August 6 to 9...Sweden and Amsterdam

Some balloons out the day I arrived...I supposed to welcome me and wish a happy birthday....Ericson dome....used for hockey matches, etc...and the bridge as I was leaving..it is high.

How about a John Deere combine in the fields....some of the land looks like northern Sask. The Chinese restaurant in Amsterdam, in front of an old ship me in front of Van Gogh museum, the Ajax arena






August 6, 2009
Well, spent my first days of 60th birthday on a train to Malmo, Sweden on my way to Stockholm….young guy in the berth beside me was from Norway and studying to be a paramedic….free education there too….seems to be a great idea….smoothest train ride I have had….we spent a few hours on the ferry across the sea to Malmo….slept fairly well……another good bureaucratic incident…..our 6 berths were completely full….the next on had one person in it….nothing like being packed like sardines in one and no one to talk to in another…..go figure…..maybe they are afraid someone will mess up another bed or something…..
Arrived in Malmo right on time…had a two hour layover and am now on my way to Stockholm……just to say I have been there……apparently there is a ship there that is the most complete one from the early days so I may try to get to see it… …topography is similar to Sask…..flat but with trees as well …..have noticed a lot of wind turbines similar to southern Sask as well….a four hour train ride on the fast train…lots of open seats….another currency too the Swedish krona….1 dollar is equal to 6 Canadian dollars…a chocolate bar on the train is about 2 dollars….
Am going to stay only one night in Stockholm, and then head back to Copenhagen for the afternoon, if I can swing it, and then an overnight to Amsterdam….it will mean about 16 hours or more of train travel…..and I am sort of on my homeward leg of the vacation…
Minor hiccup on the train……the conductor stopped us about 1 hour from Stockholm and couldn’t tell us why the train wasn’t working…..we were passed by a couple of other trains….maybe just throw a chain around us and pull us in……some people are going to have troubles with their connecting trains…..we had to change trains …there was supposed to be a gangplank that could reach across the tracks and people could just walk across….wasn’t long enough….so everyone had to get off one train and into the other one….and when we did everyone was just standing around and not helping …….soooooooo typical Canadian? I got into the doorway and started hauling people and luggage in to speed up the process….still took 45 minutes…we had babies, grandmas, dogs, strollers…..anyway got it all done and made it to Stockholm about 1 ½ hours late……booked my trip back to Copenhagen and then to Amsterdam and then found my hostel…..DIDN’T GET LOST……FINALLY GOOD DIRECTIONS…..
Turned on my computer and was able to talk to Vivian who had had a bad day…headmaster wasn’t there so she had to put off here talk with him…she was a little upset….and the fact that I was late…..and my birthday…and it was raining……and not together……anyway not the best….
Had a talk with J and Kenzie and then went out and had Swedish meatballs for supper….something different anyway….will change my plans….I will stay here a little longer and overnight from Copenhagen to Amsterdam….it will break up so much traveling in one day….
Tried to wash my clothes here but all 3 washing machines are not working…..so I will get up in the morning……repack, put the stuff in the railway station locker and go on a hike around the city…..leave hopefully late…to get into Copenhagen in the morning and do the same thing there……and make it to Amsterdam one day later…..signing out for now and blogging in so to speak.

