Stockholm Syndrome

Have you ever played the skyscanner game?  Its great fun.  Pick some dates where you can travel, a home location and then look for flights to anywhere.  Sort by price, and see where you could go for cheap.  I played this game, and looked at my options.  Flights to Stockholm for <£40?  Why not!

So I went.

After my whirlwind trip of NY a few months earlier, I wasn't too phased about the prospect of trying to do this with little planning.  While there is plenty to do in Stockholm, it is not on the same scale as NY, so the few weeks planning time I had was plenty.

Prior to this, I knew next to nothing about Sweden.  The extent of my knowledge was drinking is expensive, its going to be cold and I needed to try some meatballs.

Flicking through the guidebook, a few things became obvious.  With all the islands and water ways, I would need to go on a boat trip.  Unfortunately it seemed that most of the islands of the archipelago, but not the city, were closed for the winter.  My desire to hike would not be sated.   Second, this is the home of Nobel, the Nobel Museum and Nobel Park.  I'm a scientist, and think I have a reasonable intellectual curiosity; Nobel is the ultimate, reading about the prize winners is inspirational.  Lastly, Stockholm had been an Olympic city.  I needed to see the stadium, even if I knew I wouldn't get inside.

These were my "goals", but I had plenty of time.  This wasn't going to be like NY, where I was rushed off my feet to try and see as much as possible.  I could be relaxed, see these things and then decide which of the other sights I wanted to do on a day by day basis.

Stockholm itself was interesting, and I do mean that genuinely.  The mixture of northern architecture and the water everywhere was unlike anywhere else I had been before.  I didn't go to many of the different Islands, but they all had their unique feel, which is strange for such a small city.  The museums were different and interesting to; from Nobel, like I already mentioned through, to one that includes an entire viking longship, with some restoration work admittedly.

Stockholm was a great city to wander around, taking my time to enjoy the view, pausing to warm up in coffee shops (and oh my god, the cinnamon rolls.  If only I could have them everyday...), and just seeing what there is to see was really enjoyable.  And the meatballs were damn tasty too.

So Good They Named It Twice (Nov '14)

After I got back from Iceland, my first day back in the office I found out I was going to the states two weeks later.  With work paying for a transatlantic flight, this seemed to good an opportunity to miss.  I booked some leave and so I could extend my stay in the states and started planning.  I have a list of US cities I want to visit, and starting to tick the ones I've visited off.  So I booked flights, and started planning a trip to the city most Europeans think of as The american city; New York, New York.

Planning a trip to New York in under two weeks is hard.  Especially when the trip will only be a few days.  There are so many aspects of the city that you know from popular culture, things that are famous and you just have  to see.  Icons of the country, some of the world's best museums, and sights that you have seen countless images of, but not in person.  How do you see as much as possible in 3 days?  What do you miss out?  What can you still get tickets for two weeks out?  And how can you plan it all in 2 weeks?

Some things were obvious.  I had to see Liberty, Empire States, Central Park, the Met.  Others were things I would like but less important.  MOMA, Time Square, Rockefeller, Guggenheim, Madison Square Gardens, Ground Zero.  The list goes on.

And this was before people started giving recommendations.  Turns out lots of people have been to NY, and they all have something else you have to try.

So I timetabled.  I prioritised.  I got the NY city pass, found a way to see Liberty, Empire, Met, MOMA, Guggenheim, walk over the brooklyn bridge, chill out in Central Park, see the best book shop in the city, Time Square.  Unfortunately the ice hockey at Madison Square Gardens was out of my budget, as was a broadway show.  Rockefeller I half forgot, half ran out of time.  But in the three days I had, I don't think I could have done much more.  I was rushing everywhere.  Now you may think that doesn't sound like a nice holiday, a relaxing time.  But this is New York.  The city that never sleeps.  Where everyone is in a hurry, and by rushing yourself you feel like you belong.  Where grabbing a coffee to go is normal, having a think pizza and cheesecake is something you have to try.  And its fantastic.