Tuesday
I’m in catch-up mode, and for the life of my I can’t remember what I did on Tuesday.
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Travel Planning
Having made the rather rash decision – by my standards – to book a mid-year holiday to Stockholm at around the time of Stockholm Pride, I’ve begun to make some plans, make a few bookings, and generally look around for interesting things to do.
I have booked a small studio apartment in a building that’s about to open – I think it opens tomorrow – about ten minutes by the Tunnelbana (metro) from the centre of Stockholm. As it’s a new apartment, I’m sure there’ll be a few bugs here and there, but I also assume it’s going to be clean and modern which I think is rather important. While it’s all very good to stay in an historic building, my travel experiences tell me they usually have bad plumbing and no lifts. At the end of a long day, I’d rather some of the creature comforts, even if the building does look a little modern and impersonal. Also on my previous visits I’ve moved around a bit from location to location, so it will be a new experience to “stay put” for a few weeks and to have somewhere to call home.
Obviously I’ve been checking out the Stockholm Pride website to see what’s on this year, though there’s little detail at the moment. That’s not so surprising, though, as my experience from previous years is that it’s often quite late before they announce too many details.
I’ve been checking out some of the summer concert tours, but haven’t found all that much that interests yet. Inevitably I’m sure I’ll go to Allsång på Skansen which usually features a range of popular Swedish performers. The schlager night on Mondays at Victorias on Kungsträdgården is already in my diary as a weekly “must do”. I’ve have beooked a ticket to see Swedish singer, Peter Jöback supported by Cookies N Beans (Swedish bluegrass) which I’m sure will be fun. I’d love to see some of the new performers I’ve discovered over the last few years like Säkert and Bo Kaspers Orkester (and others) and I’m generally keen to discover new stuff though, so if you have any recommendations, I’d really appreciate your thoughts.
I’ve been trying to book to do the Stieg Larsson Millenium Tour, a walking tour which covers the buildings and locations covered in the Millenium series of books but have been experiencing difficulties. In the past I’ve found I’ve been unable to use my Australian credit card for purchasing tickets on some Swedish websites, and I think that’s happening again. I’ll keep trying, because the tour looks wonderful. My friend Grant did the tour in October last year and has some wonderful photographs of what it’s like.
There’s also an ABBA City Walk which recounts many of the places and locations related to ABBA and their career which looks like interesting.
I’m most excited, however, about having booked one of the Stockholm Roof Top Tours.
How cool does this look?
So Much In Such A Small Space
“This is my favourite spot in the whole of Reykjavik,” Jon told me as we looked out towards the lighthouse. Located just a few minutes’ drive from the centre of town, it felt almost as if you were right out in the countryside. “When I was young, you could come here and no one else was around. But now they’ve put in a path, and lots of people come here to walk their dogs,” he added.
Jon is a friend of a friend who has lived in Reykjavik most of his life, aside from a few years spent living in Canada during the early part of the 2000s. He returned to Reykjavik in the mid-2000s, just as Iceland’s massive economic boom was beginning to take off. A few years later, of course, the economic collapse painted a completely different picture. “A lot of people bought big cars during that period,” he said, “and now they have nothing to show for it.” I already knew about the collapse, but I hadn’t known about the wild economic boom that preceded it.
When I first mentioned I was planning to visit Iceland, my friend back in Sydney told me, “Oh, you simply must meet Jon.” She introduced us via email, and we made loose plans to catch up. Sadly, a bereavement in his immediate family meant we had to wait, and it wasn’t until my very final day in town that we finally locked in our plans.
Over the course of a couple of hours, Jon showed me around some of his favourite local haunts. Within minutes of leaving the centre of Reykjavik, I was genuinely surprised to find us exploring seemingly remote areas. “This feels just like parts of the Northern Territory,” I thought to myself as we took in the grand, sweeping landscapes.
“I understand quite a few films have been made in Iceland?” I asked him, mentioning that I’d heard Batman and James Bond movies featured scenes filmed locally.
“You see so much variation in the landscape in such a short space,” he told me, adding, “You would need to drive for hours and hours in parts of North America to see that kind of variation.”
Indeed, he was right. As we drove, we passed large lakes and mountains, spotted snow in the distance, and got a close-up look at boiling water and bubbling mud.
Jon also had some great stories to share from his life, including memories of an early performance on Icelandic television featuring a young, very pregnant Björk wearing skimpy clothing.
“I almost got the sack over that,” he told me with a grin.
It was a truly lovely way to spend my last few hours in Reykjavik. Jon is a genuinely top bloke, and I’m so grateful to my friend for the introduction and to Jon for taking the time out to catch up.
“It would have been nice to have caught up earlier for a beer,” Jon said, but sadly, due to the bereavement in his family, that wasn’t to be.
Hopefully next time, because I certainly think I’d like to return to Iceland at some stage. It’s a great country, packed with incredible sights and the friendliest people.
Second Hand Store
“Oh my goodness, that looks just like something I made in wordwork class thirty-something years ago” was my first reaction when I saw the shell-covered jewellery box in the second hand shop on Oxford Street late yesterday. On closer inspection, I noticed this one displayed a greater level of professionalism (you might say) than might have been evident in the craftsmanship of a 12 year old. Besides, I know THAT particular piece of child-craft (hipsters would love it) remains safely back home in Lismore. I haven’t looked closely at it in over twenty years, though I might do so when I head back home in a couple of weeks.
This particular second hand store on Oxford Street is quite an oddity. Located in the midst of a stretch of bars, restaurants and sex shops, it really stands out. As you enter the doorway, you never really knowing if you’re entering a legitimate shop or maybe the overcrowded house of someone with hoarding instincts. Like the famous overcrowded bookstore in Newtown, you’re never really able to walk very far in the shop without the need to excuse yourself as you pass by someone else. When I popped in there late yesterday for a look around there was just one other. As I left, two others were coming in.
The shop is a wonderful collection of items. Some of it is plain junk, of course. But as I looked around I saw some things I found genuinely very interesting. There’s a painting on the wall, for example, which I asked about, and told the bloke I would come back in over the weekend to purchase. There’s also some lovely old radios in good condition. If you’re ever on Oxford Street, it’s definitely worth a look.
Bon Voyage Tony
We’ve been talking a lot about travel lately. In particular, he’s interested in knowing more about Sweden, as he is considering travel there next year. “I have thousands of tips”, I’ve told him.
My workmate and friend, Tony retired last night, having spent the last twenty-six years presenting Nightlife on ABC Radio. Along with a group of others, I went in to work late last night with champagne and nibbles as he hung up his microphone. It’s not retirement, it’s not farewell, it’s bon voyage.