Stockholm and Göteborg

Oh well, now please keep in mind that as I am writing this blog I’m going through some challenging things that I might explain in a bit.

As far as Stockholm is concerned, well I was there three weeks ago for almost four days and honestly I did not appreciate the city. It was my first time in one of the Scandinavian countries and Stockholm really didn’t do it for me. Also in part because I was kind of sick when I got here. I didn’t really hv a lot of energy to walk around, explore the city and socialise in the hostel. Yet I did end up doing two walking tours of Östermalm and Söldermalm. They were pretty interesting. The guide was good and quick witted however since he was doing both of the tours there was a lot of overlapping info. I suggest to do one guided tour of maybe the former island and do the hipster island just by walking around.

My first impression of Swedish people in Stockholm wasn’t very fun. They seem too uptight (serré du cul) and just very stoic. Plus the service in restaurants is almost self - service even if you are doing lunch or dinner. Apparently they believe that no one is better than anyone else and hence the waiters / waitresses treat you like shit. But hey, don’t worry they treat everyone like shit so it’s not about racism. Don’t get me wrong, Stockholm is a very pretty city that has loads to offer, but it’s the people that I find detestable. For example, the vasa museum is pretty and has such an interesting story. I love how they built the museum around the 17th century sunken ship which one day floated in the harbour almost on its own. Gamla stan is picturesque and the different islands in the city are cute. The archipelago is alright, I prefer Goteborg archipelago because it’s much more raw and less commercial. The river front is very scenic, second to none.

One of the nights I just went out for a walk near the hostel with some friends I made there. I heard salsa music and walked over to the bar. Well, if you know me, you know that I am a sucker for Latin dances and can’t stop myself from being curious about salsa in Stockholm. So I went to the bar and I kid you not, there was not a single swede in there ! It was a Colombian scene in the middle of the city, without any swedes. I personally regard dance to be a cultural experience and a way to explore people from different backgrounds. It was a shock to me when I saw no swedes in there, it felt like they are ignorant of other cultures.

This view of mine changes when I went to Göteborg. It’s more of people friendly, relaxed and not as expensive as Stockholm. People actually talk to each other there. I had a friend that I met in Krakow who is from Goteborg and that’s how I decided to go there before heading to Norway. So basically I took a Flixbus from Copenhagen to Goteborg and guess what ? I forgot my bag in the flixbus 😭 just 5 mins later I realised and ran back tot the terminal but the bus had already left 😭 so I went to the police station, filed a complaint. The police is so sweet they wer very supportive but at the end they said that theee is not much they can do for me. Well then, close down the fucking police station if you can’t help your public in détresse. I checked in the hostel at about 1 am and took a shower and crashed in the bed. The next day, I called the Flixbus and they told me to wait for their lost and found team to get in contact with me which could take anywhere between 7-15 working days! After the incident, I was kind of relieved to hv my French friend Antoine that I met in Copenhagen here in Goteborg. It felt like I wasn’t alone and that maybe it’s manageable. We even ended up having some fun and for a minute there I did stop crying over the forgotten bag. But then, the next day, he had to carry on his journey to Oslo and I said goodbye at the bus station.

I felt a void inside of me at that point and it all came crashing down. I literally sat near the river and cried for like an hour over my mistake. I kind of blame my mum and sister for this. I was on the phone with then resolving their conflicts when I realised that I had actually forgotten my bag in the bus. Ofc, I haven’t told this to them yet maybe one day I will when it won’t be a big deal anymore. So, because of this shit show I decide to stay in Goteborg in the hope of hearing from Flixbus soon. I tried to take my mind off of it by visiting the city but in the back of my mind I couldn’t help but feel stupid and guilty. I literally did not get a single good nights sleep when I was there. I kept on dreaming of how I could find my bag. But by the third day I think the pain reduced and I started actually enjoying the city and did some second hand shopping which is such good quality and cheap. I really recommend. I went to liseberg the amusement park and went on rollercoasters and other rides. It made me feel alive and I did appreciate the value of my life which does not boil down to one lost bag. Even though it had my work laptop, electric tooth brush, awesome denim jacket, 3 new dresses from Zakopane and oh yeah 200€. I did a ride called helix and man oh man I’ve done so many rollercoasters in my life, but this one, it scared the shit out of me. It goes super fast and twists and twirls for what felt like an eternity (1 min I think). After this one, I felt a bit scared to go on the others, but then I thought to myself that I don’t hv anything to lose anyway so might as well. I did all of them and none come even close to Helix not even the 90degree drop. After one full day the park, I came back tot eh sauna in my hostel and winded down the tensions.

The next days I went for a hike in the Skottskogens park, went to the museums, did a tour of the archipelago, did a walking tour, toiled aground the city, went partying with my Swedish friend from krakow and honestly just had a good time. I really liked Goteborg. But my oh my, it’s one hell of a hilly city ! After spending a week there I feel like my calves are made of stone concrete 😂 I will definitely go back and not forget my bag this time I hope.

After spending a week in Goteborg, I decided to move on with my life and forget about the bag. I went to Oslo and had the time of my life at the saunas and in the city in general. Even though I didn’t go partying, I slept like a baby in Oslo hostel after intense sauna sessions. One morning I wake up and see that my washed under that I hung to dry was gone.

Someone stole my knickers !!もっと詳しく