Sweden and Denmark

So it has been a while between trips and my itchy feet need to be soothed. This time Michelle and I are off to Scandinavia, specifically Denmark and Sweden. Cousin Marcus and his Partner Nina were our local contacts for our trip. Their hospitality was excellent and made our stay very memorable. I took a half day on Friday and we departed from Heathrow T5. On the way out we registered for the Iris scan border control, essentially it fast tracks our passage through passport control coming back to the UK, well worth doing and it avoids those annoying questions from border control. Got carried away doing crosswords in the terminal lounge and were the last to board the flight. Flight time was 70 minutes we arrived 20 minutes early into Kastrup, Copenhagen, Denmark. Bought train tickets to Malmo C and hopped on the train at 18:56. The trip to Sweden was very scenic across the sea, over a very long road/rail bridge. Marcus was there to meet us at Malmo C train station, he had a rental car ready to go and we took a long cut back to his apartment in Lund. First impressions of Lund was a quite laid back town with lots of students who liked to party. Nina was at the apartment with dinner all laid out. Nina had whipped up some burritos for dinner, they really hit the spot! Marcus and Nina’s apartment was a 1-bedroom unit situated in block of student accommodation; their apartment was tastefully furnished, with lots of ‘Kiwi’ items on the walls. After dinner we drove into town for a short walk around and a beer, we discovered first-hand how pricey Swedish beers were about 6 GBP or 15 NZD. We meet two of Marcus work mates randomly at the pub, they were celebrating one of their birthdays. We sat outside, it was very chilly! It was here I first noticed that bars and restaurants offer blankets for outside diners. Checked out the Lund cathedral before driving home.
Early start (for a weekend anyway). Had a delicious breakfast, of eggs, toast, cheese and cereal. After showers and we sat down and decided a course of attack for the day. Our plan was to explore S.E. Sweden, checking out some of the coast. The weather was a bit grey and it was hardly tropical but that did not deter us. The Swedish countryside is a bit like the UK, rolling hills and fields with pockets of forest. Our first point of confusion in the trip was getting lost in small town called Blentarp, but we got a few strange looks from the locals so we kept moving. Then we stopped at Lake Sovdesjon, and walked down the jetty and took a few photos, I jumped in an authentic 1970’s speedboat for a photo op. Back on the road and wasn’t long before we reached another lake (Snogelhomssjon) We stopped and took a short walk through some silver beech forest and looked at another jetty, it was very peaceful. Near the lake edge we saw some cute kittens frolicking and kids having canoe lessons. Back on the road, next we stopped at a small seaside town called Ystad where we had decisions to make about parking, eventually we took a pay park for 45 mins, walked through the town where markets were in the middle square, Michelle got some drugs from the chemist and we got a coffee at a small cafe, we also stopped at the supermarket for some fruit and cinnamon twists to satisfy my rumbling belly. Ystad was quite a busy town, with Swedes going about their normal Saturday. Just as we left the town Marcus had a panicked thought that he had left the coffee machine on from breakfast, and was so worried we drove 50mins back home to check, and yes it was off!! So we had our Picnic lunch back at the flat, was quite a funny situation in hindsight, but at the time Nina was not a happy camper! After lunch we headed due west for an hour to Simrishamn. We spotted the beach and drove to it doing skids in the loose gravel, the beach wasn’t really a beach, it was just flat bed rocks, so we stretched our legs and threw rocks in the sea. Then we bypassed the town and headed north up the coast. We went to the Stenshuvuds National Park, quite a picturesque spot, with open woodlands and trees covered in their autumn coat. We walked down to the beach, we took our shoes off and felt the water, brrrr it was absolutely freezing. Then we had a 20 minute bush walk up to the top of the hill, and we had a great view of the bay. Time for a view pictures at the top. Saw a random mouse jumping in the leaves, chasing after a lizard on the way down. Next we drove to the apple cider shop/factory in Kivik, We brought apple chunty (which was later confiscated) and a crate of apple cider which only lasted about 5 mins before the first bottle was popped open! Just down the road was a place called Vitemolla, it was there we caught the end of an apple festival. We saw an amazing apple mural of running horses (100 sqm, 35000 apples, 8 different varieties). Conscious of the car rental agreement we sped back to Lund, with the music blaring. Got home 7.30 then into town to drop car off and find somewhere to eat (in-fart sign). Italian for dinner, nice setting. Mich had chicken pesto tomato penne. And I had pork pasta. Walked home, supposed to take only 25 minute actual time 32 min. Lots of parties going on in student block. Started watching derailed, got too tired so flagged rest of movie. Up and atom by 8.30 ish. Same breakfast as yesterday, yum. Nicest cheese ever. Caught free bus to lund. Searched in vain for a souveneir shop, but the place was pretty dead on a Sunday morning. Church, square+photos, bikes, fountains, supermarket, bananas. Train tickets to CPH. Caught 11:17 train. Said goodbyes. Got in 12:10. Dropped bags in lockers, bought train tickets to Kastrup. Set off to explore CPH. Heres a bullet point version of what we did:
· Tivoli Gardens (closed). Art Museum – masks exhibition.
· Wandered along canals taking in city, towers, statues, the harbour
· Music bands on boats
· Classic cars
· Water front walk, modern buildings and old colourful buildings.
· Stately gardens, fountain.
· Guards at Amaleinborg Castle
· Large church.
· Gardens – I went for a leak
· Jumping photos at the royal park.
· Stopped to pick up a bite to eat on the go
· Tower with view of city (Rundetaarn) , internal ramp
· Left then right, roads to main square. 15 degrees celcius. Very busy
· Caught 3.43pm train à Kastrup 3:55pm
· Flight out 18:05
Good flight finished book on way home. Fast track through passport control with Iris scanner. Good to get out of London and see two countries over a weekend. Marcus and Nina hospitality was top notch. Had a great time.

