Sweden: Days 1-3

[astra_nomer]

Given that I'm here in Sweden for a conference, it's not surprising I have little to say from a travelogue point of view. Still, here are some highlights from this trip so far:

- Jet lag sucks. I've been sleepy all day, but tossing and turning in bed all night. But my nap this afternoon helped.

- Also helped: a trip down to the in-hotel spa. Swam in the 38ºC pool, soaked in a Jacuzzi, tried out various baht salts, drank some lingonberry juice, and had a nice time. Didn't try the egg-shaped sauna because of lack of the right kind of change.

- Sweden has enormous slugs, like 6-in long, that creep out onto walkways, particularly in the mornings and evenings.

- The conference is taking place at this resort hotel on the shore, with lovely views of the seas. Sunday and Monday night featured spectacular sunsets. Tonight's was only okay, because I managed to have my camera with me. Murphy's law.

- Because the hotel is so swanky, everything here is expensive. I had a $8 pint of cider with dinner tonight.

- Swedish sounds like a mix of German and English with a Swedish accent thrown in. Luckily, most people I've encountered speak English, too. I'm such a privileged American.

- This is the furthest north I've ever been. However, it's close enough to the equinox that there's isn't a noticeable lengthening of either day or night.

Comments

[mathhobbit.livejournal.com]

Ew, slugs!

A research question for you: What connection do Swedish Fish have to Sweden? (I'm guessing the answer is "none".)

[astra-nomer.livejournal.com]

Umm, they serve pickled herring at breakfast, does that help answer the question?

I have yet to see any Swedish Fish of the chewy candy variety, although I did see Haribo gummi bears in a vending machine at the airport. I'll give said vending machine closer scrutiny on my way back.

[mathhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I love pickled herring! Especially with white stuff in it. I've never had it for breakfast though.

A Cadbury rep brought my office a big box of Swedish Fish samples, so it's been on my mind. If you can find out, I'll try to get you one of the Swedish Fish stickers they gave us!

[schnerf.livejournal.com]

Does it sound like "mork, mork, mork"?

[astra-nomer.livejournal.com]

No, but it does sounds a little like "schmürdy gürdy chîkning inna pot."

[astra-nomer.livejournal.com]

Actually, someone told me today that the Swedish Chef is called the Danish Chef here.

[nuclearpolymer.livejournal.com]

I sort of thought that all restaurants in Sweden/Norway were pricey, even pizza joints. I ended up holed up in my hotel room eating fish spread on crackers most of the time.

[astra-nomer.livejournal.com]

Heh, a British colleague of mine complained about paying the equivalent of 25 pounds for a sandwich at a restaurant not far from here. A really tasty sandwich, mind you, but it better have been for 25 pounds.

[fredrickegerman.livejournal.com]

Alcohol is especially pricey in Sweden (which you'd never guess given the ubiquity of small beer at every meal). It used to be that the ferries between Sweden and Denmark were stuffed with locals buying luggage trolleys full of beer duty free to take across each others' respective borders. Or at least the Swedes were taking trolleys full of beer to Helsingborg from Helsingor...

But yes, all food is more expensive in Europe, particularly at restaurants.

[astra-nomer.livejournal.com]

There is beer or wine served with every meal here, except breakfast, but then again, the price for room and board was pretty high to begin with.

[fredrickegerman.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that.

I'm trying to think of a conference I've attended in Europe where this hasn't been true. I think there was one where we ate out in the evenings, but even there lunch included Kir (where I first ran into it).