August 7, 2009
Ok..so August 6 didn’t have fireworks and earth movements…but I did survive for August 7th…..always a plus
Had made some changes but as they say in some of the magazines about travel around Europe by train…be prepared to make changes…..Plan B, C or even more.
Decided to stay in Sweden longer ……tried to change for an overnight .to Copenhagen…nope….ok how about a late one to Copenhagen and then overnight to Amsterdam….nope…ok how about changing to Amsterdam the next day not today….nope that was full….ok I would like to get to Amsterdam as soon as possible…..right here is the plan….let’s go to Malmo at 1321 and have a 4 hour layover there…then an overnight to Berlin and from Berlin try to get to Amsterdam……so here I am on my way to Malmo, then back to Berlin for an early morning arrival and then we will play it by ear then……my ear is getting a little calloused from all the playing…..but it is not boring that is for sure….
I did have about 2 extra hours in Stockholm so I went out to see the Ericson globe … the largest in the world…it is home to some serious hockey games…noticed that Detroit is playing St. Louis in October…interesting…and there is another big Dinosaur demonstration as well…..has a hotel attached to it….took the subway out and back…..60 kr….about 10 dollars…yes thing are expensive here….Big Mac…..40 kr about 6.50…..so maybe it is ok to leave here early……
And another bureaucratic society here at the station….I wanted to store my bag in a locker……they take only coins….10s, 5s etc ….well, both change makers are broken…so I try to get them from the vendors…..nope….and if you buy stuff, they give you a bill of 20kr and 5s and 2s and 1s so you would really have to do some figuring to get it done…asked a couple of people if they could just change it …nope….so my time here is wasting as I try to find change so I can store my bag….walk to the bus station which is at the end of the train station…..find another change machine……wooo hoooo it works…..put my bags in there…no I have about 1 ½ hours to see anything….well I chose the Globe….go to the information for the buses…nope you can’t buy tickets here……over to the store next to the bookstore…..and you buy 2 of them for a one way trip……so 4 for a back trip….both work fro subway or bus so why 2 …….instead of one ticket you need two……hmmm….then you get it stamped as you pass through the turnstiles….and off you go…..got there and was going back…..no one in the booth to stamp the ticket……so I just walked through……good system?????……and they are good for one hour after they are stamped…..
Made it back by 1245 but did not get off at the same part of the station so here we go again….need to find the bus station and then the locker 2761…..ok so that took about 15 minutes…..got to the station easily and waited the 15 minutes or so…..boarded the train…..it is like China too…..they try to get on first so that they get the choice places to store your stuff…..my big pack I try to leave at the front out the car so that I don’t have to throw it over the seats…..yeah there is a spot for the RED DEVIL….it seems to get heavier and heavier as I carry it….here I thought using all that toothpaste and shampoo and the Vitamin C pills (as well as some Ibuprofen every now and then) would lighten the load….I guess not…going to try to get some washing done soon…this is my last set of clothes that has not been worn in the last week or so….maybe Malmo will have a wash/dry place….

Saw an interesting thing on the train after a stop and a couple of women got on…the lady held up her cell phone and the conductor looked at it….I think it had the ticket on it and he accepted it….man this may soon be a paperless society…..you almost get everything via the internet now….
Another thing I find a little disconcerting….when you are on these trains, you don’t know if the person next to you is Portugese, Swedish, German, French or American and lots of times I never initiate a conversation….and maybe I look like a terrorist with my shaved head, but many won’t start to talk with me either……sooooooo you will sit in silence for as long as the trip…in this case 4 hours…..and I would like to know something about the person beside me……oh well, that is just the way it is…..in Canada, it is much easier I think….and these damn headphones make it so easy just to ignore the person next to you as you don’t even have to listen to them breathe…you can be in your own world…..not my style…..
So just when I was making generalizations, the next guy on the train with me is a Swede named Oscar and we carried on a conversation for a good 2 ½ hours. Hockey player, outdoorsy kind of person, more my style and we had a great time…I even bought him a beer which we “Skol’d” to…..he was in political science and wasn’t sure what he would be doing….some military training….university…..great time….and the time flew by….
Got into Malmo and had a 4 hour wait for the train….decided to book my hostel in Amsterdam so went on the internet for about ½ an hour searching….found one and booked it as I thought that it would be easy to get to Amsterdam to Berlin and I was right with lots of connecting trains….
About 1 hour before the train left I checked my hotel for the directions and to my dismay( why I am not sure) I had booked it for tonight and tomorrow….silly guy….no problem…just phone and change the dates….no cell phone……
Don’t even ask…..right now I am so darn mad I could spit…..hadn’t used it for several days as I was only using it for videos and phone calls…neither of which I had done for a couple of days….had put it in my backpack….IAM GETTING TIRED OF SUPPLYING THE THIEFS OF THIS WORLD WITH THEIR JOLLIES….won’t be buying an expensive one again…enough
Now to phone Amsterdam using a pay phone …..had a hell of a time trying to get on the phone…first ate my Euro and got nothing out of it…..found I needed two zeroes on the phone to Amsterdam…used my credit card…took about 3 attempts to get it done…can you sense my frustration by now…..then I heard that my train was leaving in 5 minutes…off I go with no call and getting more pissed by the minute…..got on board and then a call that the train will be held for another 20 minutes because of (you guessed it) another late train….
Off I go back to the phone and finally connect…..the lady on the phone puts me on HOLD…..now I am really pissed …about 7 dollars later she gets on…I thank her for that and tell her my story…cancel tonight’s reservation and add it on for the 9th …….needs to have that said two more times to get it right….the train is waiting…..make it on with about 4 minutes to spare….
Make friends with another Swedish guy and we have a good conversation as the train gets onto the boat that we cross to Poland with…..we head up to the lounge and have a beer before going to bed….he goes early and I stay up until midnight before finding my way below deck to the train …not much sleep...still pissed about the phone…..and there was a light on that I couldn’t find the switch to turn off…..such ends another expensive day!

