Sorry to disappoint you guys, but I am afraid this was just another 'cliché'... they are not all blonde nor gorgeous... or maybe I have not seen the best ones!!!
What is true indeed is that IT IS BLOODY FREEZING IN SWEDEN !!!
Honestly, I have never been so cold... It was only -4 the day I got there, the sun already setting at not even 3pm... ok ok I was wearing my spanish clothes which are not among the warmest in the world but hey, I could only stay 10 minutes outside before starting to feel numb and dreaming of a warm place!
When I think this guy was advertising for a restaurant while it was snowing outside, standing still, like insensible to the cold... I could not believe my eyes!
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Still, it was a kind of magic to visit the town, walk on the snow, see frozen water everywhere. There were absolutely gorgeous these droplets of water frozen at the bottom of the herbs. I found Stockholm a really nice city, with pretty buildings, nice colors. We have been walking quite a lot indeed... stopping from time to time to have a coffee like in the 'Grand Hotel' trying to feel like one of these rich people staying there... I had a fantastic dinner with Jonas and ate a delicious salmon with a very good south african white wine. Then, I had the surprise of going to a jazz club listening to a small band, really good. It was also the opportunity for me to discover a very swedish way of smoking... tobacco in sachets like tea which you place between your lips and teeth... strange bro but at least you don't bother other people even if I am sure it is not good for your health either!
The day after, on a beautiful sunny day, only -10 degrees outside, we went ice skating. I rent some skates and went for the adventure... I had been already a few times in Bordeaux.. when I was still young :-)))
It was unbelievable to see so many people there... we had to wait to find a place to park the car and they were all gathered there: young and old people, crowded bro!!! It is the sunday activity you practice outside with your family or friends: on skates or sledges pulled by parents. All of them had the safety system around their neck: some sort of ice picks which enable you to stay on the ice if it cracks and you accidentally fall into the icy water!!! When Jonas told me I has to wear them, I swear that I was not feeling secure but seing so many people with them just made it be more normal. Funny hey as at one moment, I did hear the ice crack, scary... I freaked out right away but Jonas said it was normal as it was moving all the time... yeap sure easy for him bro, he was born with it, not me, the poor Frenchy!!!
The first lap was fantastic; I really enjoyed it even if I was getting tired, certainly not using my legs as I should nor the skates!!! I was glad the second was over, with the sun going down, I was beginning to freeze and just hoped for a hot drink!
On sunday night, 3 lucky swedish guys had the privilege to have a french dinner... and not a simple one, ladies and gentlemen! Grand mum's Foie gras with its 'apple compote' as an entry served with a delicious Gaillac sweet white wine, then the main: Grand Mum's 'confit de canard' with its potatoes cooked in the duck's grease, and to finish the home made 'tarte tatin', a caramelised apple pie served its vanilla ice cream... oh my god it was orgasmic, you can ask the guys!!! Bloody good!!! We finished the night watching 'Mamma Mia' and singing together. After the musical, the movie, yeap bro, loved it too!!!
Spain was not forgotten in this trip as we had some tapas prepared for a party Jonas organised on monday inviting his friends to get to know the crazy frenchy! I met some really nice people and guess what? I got the confirmation all swedish are not blond... but some of them defintively have a manly attitude...
We ended up watching again the 'Mamma mia' this time with the 'play and sing along' option!!! A little bit obsessed with Abba, you think?!!!
Who cares!
On tuesday, we took a trip upnorth, missed the boat supposed to take us to a small island and ended up driving and taking a few ferrys to another nice place. I had a delicious herring to complete my approach of the swedish gastronomy... really good and fresh!
It was so strange for me to see places like this with sailing boats in ports covered with snow... for me sailing is really associated to summer, tropics, warmth!!!
Well, this was a very interesting trip...
I learned a few swedish words... like 'Dra åt helvete' which you pronounce 'draw wat hell vatun' and which means 'fuck you'!!! I had a few occasions to use it and Jonas and his friends seemed to like it as they were all laughing...I am never taken seriously!!!
I also realized (even if I kind of knew it inside) that I was not made for cold countries!!! Could never live in so cold places.
Back to Barcelona, where everybody complained that it had been very cold (actually they even had snow around!), I promised myself I would never complain again about being cold in Spain!!! And guess what? Last week end, a week after this trip, I was hiking in the surroundings of Barcelona wearing only a t shirt!!! Crazy hey bro!
Well, anyway, a big thank you to my friend Jonas for his warmth welcome. He treated me like a princess and I loved his flat which made me feel like my own one too instead of sharing one... but this is a different story!!!
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