Blog 17 - Stockholm Syndrome
Okay then, I think it's Thursday, and I think we are in Boston Massachusetts. I'm at the end of a 7 hour driving day which took us from the very pretty Thousand Islands on the US Canadian border to here.
Truth is, I'm exhausted. We all are. Where the kids have been thinking more and more about Term 3, catching up with friends, seeing their beloved and much missed dogs, Renae and I have been actively fighting the fanciful notion that this adventure would ever end. Even Jess prefaces comments about home with "don't get upset dad, but...".
But it took flying from Helsinki into the exuberance and enormity of New York, of lugging luggage up and down subway stairs, of carrying Billie (who is now mercifully cast-free but still adjusting to land legs) around the Big Apple, of settling into accommodation #85 in country #25, and frankly of Renae and I getting on each other's nerves once too often, to realise that it is time to come home. We kicked against the homesickness, the money (and lack of) and the ever increasing fatigue, but eventually - inevitably - it overwhelmed us all.
It may have happened earlier, but for one small thing (well, not so small). That thing was called Scandinavia.
DENMARK:
We caught the overnight train from a litter-ridden Amsterdam station through to Copenhagen, stopping at an obscure German border town whilst police cleansed the train of 14 stowaway illegal immigrants. I think we stopped at Hamburg too, but I slept through that. The cabin was nice, cramped, and we monstered a polite but slightly uptight young Swedish couple out of the shared couchette with our brash Australian-ness. (Actually there was a free cabin next door, but I don't think they were heartbroken to get away!)
Copenhagen emerged from the dingy outskirts as a pretty little story book town, as I kind of thought it would, and the taxi to the house showed off the terrific way you can integrate shops, houses and parkland so none of it looks clunky and tacked on.
We stayed in a beautiful little street in a beautiful little area. The houses all looked the same but different and the clear sense of community was apparent in the shared barbecues, sandpits and benches that lined the streets. These were clearly put out by the house owners on the understanding that they were for public use. It would be a fantastic place to live and raise a family.
But the rumours are true. Denmark (and while we are at it, Sweden and Norway particularly) are expensive. My first AU$8.00 coffee confirmed that and nothing disproved it later on. Prices appear astronomical due to the fact that AU$1.00 equals 5 Danish Kroner, but even converting it didn't help ("Oh the sandwich is 90 kroner, but when you change that to Australian dollars, it's...actually it's still rather expensive isn't it?")
But the top three things that made this place eternally memorable are as follows:
1) Renae and I had the remarkable good fortune to dine at the #1 restaurant in the world, Noma. We reserved tickets three months earlier (they open the bookings on the first of the month, and reservations for the month pretty much book out in 30 minutes) and got a lunch spot. Graham, my work collegue who we stayed with in Copenhagen and later in Finland, babysat the kids while Renae (in her Danish designed shoes) and I (in my...er...clothes) rocked up to a fairly unassuming address on the waterfront.
They immediately made us feel comfortable and welcome, even telling us to relax. Clearly I must have looked as though I was there for a colonoscopy. The waiters were friendly and interested in our story (a couple of Aussies on the staff!). Many were interns getting the work experience of a lifetime.
But it was about the food and drink. The food is all local to Denmark/Sweden area, much of it is foraged and clearly came from the Wonkalike experimental kitchen on site (that we later saw). So we were eating tips of trees, moss, ants, seaweed, codfish roe and sperm...salivating yet? Okay maybe not, but the combinations, the textures, the different temperatures and the sheer beauty and artistry of what is created make the whole thing an unforgettable dining experience. Oh my god I've turned into an ad.
After the meal, we had the chance to go behind the scenes to see the kitchen in action doing mise en place for the dinner session, we saw the "high roller" room where obscenely rich people get special treatment and a Copenhagen harbour view. We also met the forager, saw the magical white board of new ideas, and finally, met the owner and head chef Rene Redzepi.
The ethic of the place, the organic and sustainable quality of the food, the use of the whole of the product, be it animal of vegetable, is quietly inspirational. My wallet stung, but my heart soared a little higher after the meal.
2) But of course, it was all about the Eurovision Song Contest! The streets were awash with "Join Us" posters, the motto of the 2014 contest (which is a little creepy when you think about it...a bit zombieish). And there were thousands of men, women, children and (naturally, given the outcome) "undefined" in team colours. Flags of participating countries were everywhere. It was a bit like a Gay World Cup.
We had tickets to the Jury Final, which was the final they showed to all the juries from other countries (it's 50% jury voted). And so the four of us, Graham and his family and two other friends from Australia braved the absolutely miserable weather to the stadium. We had our teams, having bought the CD and researched our favourites: Renae was on Norway, I was Sweden, Billie had Germany and Jessie picked the eventual winner Austria. Graham's wife Sari is Finnish, so we all had a sentimental spot for them too...and their song was good, so that helped.