August 8th, 2009
Not much of a sleep as I said before…they wake you up about ½ hour before you arrive at the station….there were six in our couchette and I had the top bunk which was the hot one of course….
Went to the information desk and found the next train to Amsterdam left in about 30 minutes…bought a drink and then got on an earlier one…I will have to change once before Amsterdam…..hope I don’t screw up…just grab another train if I do….
I am in first class with my Eurail pass and have 6 seats all to myself….am typing up my blog entries here….will arrive in Amsterdam at about 1330 I think…will need a shower and to do laundry there for sure!!!!!
I thought these guys were metric….and they are but what is this date 05 08 09…..now if it were this year we have two choices….August 5 2009 or May 8 2009….however if it is a date in history we are really searching…..Canada has it right and I thought all countries did it this way…largest unit of time to smallest …..so year …month…day…hour….and so on
2009 08 05 1325…then again that is too logical and people might not be too confusing so let’s have all different kinds of the metric system…at least distances are the same, etc
Philosophy 101
I think that the New World has a lot more going for it than the Old World…yeah, they may have all their culture and history but they have screwed up a few things with wars, feuds, religions, boundaries, assassinations, strategic marriages, not so strategic marriages, politics, policies, dictators, kings, queens……etc
I think Canada, and to a lesser extent the US, have a lot more going for it than the rest of the world gives us credit for….we have our poets, our philosophers, writers, artists, sports personalities, politics and the like and have done it with far less aggression and in a much more peaceful manner, and maybe even more quickly……We have a lot to be proud of………….
Am I looking through the window with rosy coloured spectacles???? Maybe!
Got into the station on time had to make a connection to get to a local train and then made it to the Central station….asked for some directions from the tourist information…you could also buy a map for 2 Euros….not today….found out which metro to take to the Ajax stadium….took off for the Hostel with the directions that were given…..and after a few small stops and ponderings, ended up at the hostel…..it is part bar and part hostel….English style…..and it is run by Chinese….hmmmmm
Room was ok but dark and dingy….and there were two guys staying in it when I got there…maybe they had late nights….anyway, I got settled away by about 1600, did all the washing that had been accumulating for a week or so and had a chat with Vivian via skype….then went out for supper…actually a street type vendor that had been voted the best chips in Amsterdam…..a long line up and yes they were very good and not too expensive……while out, I wandered around just gazing into the windows and checking out prices…was looking for the Red Light district as I wanted to revisit it again….I had been there with Lyn about 20 years ago on the bus tour with her parents…..surprise, surprise, it was one block over from the hostel…..I walked up and down the street a couple of times….

