancy not felt in the capital. It is also surprisingly diverse, much more so than Stockholm, but not quite as much as Copenhagen. The best coffee on the trip so far has been here (not Starbucks). I wonder what this city will look like in 5 years. Maybe she will be the still not AS pretty but much more interesting sister.
So now I am off to Norway, my final Scandinavian country. Apparently they had an epic storm that caused landslides to close off certain railways. Considering I need one of those railways to see the fjords and fly home, I am a little bit concerned. Today was the first day that the thought of my real life creeped into my psyche and it immediately made me sad. Being so far from my reality has been great for me. I can’t imagine going back. But then, when I travel I can never imagine going back. I am not one of those people who ever misses home. Maybe I will not be able to get to Bergen after all. I will have to stay in Scandinavia. With Copenhagen’s preponderance of English speakers maybe I could live there. Should I pray for more rain?!