It was a great show. We had a spot where the acts walked on and off, so we could watch them do their pre-show routines (prayers and deep introspection seemed to be commonest). As it was also in real time as a dry run for the televised show, we watched the simply amazing efforts of the stage crew changing sets and props, all in a 30second window. Was worth it just for that.
In short, another massive highlight. Some of you now will see me in a different light after outing myself as a Eurovision tragic. But there you go.
3) not so much a highlight, but as I stood chatting in the square where Princess Mary lives, hearing the shrieking of a child in the distance and saying "Gee I'm glad that's not my kid screaming", and then realising that it was my child...
So an ambulance ride, eight hours in emergency, several X-rays and CT scans later, Billie clomps out with a broken foot from falling off a bike. Probably our only speed bump on the trip, but saved in so many ways by the caring, (generally) efficient and COMPLETELY FREE medical care she received in Copenhagen, then Oslo (where the cast was reset) and finally Helsinki (where it was removed). They even gave her a toy polar bear for God's sake. Didn't even need to submit a claim to our travel insurance company. So Billie's next post may well be "Scandinavia From Dad's Shoulders". And Mary didn't even offer us a cup of tea...
SWEDEN
Over the Oresund Bridge we went, into Sweden. We stayed in a place called Lomma on the coast. It was an airbnb where the house was at the back of the hosts' house. It was a nice house to stay in - typical red wooden barn like thing, as with practically every house in Scandinavia. A first for us, we had the great fortune to have Wendy, Peter and their kids as our hosts, and over several bottles of wine and a great meal of meatballs at their house, they shared their views and perspectives on life in Sweden. We were grateful to have such generous hosts, and for their personal insights. And we were immediately convinced. But more of that later...
We visited a Scandinavian wildlife park and dodged the raucous school groups to see some pretty cool animals. Jessie was even lucky enough to pat a moose! (Right place, right time. I don't think they are overly friendly!). We also spent a day in nearby Lund, where there was a cool astrological clock where you could work out the day you were born. It was like the Prague astrological clock, only without the 5000 tourists wielding mobile phones and iPads.
Whilst we didn't explore the far north of Sweden, we did have a chance to see a bit of the countryside including Gothenburg, Västeras (an hour out of Stockholm) and we stayed in a church just over from the Norwegian border slap bang in the middle of nowhere. We just looked at the lakes and the trees and listened to the birds that occasionally punctuated the immense stillness. That was pretty nice.
But for me, it was all about Stockholm. We arrived and it was like the sun came out. We stayed in possibly the nicest airbnb apartment so far in the trip in a cool part of the city. All around us were old buildings, clear lakes and a bright, sparkling harbour. It was storybook beautiful.
There was a lot to see and do and we didn't waste much time. We checked out the ABBA museum which was great full of genuine memorabilia and cool interactive stuff and audio guides by the band themselves. Being Renae's first ever concert, (Myer Music Bowl '76) she loved it. I'd say I loved it too, but fresh from the revelation that I'm a Eurovision fan, that may be too much for many.
The girls and I visited the Nobel Museum and I was amazed by a) how much stuff the girls remembered and b) how much they enjoyed it. (I really should stop being so surprised). We also went to see the Vasa museum. The Vasa was a ship that set sail from Stockholm harbour on its maiden voyage, travelled 1.5km and then sank ingloriously. It's been pulled from the depths pretty much intact and it's impressive to look at.
We swam in the lake one night and watched the sun think about setting. It was freezing but rejuvenating after days spent sightseeing.
Can't speak more highly of Stockholm. My favourite city to date.
NORWAY
As with Denmark, we just visited the capital city of Norway and wound our way up a ridiculously large hill on Oslo's fringe to our accommodation (airbnb again). We arrived to brilliant sunshine and our flat overlooked the whole of Oslo, fjords and surrounding mountains. We've seen some remarkable things on the trip, but this was without doubt the most amazing view from any accommodation. Several nights, we just sat on the balcony after cooking a meal and watched the sun go down, the sky ablaze with colours you simply don't see very often, and the lights sparkle over Oslo. Sunset was about 10pm, and it was even later in Finland, completely messing with our circadian rhythms and body clocks!
We visited Holmenkollen, the largest metal ski jump in the world built specially for the recent Winter Olympics. We took a cruise on the fjord. I popped off to look at The Scream at the Edvard Munch museum. Probably the most interesting thing was that we were there on Norway's national day. We woke to brass bands blarting up from the school below us, every house (and I mean every house) had a Norwegian flag flying either on a flag pole or from their front door. And kids and adults were dressed in national dress which fluctuated from the adorable to the downright embarrassing. Wandering into the city we watched the parade of school kids waving their flags, singing and playing instruments. The scary bit? Most of them looked like they wanted to be there! It made our Aussie hats and thongs and a bit of Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi on Australia Day look a bit lame.
Oh and we saw the crazy cool statues at the Vigeland park...and tried to replicate them.