Coffee houses are actually where you smoke marijuana….when you pass these houses, you can smell the stuff…they actually sell it there…and you can also buy it a see places….so you can either go in for a smoke or light up your own…..and I saw many sitting on the benches or near the canals having a good smoke…..didn’t seem to be any ill affects…..ie fights or vandalism or stuff associated with it….both sexes…..still lots of drinking as well and probably more problems with it…..still lots of smokers….and of course older people are there smoking as well….not just the young people….buskers on the street…saw an interesting one…..one guy played two recorders (a flutophone type instrumen)t with his nose…..and was doing a fairly decent job playing….saw an interesting license you could buy at a souvenir shop……12 –LO – VE…almost bought it
I headed back to the hostel to get a coat as it was getting quite cool…stayed there for a while, checked all the emails, then decided to head out again…….it was a little later and darker…..
In the Red Light district not much has changed…the ladies still sit and stand in the windows showing their wares….. prostitution is legal here so there were about 40 shops to choose from …..and people were just wandering up and down looking into the shops…..also some “shows” that you could go into …..a few stag parties were going on and lots of testosterone men walking the streets…but no rowdiness……it was interesting to say the least…headed to bed at about 2330…it had been a long day with travel and I also had managed to get washing of my clothes done as well…so a lot accomplished…..


August 9, 2009
Woke up today and had discovered someone else in my bed or maybe I should say a few in my bed…..they were bed bugs….first poor experience at a Hostel. Decided to leave early anyway as I wanted to get out to Ajax stadium…..
I asked the front desk for a refund…we do not give refunds…can I speak to the manager…he worked the night shift and might be in at one….ok…
Took my stuff over to the station and tried to figure out a couple of options for the day…put the luggage in storage and went for breakfast…English breakfast…two eggs, toast, bacon, sausage, beans, fries…all for 5.50 Euros…sounds good….whaat was missing..oh yeah something to drink…I will have a medium milk….2.70 Euros….more than 4 bucks…almost half as much as for the whole breakfast….live and learn.
Headed for the stadium…got a day pass for the bus and away I went. Stadium is big with a hotel and bar and sports store around it….they make multi purpose places… it is built above ground and has two levels of parking underground…..didn’t take the tour of the arena……it looks like people park their cars when the head into Amsterdam to shop or visit….Amsterdam is not a car friendly city…too many canals and small streets ….missed my return metro by about 10 seconds….was going to catch the train then decided to wait for 13 minutes for the metro again.
Back at the hostel, new employee…no manager…ok …off to the Van Gogh museum…… not as many works as I had expected and forgot how soon he had died…37 years old and he shot himself….died two days later…wa s good to see but they also didn’t have his Starry Starry Night as I think it was purchased by the New York museum….no Self Portrait with a Bandaged Ear…..I was going to buy a copy but didn’t like the ones they had……
Stopped on the way back from the musem to the “museum “ area…they have museum here for almost everything.… Rembrandt was one I thought of going into but decided I had enough culture for the day!!!....then found something I had been looking for for about 20 years……A Creedence Clearwater Revival dvd!!!!...snapped it up for almost the price of breakfast…9 Euros….don’t even care how it sounds…..found out that Creedence Clearwater Revisited is no longer allowed….legal wranglings with Fogarty so they call themselves….Cosmos Factory……that done headed back to the Hostel
Manager still not there but someone who can do something is….explained my situation and he gave me another room…done…..went up…checked the bed….great view of the canal….fresh air…..excellent…probably pay more for it but I don’t and I have my own key…don’t need to wait for anyone to open the door….so I finished moving my stuff and am now typing up my blog looking out on the canal…cool…not sure what I will do tonight…I am a little itchy from some of the bites I think…will put some Ozonol or Tinactin on the bites and go from there…..will shower and eat and decide later…
Out on the town again just wandering around….just hopped on a tram and went out of the centre of the city ….stopped at a place to eat….bought some fruit….thought this also might be the cause of the itchiness…maybe not enough fruits and vegetables in the diet….or it could be the water…or it could be the disturbed sleep patterns or lack of some time….or the air who knows…..also have a sort throat…still taking my vitamin C tablets too….got back to the hostel at around 2300 and hit the bed……there were two young guy from Italy, a student from Lithuania and apparently, because I didn’t see her, another student from Mexico….one empty bed….will catch the intercity to Antwerp tomorrow and try to get to Vimy Ridge, see a field of white crosses in Flanders ( I think that it is just an area in Belgium) and maybe get to the Hague and Brussels before going to London again …