Ystad - Ahus

What an interesting day it’s turned out to be! After leaving Ystad this morning in the blazing sunshine and walking, (yes I repeat walking, at the time it just seemed such a good idea!) the 2 kilometres from my hostel to town with ALL my life from the past 6 months bundled into the two bags I was carrying. Needless to say they were both EXTREEEEEEMELY heavy and by the time I reached town, not only was I worried that I would turn into Quasimodo if I had to walk one more step with my beastly bags, I was also sweating like a beast and even redder than I was when I left the hostel. Now whether this was due to the perspiration or because I had walked all the way there with the sun full on my face and was probably, thus, even more sunburnt than when I left the hostel – which is saying a lot, seeing as I already looked like a beetroot – it’s very hard to tell! I don’t think I look any redder than before, now I’m sat here in my snugly little room but who knows!

At least I have some colour now though, so I’m not going to complain! After the last weeks of term where I felt I had actually become a recluse and would never see the brighter shades of gold of the Scandinavian sunshine ever again, it’s nice to be basking in it now! ☺

So as I said I left Ystad (Er-sta) today for Kristianstad (Kri-w-han-sta) with the ultimate goal being Ahus. Arrived in Kristianstad to find myself suddenly, and mostly unexpectedly, being thrown into a ghetto! Having not been expecting this, it was even more of a shock to suddenly be surrounded by loud, raucous Swedes, a lot of them fat and most of them really seeming to have come from the ghetto! O and I mustn’t forget the gormless ones that seemed to have collected at the bus station, which I might add was right next to one of the most hideous shopping complexes I think I have EVER been unfortunate enough to be within 500m of! (o and I musn’t forget to mention here that the Systembolaget was also situate here, so most of the gormless ones sat waiting at the bus station were probably in such a state due to alcohol! I now understand why Kristianstad nation had a ‘bling’ themed sittning…life suddenly makes sense!

Well, in case it didn’t come across Kristianstad was NOT a favourite place of mine! In fact I felt like I was in Stevenage, and that is saying something (considering I have NEVER compared anywhere Sweden to anything like a chav haven that the Nidge really is!) Sweden in my eyes was chav free and all the better for it, but with a most depressed air I left Kristianstad sadly resigned to the fact that no matter what, they really are taking over the world, much to everyone else’s horror!

On the plus side of the city (yes there was a veeeery small one!) it appeared that today was a day of celebration: when you pass your exams/graduate here, either form school or university, instead of black, billowing robes students don a tasteful sailor looking hat and parade through the streets blowing whistles, singing, laughing and generally just making a lot of noise. This is done either in classy cars or, in the funner cases from the back of a lorry/tractor/open top van that is decorated with tree leaves and branches, complete with banner and balloons! Fabulous tradition I tell you!

So arrived to sleepy, beautiful, old Ahus with a MOST grateful air and sat in the sunshine until the hostel was open at 5 (really annoying that check in is only available between 5-6 – craziness I’m telling you!)

Had a lovely wander round town soaking up the last of the evening sunshine and absorbing the fabulous history of the town, from medieval walls to ruined churches, a saints tomb and cute, lovely picturesque half timbered houses. Hmmm…simply dashing, what more could you ask for!

Ale Stenar

Cycled to Ale Stenar today. Sweden’s version of stone-henge apparently, only this one was built by Vikings and not pagans (was that who built stone henge??)

There are many theories about why and who put the stones there but the most favoured is that Ale was a Viking chief who is buried in amongst the stones somewhere. The stones are in a shape of a Viking boat with the front and back stone marking the summer and winter solstice respectively.

After visiting them I have to say that I think Ale had completely the right idea! The stones are set upon a cliff next to the sea, where the birds fly and the butterflies too. Where the sun shines down onto a life and time gone by. I think I’m going to follow Ale’s idea and my friends and relatives to build me some standing stones upon a similar cliff top that looks over sea – come on you know you want to lug 2 tonne stones up a hill!! (you have been warned!)

