The Last Swede

Malmo, Sweden

Just as I was getting used to everything in this country it is time to pack up and leave.  From three months in the U.K. to three weeks here in Sweden, time just keeps passing by.  I can only look back at the places I have been and be thankful for this opportunity to see the world. 

Honestly, I never really imaged that I would be doing anything like this, let alone all the way on the other side of the world.  It’s crazy how things work and end up turning out.  I mean this week for instance, we even had time to take a side trip into Denmark!  We just keep crossing country after country off of our maps. 

So, not only were we currently in the third largest city in Sweden and it just happened to be the third city that we performed in, but we also ventured to a highly recognized city in Denmark.

Here, we came across beautifully colored buildings and homes bordering a canal filled with boats of every shape and size.  In this picturesque land, The Little Mermaid even made an appearance in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Everything was neat and clean and everyone was quite nice just as in Sweden.  It still amazes me that in both places, if someone spoke to you in a different language and you asked them to repeat it in English, they would be able to do so in the blink of an eye.  They also never took any offense to having to do so either; we have however been in a few places over the years that the natives refused to speak English even if they knew the language. 

And being only a short train ride away it was convenient to be able to get back when needed, to our home land for the week.  It seems as if we are in a city outside of a city that was surrounded by construction or open fields that separated us from the other small cities.  However, with a mall across the street, restaurants within easy access, and convenient stores and grocery stores close by, we basically had everything that we could possibly ask for. 

With that in mind, when you visit Sweden, make sure to always have credit card on you because most places only accept a card payment.  As for going out to eat, expect to pay at least $50 to $70 for two people and make sure you are prepared to bag your own groceries at the store.  Also, the Swedish Krone is stronger than the American Dollar so you end up spending more on your purchases than you would in the states. 

And not to worry, just as when you are out in public and the natives can speak English, there are also English television channels so if the cold is too much to bare, you can stay inside and catch up on some quality movie time. 

For us though, that is never an option and we just keep moving along; scratching off another country on the list as we head to Norway.