Norway was also expensive. Shops generally aren't open on Sundays, and Norway, like other Scandinavian countries, have one shop chain only where you can buy wine. It's called Wine Monopoly...and it's a wine monopoly. If you want wine and it's closed, you're out of luck. Of course beer is not alcoholic (?????) and seems to be available everywhere from 7Eleven to coin laundries (okay maybe not, but you get the picture).
But the people were extremely friendly, and they win my vote for best flag. Just sayin'...
FINLAND
We caught the ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki. It was a remarkably cheap price for a four person cabin, which in no way reflected on the quality of the trip. It was fantastic. The nighttime buffet, all you can eat including wine and beer, was so good I actually thought through my meal strategically so as to maximise the seafood on offer (there was at least five types of caviar!). But there was a fairly dire cover band playing Lady in Red and Brown Girl in the Rain (la la la la la...apparently not a Wiggles song) around midnight. Whilst I totally understand how Swedes and Finns would turn the overnight ferry into a weekend getaway, I couldn't help but wonder about the bandmembers - do they just go back and forth? Do they fall asleep at night (well, in the morning) thinking they'd hit the big time?
Anyway, we disembarked at Helsinki and was aware of the slightly harsher buildings, more road works, and just a little less polish than the other capitals. It was a nice change actually. Our hotel was in the precinct of Töölö (Finns love an umlaut or seven) and was comfortable.
Knowing we were returning to Helsinki we didn't go too hard. We still had Billie on crutches so our pace was pretty much her pace (or mine when she was on my shoulders...which was always). We went to the nearby island of Suomenlinna, which was used during the War as a fortress. There were mazes of tunnels, and they built bunkers and covered them in earth. Now it looks a bit like Middle Earth.
We shopped a bit, had a few "do nothing" days. The kids' homework has effectively dried up to a trickle, partly because we have run out of exercises for them and partly because we are back in structureless mode. It's a strange yet obvious lesson to learn. Life without structure is sheer anarchy and it's something, strangely, that I'm looking forward to when I get home.
By far our highlight of Finland was reconnecting with Graham, Sari and Katarina and making the drive up to their house on the lake, about three hours from Helsinki.
The whole place was simply stunning. We fished (overall fairly unsuccessfully), we read and relaxed. I was charged to help Graham with making some log chairs and do some stone tiling. Had I been charged to hinder him, I would have fulfilled the brief. The girls, aside from having a bit of a girl crush on Kat, loved going out on the boat and just exploring. Jessie said she could live in Finland. That's high praise!
Sari organised a small do at her sister's farm for Billie's birthday. She got to ride and groom their horse, and even had their little girl to play with. We finished her birthday with Quattro Formaggi pizza, so she was happy. That made our four birthdays in four different countries: Ireland (me), England (Renae), Italy (Jess) and now Finland.
And of course, we saunaed. Every Finn seems to have a sauna, and the sauna culture is one I could happily get used to. There was nothing like sweltering in a sauna then throwing yourself into an icy lake. And no neighbours nearby, so screaming with cold seemed fairly acceptable (though a bit wussy)!
What we struggled with was the approach of midsummer. At the lake it was the furthest north we'd been on the trip, and basically, it never got dark. Sunset, such as it was, was about 11pm, and the sun rose again a few hours later. Strangely, we didn't cope at all well with this. Kids went to bed late and woke up like moody teenagers. It felt like jet lag, but to be honest, I could cope with that over midwinter, with its eternal claustrophobic dark.
After a night in Lahti (their home town for the time being) we said farewell to Graham and family and headed back to helsinki for our last stop on European soil. The two main things were the removal of Billies cast (thank God) and the most delicious meal we've eaten on the trip (last night...typical!). It was reindeer. Judge me if you must, but it was without doubt the most tender meat I've ever eaten.
Finland was great. Interestingly, where you could (broadly and probably unfairly) bunch Sweden, Denmark and Norway together, Finland felt a bit like the odd one out - the black sheep. It's Euros instead of Kroner, the language is vastly different, even the architecture seemed more "bloc"-like. And I'm sensing the Finns wouldn't want it any other way!
We flew out of Europe just over nine months after entering. Now I'm writing from a city steeped in amazing history...but with over 300 Dunkin Donuts in it.
I fell in love with Scandinavia, and particularly Sweden and Stockholm. The region aligns with my own personal values - how they treat their aged, their education system, their sense of social welfare and their understanding and encouragement of striking a balance in your work and life. They pay high taxes, sure, but they get it. They see the long term benefits and bigger picture, rather than small scale petty political point scoring, which I sense is what we will be flying back into when we return.
I wanted and needed this trip to mean something and for me to walk away from it with an idea of what I want to change (and retain) in my own life. If people ask me where my epiphany, my "aha" moment was, I'll say Scandinavia. If they ask where was your favourite place on the trip...I'll most probably also say Scandinavia.
Not long now. See you soon from the Carolin-Vandenbergs.
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