Sweden 25th – 27th May

My flight to Copenhagen had onboard entertainment in the form of a group of lads who were on there way to a 3-day bucks party. Lee, the groom, was wearing a fetching multi coloured sleeveless summer dress and a very pretty blond wig. Dale, sitting next to me, kept me entertained with a discussion over who discovered Australia (I knew it was Cook but could not remember his first name for the life of me), reasons to visit Australia and what constitutes a Geezer.

Seeing Cas and Hakan again was fantastic and we had a great weekend with another excellent ‘accidental’ tourist discovery.

When I arrived on Friday night we went out to dinner and then had a reasonably early night.

Saturday we started with a trip to the Chocolate Factory Mazetti Chocolate Factory in Malmo – turns out the chocolate factory / museum / café is about the size of a standard living room but was fun all the same and the chocolates delicious!

Chocolate Molds

Chocolate Shop

We then went in search of a castle as I felt my visits to the Nordic countries was very incomplete without a visit to a fairytale castle. On the way to find a castle we stumbled across the most stunning park and ended up stopping there. Despite having asked Hakan about 6 times what the Swedish name for the park was it will now be referred to as the Narnia park. It was so green! There were towering trees, an avenue of which had been trimmed into neat rows. It was filled with beautiful fountains and gorgeous stone sculptures. You could really picture it covered in snow and would have made the perfect setting for the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.

I’ve Googled the name of the park and it’s Pildammsparken…

Pildammsparken

The biggest park in Malmö was laid out in preparation for the Baltic Expo in 1914. The Margareta Pavilion and the "Echo Temple" are still standing from that time. Pildammsparken was completed in the 1920s according to the ideals of classicism under the direction of city engineer Erik Bülow-Hube. Today, the main features of the park are rich and varied bird life, gorgeous flower beds and joggers. Free theatre performances and concerts are presented during the summer in the open-air theatre at Pildammsparken.

It was then back to Lund for another party at Cas and Hakans’ place. There were a few familiar faces from the last party, especially ‘pony-tail Martin’ who is lovely and very thoughtful about non-Swedish speakers!

Cas made me the most delicious breakfasts both morning and the eggs, tomato and avocado tasted like the first ‘real’ food I’d eaten in a long time – the fruit veg from the supermarket are pretty tasteless and are obviously “chemically enhanced”.

A quick trip to look at a castle this morning and then back to the airport today and believe it or not the same bucks party and one of the other groups of guys who was on my flight over. However, I think they were all recovery from the weekend and were much quieter this time!

The Castle

Another 2 weeks of work in London and then I will be jobless but happy! Then onto Greece with P&T on the 8^th.

Other people living overseas

Cas has started her own blog! If you want to check out her Swedish adventures here’s the link http://www.casisverige.blogspot.com/

Home sweet home

I’ve been promising photos of the church for a while now and am finally coming through with the goods.

Another boring week of work over and am just hanging out for Sweden next week and then Greece and P&T in London (have I mentioned this enough yet!).

I will be gainfully unemployed on Monday (by my choice) and can’t wait. The search for the new job is ongoing – will update on progress.

Month Two in London or I want my mum and accidental gay bars…

Is it a bad sign that after two months in London I don’t recognise Australian accents anymore? Admittedly on the day I couldn’t hear out of one my ears and I’m sticking to that as my excuse!

Some days I feel like I have settled in completely and am living my routine little life and other days I still feel like tourist in the big city. I get frustrated at not knowing where places are and their relative distance and I think I’m developing an unhealthy relationship with streetmap.co.uk and Google map.

Not as many exiting things have happened this month or I’m getting more used to being here. Last weekend I went to Westminster Abbey for the first time. Impressive grave markers included, Churchill, Dylan Thomas, D.H. Laurence, Darwin and the unknown warrior. I thought it was a weird place to visit as a tourist as they seem to have made little effort for the throngs of tourists that go through (I do realise it’s still a working church). I’ve been to Oxford Street quite a few times shopping and it’s enough to stretch your love of other humans. Marylebone High Street has some nice shops and a good café run by Kiwi’s that serves vegemite toast if you’re so inclined. I’ve actually been doing quite a bit of internet shopping as most of the time it’s just easier to shop that way.

I’ve been to Camden markets and Spittalfield markets. Spittalfield definitely wins out of those 2. Especially the fantastic vegetarian, goats cheese pie.

I’ve had my first run in with the National Health System. I needed to see a doctor (nothing dire, just a blocked ear but made me desperately want for some the sympathy only mum can provide) and don’t have an NI number yet which means you can’t visit a government doctor (private doctors hear cost the earth). Many, many phone calls later I end up going to a walk-in clinic in Soho, who couldn’t help but recommended a private clinic near by that specialises in ears. I had an hour to kill so stopped off for a coffee. I now know that Soho has a significant gay population and coffee shop I was in doubles as a gay bar! Long story short, I got my ear sorted and even was treated by an Australian, from Brisbane.

Next round of trips is Sweden in May and Greece in June. P&T will be here for a week in June which will be fantastic – I can’t wait to see them.

I miss you all so very much. I caught up with Isaac last night and went to see Liam O’Neill’s band play which bought back so many memories of home and many a party memory was shared. Everyone should visit Europe in 2007 I think.

Today I went to my first Ashtanga class since being in London on the basis that I should be a little in practice before I go on a week long yoga retreat! Alison, Darren, Kempy & I went to a fantastic gastro pub tonight called ‘The House” which served the most delicious Sheppherd’s pie I have ever eaten and then went to a pub and played pool – all in all a great evening.

Blog Block

Yesterday’s downer was just due to a bad day at work and not being able to go to the pub afterwards and vent.

Things have been a little quieter this week, I think now I’ve got a place to live I’m not nearly as frantic. Highlights from the week include going to Selfridge’s for the first time (like DJ’s but with more brands like Gucci, Prada etc.) and watching the cricket at the Marylebone Tup pub with Alison, Julie and Kempy.

I am heading to Sweden again later this month and Greece in June so hopefully I’ll have more to report then!