My favourite sandwich

Hi everyone,

Time for another blog update, I can hear yeehas and hoorays already! Because most of my entries have been on my trips away from London I have neglected to mention a vital part of my OE experience, which has been in and around the capital. I liken the overall description of my OE to describing a tasty sandwich, I know what you are thinking, you’re thinking Hamish has lost the plot here but let me explain… My ideal sandwich has many layers. 2 layers of bread, 1 spread with butter the other mayonnaise, 2 slices of ham (that champagne ham that they have at Woolworths), lettuce, tomato, and cheese. The bread is like my flat and my job, the slices of ham (arguably the best parts) are like my trips away and the remaining fillings are like what I am going to describe in this blog entry…

In rough reverse order. Last Saturday I had end of season touch drinks with my Tuesday league-team, on Sunday Tom Mace and I caught the train down to Seaford for the South Coast Half Marathon. It was an early start departing from Clapham Junction as the race started at 9pm. The course was dead flat along the foreshore and back a few times. My game plan was to try and stick with Mace as he had done a lot more training than I had. I managed to stick with him until lap 3 of 4. The end result was we finished 2nd and 3rd and we both ran PB’s, my time 1:18:26, super stoked! And as an extra bonus I got a kiss on the cheek from the Mayor of Seaford (A lady mayor of course!)
The weekend before my flatmate Sandra organized a day at the Ascot races. For once the weather was nice. We left just before midday and it took us forever to get there because we went via Reading and timed the trains very poorly. We missed the first race but it didn’t really matter. Ascot was very, very flash, the track was a bit up and down and the crowd really got into it especially when the horses came down the home straight. We had our all-day picnic supplies and drinks, so had a cheeky unsuccessful bet before setting up camp. There were about 12 of us in all, quite a good crew. Still feeling a bit seedy from the night before, I took the ciders very slowly. I bet on three races, lost the first two then came away with 37 quid on the last race by picking the winner, phew! So I came away up 17 quid from the day, not a bad result. The day ended well with an 80’s concert, unfortunately I didn’t know too many of the songs but Rick Astley was a real hit.
Friday night was Gaming Club night, this time it was Pinkys turn to host a poker night. 10 quid entry fee. I dressed as an Arab, a few others went flash styles, and Richie forgot his attire so he wore the Gaming Club undies! And nothing else. The drinks flowed, I went in all in on a pair of queens, and bang! I was out, rank 5th. Richie won and took home the main prize 40 big ones. Crashed out at 3 in the morning on Hayden’s floor.
Midweek we had our “Try time” touch break up – Wednesday league, Unfortunately we lost our last game 4-3, but we went to an Indian restaurant afterwards, it was a good way to round of the season (Attendees. Andre, Cass, Ginnie, Kylie, Matt, Mikeand Partner and Michelle). Also been getting my running fitness up to scratch as I entered in the Seaford 1/2, two weeks away!
The gunners game. Richie (complete with Kankle) organized tickets to watch the emirates cup on Sunday afternoon with his boss Fred and his partner. Emirates stadium, was very impressive, the ground looked like a carpet and the crowd really got behind their team. Other teams in the cup were Aletico Madrid, Paris Saint Germain and Rangers. The final game Arsenal whipped ranges 3 zip, with Jack Whiltshire, a promising talent, slotting two goals.
