Hello from Sweden! First though a wrapup of my time in Finland.
Tuska ended on a high note. I saw my favorite band, Mercenary, and they were amazing. After their set there wasn't much point in staying since nothing was going to top seeing them from the first row so I left early. It was a good call as I caught whatever team plays at the Finnar Stadium playing a game! My first taste of live soccer in Europe and it was pretty good. Not EPL, but certainly fun to watch :) My last day in Finland I went out to Suomenlina which are a series of islands with an old militrary fortress spanning them. It was cool to explore the area and take some time out of the city. After that I boarded the cruise ship for Stockholm!
The ship was massive and it had everything from a casino to a supermarket. I tried to spend as little money as possible as everything was very expensive. My cabin was very nice and was free with my railpass. I shared it with two other men one of whom taught me my new favorite word. Interail. He described what he and his girlfriend, and myself, were doing as interailing which I think is a lovely word for it. The trip takes 16 hours much of which you sleep for but you gain an hour when you get to Sweden because of the time change.
Stockholm can only be described as majestic. It's much bigger and confusing than Helsinki but I really like it here. After getting my bearings and checking into my hostel I visited the Swedish National Museum, the Aquarium, and then went to this giant tower with an amazing view of the surroundings. The people here are much nicer but I also think they are more used to tourists. Tomorrow will be my marathon day in Stockholm so I'm going to take it easy tonight and try not to spend any more money. Things here are very expensive! Check back soon for more!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Rested and Tuska
Finally, a computer without a crazy touch keyboard, and impatient tourists over my shoulder. Sorry for the juvenile previous post, this one should be more interesting!
Now that Jet Lag has (seemingly) worn off and I have a good nights sleep under my belt I can happily report that things are going very well! The Hostel isn't that bad. It took some getting used to but there is a younger crowd there now and people will at least say hi. The language barrier makes it hard to communicate with people but most scandinavians will happily speak english. The Hostel is located in the back of the old Olympic Stadium and is surrounded by soccer fields! The Finnair Stadium is right next door and I've watched some professional team practice on a few occasions. I'm not sure who they are, I'll have to look into that.
If anyone was ever wondering how hot topic stays in business they should go to Tuska. (Sidenote: there is a gay pride parade going by as I write this) In hilarious irony the clothing most metalheads wear to stand out and be different creates a bunch of conformists at a metal show. It seems everyone is wearing the same two or three shirts, jackets, and pants with the few creative exceptions. The festival is entirely in Finnish and the MC looks exactly like Rob Zombie. I usually have no idea what's going on until the band comes on and starts singing in English. To add further irony, due to the fact that it's metal music I usually still can't understand what they're saying :) So far Dragonforce was very good although plagued by technical problems and Immortal was also interesting although mostly because their guitarist was once accused of murdering the original lead singer because 'he wasn't evil enough'. Today I will see Emperor, the most notorious black metal band famous for burning down churches and murder of their own. Tomorrow my favorite band 'Mercenary' is playing! No worries about my safety, other than dodging mosh pits, the festival is all about the music and the outfits!
This morning I had a breakfast of Reindeer Hush which is a traditional Finnish dish made with potatoes and Reindeer meat. I've decided to take a hiatus from my vegetarianism for practical and cultural reasons. Nevertheless it was very good. I've done a little sighseeing although I try to limit how much I walk in order to survive the 8 hours of standing around at Tuska. There is a convenient tram system though and getting around is a breeze. Today it's beautiful and sunny although still cool in the shade. To correct my previous post it seems the sun does set although only for an hour or two around midnight. I woke up briefly last night to a dark sky and felt a little better about the world :) I probably won't post again until I get to Sweden on Tuesday. I just wanted to make a proper post so people didn't think I was miserable surrounded by angry foreigners! So far this trip is proving to be everything I hoped it would be. Talk to you from Sweden!
Now that Jet Lag has (seemingly) worn off and I have a good nights sleep under my belt I can happily report that things are going very well! The Hostel isn't that bad. It took some getting used to but there is a younger crowd there now and people will at least say hi. The language barrier makes it hard to communicate with people but most scandinavians will happily speak english. The Hostel is located in the back of the old Olympic Stadium and is surrounded by soccer fields! The Finnair Stadium is right next door and I've watched some professional team practice on a few occasions. I'm not sure who they are, I'll have to look into that.
