Stockholm Story

From Malmo, I had a nice train trip to Stockholm where I got a T-bahn to my hotel. As they promised it took 15 minutes exactly to get to the right station, though another 10 minutes walk to the hotel. However, I stopped off at a little sushi bar to avail of a lunchtime special (9 pieces, miso and a coffee for around seven euro, or 6.5 kroner). Very nice it was too.

This business of kroner though is painful; why couldn't they have voted in the euro like sensible Europeans. I won't go into my feelings on the matter too much - I am aware I'll come across as naive - but I don't really think countries should have had a choice in the matter. The EEC is the European Economic Community. You can't get more economic than currency. By all means leave the laws, traditions and languages alone, but we should be acting like a United States of Europe if we are going to compete properly with the other United States (and everywhere else for that matter), and that means a common currency. Anyway I hate this business of currency conversion.

The hotel is situated in a very suburban district. Very nice area though all the houses are similarly coloured and shops are indiscriminately mixed among them in the same type of buildings.

Tonight I went into the city to investigate a little. It looks good. First thing I saw (after I got my ticket for Oslo on Monday) was the O'Leary Sports Bar. I kid you not. Going on I found a shopping/restaurant area with first Sheehan's Pub and then right next door, The Foggy Dew. Well, The Foggy Dew, I couldn't resist. I went in and ordered the lamb shank, mash and Carlsberg meal. I suppose I was due my comeuppance for the monstrous meal of last night, but I certainly got it tonight. The Carlsberg was tangy, something that would not happen in Germany (though all too often in Ireland). Then they brought out the lamb shank. I nearly laughed out loud. It must have come from a sheep foetus it was so small. Truly I have never in my entire life seen a piece of meat intended for a meal, so small. I tried to make do with the mash all the while thinking of the hot dog stand I had passed down the road (sure enough I got one later). The pub itself was lively enough, however, I had noticed that Altman's new movie, "A Prairie Home Companion", was playing nearby, so I went on to that.

It's the first time I have seen chocolate sold cheaper in the cinema than the local shops. It was a very impressive cinema too. (My time is running out on this, so I'd better go). Suffice to say the movie was Altman's best for a long time though I have mixed feelings about him in general.

One dubious thing in Vienna was a teenager talking in reverential tones about Chuck Norris. I had just seen packed bars and a lot evidence of a good social scene, when I overheard that and it made me wonder. Nothing like that here. A guy with a lisp on the train (the quintessential movie nerd, kind of like me) talked about Adam Sandler not so reverentially, even breaking into an English trailer spiel ("An Adam Sandler was a top executive..."). Of course, the Swedes all speak English, but what is strange is that even some of their ads (particularly ones to do with English speaking countries) use English when appropriate. It's taken for granted that it'll be understood.

I am continuing this on Saturday morning and I just thought I'd mention that a deer ran past my window as I ate breakfast. Yes, it's that kind of place, very sunny (though the temperature has definitely dipped), peaceful, green and pretty. The hotel is by and large pleasant too, though with a touch of Fawlty Towers. The lift stops either a step too high or too low so you have to watch getting in and leaving. The bathroom is a slight step up, so you have to watch that too. The bed has been modified to mimic Donald Duck whenever you turn over. And last night the smell of ammonia (or that morning's breakfast eggs) wafted up from the sink. The staff are functional bordering on the gruff, but honestly it somehow all transcends this to be pleasant.

I walked into the nearby town of Aspudden this morning. Really, really nice, although would I be saying that in winter. House prices are reasonable, although everyone lives in an apartment. All one bed appartments are at most 100,000 euro and some a deal cheaper. Large three beds can be as low as 180,00, but it does go up to the mid to late 200000's.

There is an election going on here now and some political speechifying was going on in the main square when I came out of the station. There is a ghost abroad in Europe. By and large, I believe Sweden to be fairly moderate.