Marcus and his friend Miriam arrived late Friday night, so I gave them a bit of a London tour on Saturday and Sunday morning. We went on ‘the eye’, past Big Ben, Parliament buildings, and the tower of London. Sheltered from the rain at the pub “hung drawn and quartered” and watched the All Blacks lose to S.A. over a few pints. I think the surprising highlight for Marcus was Camden Markets on Sunday, they ended up spending the whole day there.
The previous weekend I had two shindigs on the Saturday. Gazza’s going away bowls party at Brocton Park and Richie’s Michael Jackson party. It was a long haul on my bike to Brocton Park, but the weather was good. We played a few ends and enjoyed some beers in the sun. Scotty Ireland, the Vaseys and Adam Fleming, Zeus and Co. turned up after their touch drinks and they were quite ‘steamed’. Bowls was so good we even missed the Rugby, didn’t matter anyway because we lost to South Africa. Back on my bike and I straight to Party 2, got my back and whites on and topped it off with an afro, I wasn’t the best dressed at the party, some people liked my costume to that black guy of the tv show family guy. There was some good originality among the costumes, Toby’s was memorable, even though he did look like a power ranger! Somehow I became BBQ King and I managed to burn about 50 million sausages, I haven’t quite mastered these coal fired Barby’s yet! We danced and sang to the beat of Jacko to honour his memory into the wee hours, a great night.
Now I’m straining my memory to remember what I happened what weekend. So I’ll just throw down the rest of what I can remember from this summer. Went to a comedy night with Michelle and her friends, Went to an awesome Thai Restaurant and this random “arty” underground club called the shunt lounge, near Tower Bridge, with Richie, Wella, Mace, Kuriger and Birget. That night we also saw Tower Bridge being raised for a boat. Went to Toast N.Z. and bumped into heaps of people from back home, including AP, Vanessa Angel, Nathan Hudson and others. Stu’s super hero 30th birthday party was also a great night, my Wolverine costume (complete with ‘massive’ side burns and chop sticks wrapped in Tin foil for claws) was the bees knees! Spent one Saturday afternoon playing 20-20 cricket in the Putney Oval with Scotty Wilkinson and Co. that was awesome fun, I took a ripper of catch that day, full stretch left handed (or was it right handed?) I went to the International Rugby Sevens at Twickernam, with Crystal Hadland and Katie Hutchins, NZ lost to England in the final. I was dressed as a pirate for that one Rrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Michelle and I visited St Pauls Cathedral and the Tait Modern one Saturday afternoon, the whispering gallery in St Pauls was a highlight, you could hear some speaking clearly over 30 metres away by just talking into the wall, amazing acoustics! The cathedral itself (designed by Christopher Wren) was massive and definitely worth the visit. In the Tait Modern I got told off when I tried to jump on the giant chair in an exhibition about scale! For my Birthday, I threw a bad Tie party and had quite a good turn out, Best “bad” Ties went to Aidens rooster tie and Ken Vaseys cardboard tie. A great night, from what I can remember! The morning of the Bad Tie night the Gaming Club members and I went out golfing at the Brentford Valley Golf Club, It was showery and windy, but good to get out and play some golf, even if it was pretty poor golf! Richie was the best of a bad bunch, I think I came in 2nd, just pipping Matt after he collapsed in the back nine. And let’s not forget the Eric Clapton concert with Richie, SK’s Christmas present to me, he put on an awesome show at the Royal Albert Hall. We were in the minority in terms of our age bracket, but it was still a great show, Cocaine was his best song. The venue, completely circular and multi tiered with flash ‘old school’ corporate boxes with red curtains, only for the rich and famous!
Ok, I hope you have enjoyed munching on my blog ‘sandwich’! Until the next exciting entry…

Ciao