Stockholm Day 1 - relaxing and roaming

This morning I woke up at 7am, showered, stuffed my backpack until it was about to pop, and by 8 o'clock I set out to make the bus. After a bus ride, a tube ride, requiring me to transfer once, and the train ride (Heathrow Express) to Heathrow, I arrived at 9:45, terminal 5, ready to board my flight.

By 11:45 or so we were in the air, and two hours later I landed at Stockholm, Arlanda airport. I purchased my ticket for the Stockholm Express into Stockholm and was in Stockholm by, 3:30? Now the fun part, or maybe not so fun, finding the Hostel that I booked my stay at.

Not bad! The maps that I got really paid off, and I found it in no time. Just a 15 min walk away from Central Station. Paid my 675 SEK, (sounds like a lot right)? NO about $88 for 3 nights with linen (I don't want no bed bugs so you have to rent clean linen).

So first things first, food. I am trying not to spend too much money eating and drinking out, even though by the amount I've already spent in London , you wouldn't believe what I just said. So I went to the grocery store up the street. I haven't really figured out the credit / debit card system in the UK or Europe yet. Some places require that you have a pin card, which I assume means that you have a pin to type in. The woman who rang me up at the grocery store ddn't speak very good English (which surprised me a bit), and I of course cannot speak ANY Swedish (not surprising), so it took 3 or 4 swipes before she realized it wasn't debit, I didn't have a pin, and she required picture ID with my credit card. They ALWAYS require picture ID, even in London if you use your credit card. And not just that, but your signature better look pretty damn similar to the one on the back of the card or you might have to show more proof that the card belongs to you.

So it's already close to 8. I'm not doing much else today. I came in pretty late, things close pretty early. I am planning on getting a really eary start tomorrow so I can start doing my walks around the city.

Here is the hostel I am staying at. The bed on the top left is mine. So far I've only met 2 of my roommates. Two girls from the Czech Republic, really nice. They are studying in Norway but vacationing this week. It made me want to have a travel buddy :(


Made my bed first and foremost. That's as good as it'll get I'm afraid.


The outside of the hostel. It's called City Backpackers.


I didn't plan on doing siteseeing today but I read about this in my Stockholm book. This is the blue concert hall. It was designed by a famous architect, Ivar Tengborn and is supposed to represent what he believed to be neoclassical architecture. So yah, I can go into more detail about it later, but I bumped into it today and recognized it so I took a pic.


Big shopping street. Good to know that American Apparel, H&M, and Urban Outfitters are in every foreign city I've been in so far. Ya know, just incase I need to buy something that I can get in Seattle.


A statue to promote safety in schools or something, I think that's what it said. It was in English I just can't remember what it said exactly.


Something random I stumbled upon. Not sure what it is.




Before venturing out into the city for the first time. Do I look like I might know what the hell I'm doing? I don't. And I probably won't for the next week. That's okay, I'll try to figure things out as I go. Peace out for now :)