The day has been a most rewarding one, the cycle through the Skane countryside was beautiful, but as ever it never ceases to amaze me that there just aren’t any people!! There’s signs of people: houses, cars, random school bus stops (literally plonked in the middle of NOWHERE, apart from next to, say a huge field, which maybe has a house at the long path that seems to lead to nowhere!) but just no actual people!

I go back to original theory from when we arrived in Lund and the same thing was happening there: houses with lights on and cars in the driveway just no people. The theory was that there were in fact Swedes living inside but they just didn’t want to be seen so would drop and roll if ever they came to a window, just in case there was someone who happened to be passing outside and may have see them – I think it’s a fair theory and really quite probable! This is clearly what they were all doing in the countryside too!

But anyway, 40 kilometres later I arrived back in Ystad, bursting with lust for life and most proud of myself for cycling all that way and managing to get back in one piece, well there was no puncture at least and I didn’t fall off, but I will have to admit that I am in fact looking like a panda radish, seeing as I cycled all day with my sunglasses on and no sun cream seeing as I don’t own any as of yet (that’s tomorrow’s job!) So I am the colour of a lobster and not particularly happy about it, I’m not going to wear my sunglasses for the next week just to make sure that I don’t get the same again!

So that’s all from me today, caio for now.

Trip to Foteviken Vikingreservatet

The day began most slowly, my body clock is completely out since living at Sparta and my 8 am alarm did not happen! Finally dragged myself out of bed to find another simply gloooooorious day here in Skane and walked along the seafront once again heading into town to catch a train to Malmo, and then a bus to Holleviken to get to the living Viking museum. (yes there are still people crazy enough to eschew modern conveniences and live as hairy beast!)

First leg of the journey went fine, arrived Malmo, caught a bus to Holleviken, here however is where it begins to get a little long winded and rambling!

After somehow missing the bus stop I was looking out (or should I say, being completely oblivious that we had gone past it!) I continued on the bus for a little way, hoping that in fact we were still in Holleviken and hadn’t passed on into the next town, which most unfortunately for me, we had! Got to practise my ridiculous Swedish though and the kind bus driver man told me that yes, we had in fact gone past my stop and that I would have to get off this bus and wait for the next bus in the other direction (all in Swedish I may add!) So off I toddled, crossed the road and began to wait. Fate must have been on my side that day because I didn’t have to wait long before I was on the bus again heading for Holleviken, this time managing to spot my stop and hop off in time! So phase two completed! Phase three however, was to take a little more time still! After meandering down the road away from the bus stop hoping either to a) run into a sign for the museum or find a friendly face to ask where it may be. Neither turned up, I seemed to be on the wrong side of the road! But I found a taxi company who informed me that it was in fact back up the road I just meandered down!! (grrrrrrrr!)

It was worth the train, bus, bus, walk, walk then walk even further though. I feel I learnt a lot but have so many more questions now about the bearded men (and women) of the Viking age that I want to go back and ask more questions! The craziest thing about the reserve/museum is that, as I said before, there are a few people there who actually live there all the time, dress as Vikings and live in houses built to Viking design and materials – what a jolly life I say!

But alas, not maybe a life for me quite yet, it was back for the return journey, for me, which I managed in one piece and spent the evening enjoying the fabulous magic that hangs in the air around sunset from one of the piers outside the hostel, dangling my legs over the lulling tides below and simply revelling in the fact I was alive.

O a good day! ☺

Farewell Sparta, and Lund

Well, I just can’t believe that it’s the end of my time here in Lund already, where has 5 months gone too? Managed to pack all my things into one big rucksack and one little one (a most impressive feat, I am rather proud of myself if I do say so!)

A heart-wrenching goodbye was said with full on water works and all. Getting onto the bus and waving goodbye was so hard (and I looked like a complete retard seeing as I was all blubbery and sniffly!)

Feeling that I just wanted to go home right away and not have a last jaunt around Sweden, I made my way with a heavy heart to Ystad. Can’t even believe how homesick, and completely sad I feel. I just can’t believe it’s ended.

Ystad seems nice but it’s not Lund and it’s not Sparta and there’s not everyone here, which is strange.

A most sad day