What Katie Did Next …

Well have had a very varied last week or so … ranging from complete solitude to absolute craziness!! Spent a few days camping over on Grinda (part of the Archipelago´s … thousands of tiny islands off Sweden). Met some good people and hung out with them which was fun. Camped right on the beach of a river which was beautiful … got attacked by swans (right after I took a photo of the little family for looking so cute!) … jumped off rocks, swam in icy but amazing water and generally lazed about. I then headed off to the Arvika festival (about a few hours west of Stockholm). All I can say is that Swede´s really know how to party it up!! Now I have been to my fair share of music festivals in my time but I’m telling you this one was absolutely nuts. I didn´t know many of the bands there but wanted to experience some Swedish music. I now realise that the reason I didn´t recognise many of the bands was because they were all from some hardcore underground punk scene … and the associated groupies were out in full flight!!!  Call me old … but even I can’t keep going for 3 days of festival action without at least a couple hours of snooze a night!!! I did my best … but to no avail … It’s amazing what sort of craziness you can sleep amongst when you really need it!! I also underestimated how cold it would get at night time so spent most of the nights freezing!!! But you know … it’s all for memories sake, hey??!!  Didn’t end up hooking up with any new friends there … I think they were more scared of me then I was of them … don’t think they knew what a face without massive amounts of eyeliner, mascara and teased hair looks like anymore!!  Have found some other fun people along the way though so all good.

Am thinking about flying down to Holland early and doing a bit of a cycle tour down the west coast of Europe. Have realised I really don’t have enough gear for northern Sweden!! Love you all and miss you all … photos to come xoxox

Well Phil and Anna have headed off to Spain for a couple of weeks and have left me to my own devices in Stockholm!! It’s funny huh … somehow it doesn’t bother me travelling alone in Asia because I guess I really look like a foreigner and people expect me to not have a clue what I’m doing!! However apparently I look Swedish here (even though I’m the only non-blonde walking around Stockholm)!! Anyway it’s all good … at least I know what train station to get off to get home!!

Had dinner with some friends of Phil and Anna’s the other night and I thought I was being helpful going and filling the milk jug for the coffee up again … but it turned out to be yoghurt (the thinnest looking yoghurt I have ever seen !!) so I was the butt of many jokes for a while there. Also … scarily enough … Any Swedish people that know Philfy seem to think that all his habits are typical of Australians!! For example … these people at the dinner party had made coffee and were very excited because they had specially bought sugar that day for the “Australians” coming to dinner. They were utterly confused when I said that I didn’t take sugar!! (Phil by the way takes 2 teaspoons!)

It’s amazing weather here at the moment … like about 30 degrees … but really nice dry heat. I guess because they only get about 2 months of good weather a year … all the Swedish people just get their gear off whenever they can! Like old ladies sitting on park benchs in lacy white bras with saggy breasts !!! … or just random people all over the place everywhere … everyone is desperate for a bit of sun on their skin. Any spare bit of grass is covered with people sunbaking!! Suits me!! There are lots of lovely spots along the waterways to go swimming so I have been taking full advantage!!

Next week I go to the Arvika Festival (www.arvikafestivalen.com) … big music fest over here about 4 hours from Stockholm (there’s an English link if you’re interested). A few acts I know and hundreds I don’t so should be fun!! I bought a cheap tent so am all set to go!! After that I plan on heading down the west coast … plenty of good swimming spots apparently. My goal of the music festival (apart from seeing some good music) … is to meet some friendly folk who offer to let me jump on their bandwagon!! So we’ll see …

Prices for stuff are really weird over here … for example the music fest is pretty reasonable … 3 days incl camping … just over 100 dollars … clothes also pretty cheap ie 20 bucks for most tshirts and tops etc … even expensive lee jeans only around 100 dollars … however the cheapest feed you can buy out anywhere is like 15 dollars and that’s a very ordinary feed … cheapest beer would be 8 dollars … train ride for 3 hours 90 dollars. Night in a youth hostel … 30 dollars minimum … food in grocery store however cheaper than Aus I would say and beer/wine in grocery store really cheap (cheaper than Aus)
Anyway … one good thing … you can camp anywhere for free in Sweden … so that’s what I’ll spend my time doing I think!! I think I will be a shadow of myself when I get back … !!!

Well … if anyone wants to come join me at the Arvikasen festival next week … you’ve got a few days left to book a ticket … so get on it!!

Rock n roll all … K xo

Well I have finally gotten over most of my jet lag … although I always feel like a little nano nap around 2 in the afternoon (which is like 10pm in Aus) … but maybe that’s also just due to the fact I am on holidays!! Hard life I lead … Phil and Anna live in a fabulous little unit just a couple of train stops from the middle of Stockholm. I started trying to learn some Swedish but then decided my brain was getting confused and I should just stick to getting some Laos under my belt!! Phil by the way has been very impressive with his Swedish conversation!! ALL Swedish people are good looking I’m telling you … there are no bad batches at all!

Next week I am heading to a big Swedish music festival (can’t remember the name right now) but Franz Ferdinand and Death Cab for Cutie plus a load of Swedish local bands are playing … should be fun times! Doing some kayaking around the Archipelagos between now and them hopefully.

I am typing this entry at 11.30 at night and it is still very light … CRAZY!!! It makes me feel constantly confused … (*&^%$$!!!

Anyway … enjoy the photos below … “Hey Da”