If anyone was ever wondering how hot topic stays in business they should go to Tuska. (Sidenote: there is a gay pride parade going by as I write this) In hilarious irony the clothing most metalheads wear to stand out and be different creates a bunch of conformists at a metal show. It seems everyone is wearing the same two or three shirts, jackets, and pants with the few creative exceptions. The festival is entirely in Finnish and the MC looks exactly like Rob Zombie. I usually have no idea what's going on until the band comes on and starts singing in English. To add further irony, due to the fact that it's metal music I usually still can't understand what they're saying :) So far Dragonforce was very good although plagued by technical problems and Immortal was also interesting although mostly because their guitarist was once accused of murdering the original lead singer because 'he wasn't evil enough'. Today I will see Emperor, the most notorious black metal band famous for burning down churches and murder of their own. Tomorrow my favorite band 'Mercenary' is playing! No worries about my safety, other than dodging mosh pits, the festival is all about the music and the outfits!
This morning I had a breakfast of Reindeer Hush which is a traditional Finnish dish made with potatoes and Reindeer meat. I've decided to take a hiatus from my vegetarianism for practical and cultural reasons. Nevertheless it was very good. I've done a little sighseeing although I try to limit how much I walk in order to survive the 8 hours of standing around at Tuska. There is a convenient tram system though and getting around is a breeze. Today it's beautiful and sunny although still cool in the shade. To correct my previous post it seems the sun does set although only for an hour or two around midnight. I woke up briefly last night to a dark sky and felt a little better about the world :) I probably won't post again until I get to Sweden on Tuesday. I just wanted to make a proper post so people didn't think I was miserable surrounded by angry foreigners! So far this trip is proving to be everything I hoped it would be. Talk to you from Sweden!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Helsinki
Hello all, after what has turned out to be the longest day ever i write to you from finland a place that truly never sleeps because the sun never sets this time of year. After gettting some sleep and finalizing my trip to stockholm i am ready to report.
Things were initially very shocking. The hostel was not what I expected. It is very impersonal considering I am sleeping in a room with 12 other men. Everyone can speak english but only when prompted to. The city is beautiful and very easy to navigate. The women are gorgeous.
I will be going to the metal show in a few hours. I will do my best to report again soon. I have limited internet time. Check back soon.
Things were initially very shocking. The hostel was not what I expected. It is very impersonal considering I am sleeping in a room with 12 other men. Everyone can speak english but only when prompted to. The city is beautiful and very easy to navigate. The women are gorgeous.
I will be going to the metal show in a few hours. I will do my best to report again soon. I have limited internet time. Check back soon.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Tomorrow's Dream
In 24 hours or so I will be leaving for the airport to begin my 4 week quest through Europe. I hope to chronicle as best I can my experiences while I am there for anyone interested enough to look at this page. Here is a brief overview of the places I will hopefully visit. Those marked with question marks I may not get to due to time and distance constraints. Let's see how well I do!
Finland - Helsinki, Tuska Open Air Festival (Metal)
Sweden - Stockholm, Goteborg
Denmark - Copenhagen
Netherlands - Amsterdam
Belgium - Brussels
England - London
France - Paris
?Switzerland - Bern
?Croatia - Zagreb
?Austria - Vienna
?Czech Republic - Prague
Germany - Dusseldorf (where I will be leaving to return to the USA on the 26'th of July)
Feel free to contact me via email or facebook. I will due my best to post pictures but since I will be using public computers this may not be possible. Finland here I come!!
Finland - Helsinki, Tuska Open Air Festival (Metal)
Sweden - Stockholm, Goteborg
Denmark - Copenhagen
Netherlands - Amsterdam
Belgium - Brussels
England - London
France - Paris
?Switzerland - Bern
?Croatia - Zagreb
?Austria - Vienna
?Czech Republic - Prague
Germany - Dusseldorf (where I will be leaving to return to the USA on the 26'th of July)
Feel free to contact me via email or facebook. I will due my best to post pictures but since I will be using public computers this may not be possible. Finland here I come!!
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