Surfing in the city

Near the city center of Munich is a huge park called the English Garden, and as the Sunday morning weather was beautiful we decided to take a stroll. Imagine my surprise when we passed a huge, open, grassy area and Rosie informed me that it is a place to sunbathe in the nude. There were already a number of people sprawled on the grass in full view of any passerby who wished to look. I don't ever remember being in a city center which allowed nudity.

The park however had another surprise feature. At one point, the river Isar which begins in Austria and has an extremely strong current, rushes out from a low stone bridge and hits underwater boulders causing powerful waves, one after the other. At their own risk, a group of surfers have made these waves their challenge, and unlike riding one wave in as they do at the beach, they surf quickly back and forth between two stone walls without hesitating as each wave is quickly replaced by another. I am sure it is an adrenalin rush, but it has proven deadly for some, and local surfers tell beginners to go find some other way to kill themselves.

A night on the rails

My day in Copenhagen was spent browsing along the Ströget and eating at one of the many outdoor restaurants in Nyhavn. Thirty some years ago the Ströget was classy and Nyhavn was the sailors haunt where they could get a tatoo and a drink. Today the rolls are reversed; stretches of the Ströget were full of cheap stores, while Nyhavn is trendy and chic with hardly any tatoo parlors.

Come evening it was time to take the overnight train to Munich, and I had reserved a couchette in a compartment for 6 people. As I was alone in the compartment for the first 2 hours, I laid out my sheet, pillow, and blanket on the bottom of the three berths, but at the next stop three 30-something people got on and with German precision informed me that my place was in the top bunk. I politely suggested that as they were younger maybe one of them could take the top bunk, but they were quite adamant and I had to climb the ladder to the top!

It is a strange feeling speeding through the darkness, and one man snored so it wasn't exactly a peaceful night. However, I survived and was met by my friend at the main railway station in Munich.

Late summer in Sweden

The end of August in Sweden means time to eat Kräftor (crayfish) and of course drink snaps. It involves a lot of loud sucking to retrieve every little morsel, and it is quite definitely messy but oh so good! I will try and find a photo to add but as tomorrow is my last day in Sweden it might be difficult. I missed my chance for a photo when we ate them, but I will blame that on the snaps.

My last two days have been spent in the south of Sweden known as Skåne - I hope you have all been noticing the letters Å, Ä, and Ö in my blog. These are three extra letters with very peculiar sounds which I have on the keyboard of my friends laptop, and which make for an interesting typing experience.

Friday I take the train over to Copenhagen and then on to Munich.

On my way

After a slightly delayed flight I have arrived in Stockholm, Sweden. Having lived and worked here between 1965 and 1975, it feels a little like coming home, and the amazing thing is that after more than 30 years I am still fluent in Swedish.

I am staying with old friends and enjoying get-togethers with other friends, so we have already had two nights of dining and drinking the Swedish way. This means sill(herring), new potatoes, hard bread with cheese and of course bränvin(schnaps), not to mention a wonderful veal roast with murklor(a type of mushroom)sauce.

This is my third trip back over the last 30 years and Stockholm has changed significantly. However, it is still an extremely beautiful city which one can always feel comfortable in as everyone speaks excellent english. In a couple of days we are driving down to Skåne which is the southern part of Sweden, as my friends have a small house there and it is the perfect jumping off point for the next leg of my journey.

Sweating the details

As I leave on August 19th it is time for the small details. Let your credit card company know that you will be traveling, that way they don't suspect that your card has been stolen when you purchase extravagant souvenirs. Make a list of your card and passport numbers, and the phone numbers to call if you lose them - then keep it separately in a safe place. Leave your itinerary with a relative or friend. Check that your travel alarm has a fresh battery - the last thing you need is to miss a train or flight! Make sure you have a travel adapter set if you need to recharge your phone or Ipod, a great one is included with the purchase of a Mobal phone.
I am sure I will think of a few other suggestions before I leave, but if so I'll let you know!