by Nathan Phipps
Sodertorn University, Sweden
Last week, I went to see Madison in Hannover, Germany, where she is studying for the semester. After more than two months apart, it was absolutely wonderful to be together for a few days. Wednesday morning, I took a bus from Central Station to Stockholm Skavsta airport, which was a cozy little airport in the middle of the country. The bus ride there offered some nice scenery, including a thick pine forest with moose-crossing signs on the side of the road. I have been very pleasantly surprised by the amount of undeveloped land outside of the city. Even in my neighborhood, there is a really nice system of walking trails through an expansive forest. I flew on the European discount airline Ryanair, and it was funny because they were trying to sell something the entire flight, from smokeless cigarettes to women’s fragrances. I guess they are trying to overcome some of the disadvantages of their low-price competitive strategy by hawking their wares on flights and enforcing strict baggage policies. In order to avoid any extra costs, I could only have one carry-on bag that weighed under 10 kg, or about 22 lb. I used a friend’s scale to make sure my bag was under weight, and it was something like half a kilo under. Shew! I landed at Lübeck Airport around 1:30PM, and as I descended the steps of the plane and onto the tarmac, I was greeted by blissful rays of warmth, a cloudless sky, and the ripe, warm fragrance of agriculture. Hello, Germany.
From the airport, I walked across a bridge to the ‘train station,’ which consisted of little more than two covered benches, where I waited for the train I had booked for two hours later (hey, delays can happen). I had to take two different trains to get to Hannover and ended up arriving around 6:00PM. Ah, how sweet to be reunited! Madison, ever-thoughtful and knowing that I would be hungry– which I often am– suggested that we go straightaway to an Indian restaurant, which couldn’t have been a more welcome proposition. Because going out to eat in Sweden is a completely outlandish endeavor, I was very much looking forward to eating something that I didn’t have to prepare, myself, and didn’t have to sell my soul to afford. In addition to the Indian restaurant, throughout the trip we also patronized a pizza joint with authentic Italians in the back making exaggerated hand gestures, a student-only cafeteria where we both had complete meals for about $3 each, and a Turkish restaurant that featured a belly-dancer who was trying to get diners to dance with her. I never saw what she looked like, though, because I was far too busy avoiding eye contact in hopes that I wouldn’t be bothered. A terribly awkward affair, but at least the food was good. We also visited a delightful bakery right across the street from Madison’s residence hall a number of times. It was nice to actually have fresh coffee, and after working at a quality-oriented coffeeshop for a year, I can always tell if it’s been sitting around for a while. In Sweden, although I haven’t really been on a mission to find it, I’ve had truly fresh coffee only twice. Once was at a super overpriced drip bar that actually roasted their own beans and used the same Hario V-60 drippers that Vienna uses, but I doubt that they even measured the coffee to water ratio, because I ended up with a rather weak cup of joe. It seems ironic that the best fika I’ve had was in Germany. Fika is a pretty big deal in Sweden and it means a period of afternoon bonding over coffee and baked goods. However, I think it was the company, as well, that made my German fika so much better. Hands down, though, the best thing I ate while in Germany was the phenomenal nectarine-cranberry crisp that Madison made without even using a recipe. I contributed by peeling the nectarines, which took me like ten minutes. What I lacked in nectarine-peeling ability, though, I made up for with enthusiasm when I tasted this blissful creation. The girl has talent.
The most important parts of the trip were spending quality time with one another and eating, but we also got out to see the city a bit, too. I liked Hannover; it was a nice size, just big enough without feeling unmanageable. On Friday, we went to a museum that showcased a nice collection including a few Picassos and Lichtensteins. Entrance to all museums in Hannover is free on Fridays, so I was happy to take advantage of that. Although the weather was awesome when I arrived on Wednesday, it was cold, overcast, and drizzly the rest of the my stay; so, unfortunately, we didn’t get to do much outdoors. Nonetheless, the weather was perfect for eating hot, fresh bratwurst from a street vendor while exploring the city.
As mentioned, my bag was barely underweight, so I wasn’t able to take anything back– which is truly a pity, considering the offensively high price of alcohol in Sweden– but I did manage to bring home a pair of super cheap flip flops (about $2) from Primark, a sort of German, department-store version of Forever 21. I neglected to bring any sandals to Sweden with me, but since I will be staying in a hostel in Amsterdam a week from now, I knew I would be needing some. I was relieved to find some in Germany for so cheap, because I was worried that the only ones in Sweden I would be able to find this time of year would be super stylish and well-designed and costing $50 or something.
On Sunday morning, I had to take the 4:26 AM local train to the city center, where my train to Bremen would be leaving. To get to Bremen, I only had to take one train, followed by a short tram ride to the airport. Everything went smoothly, and after all the trains, trams, planes, and buses, I finally arrived at my flat around 12:30PM. Despite the weather and complicated transportation, my trip to Hannover was absolutely wonderful, and I enjoyed every minute I spent with my love.
Sodertorn University, Sweden
Last week, I went to see Madison in Hannover, Germany, where she is studying for the semester. After more than two months apart, it was absolutely wonderful to be together for a few days. Wednesday morning, I took a bus from Central Station to Stockholm Skavsta airport, which was a cozy little airport in the middle of the country. The bus ride there offered some nice scenery, including a thick pine forest with moose-crossing signs on the side of the road. I have been very pleasantly surprised by the amount of undeveloped land outside of the city. Even in my neighborhood, there is a really nice system of walking trails through an expansive forest. I flew on the European discount airline Ryanair, and it was funny because they were trying to sell something the entire flight, from smokeless cigarettes to women’s fragrances. I guess they are trying to overcome some of the disadvantages of their low-price competitive strategy by hawking their wares on flights and enforcing strict baggage policies. In order to avoid any extra costs, I could only have one carry-on bag that weighed under 10 kg, or about 22 lb. I used a friend’s scale to make sure my bag was under weight, and it was something like half a kilo under. Shew! I landed at Lübeck Airport around 1:30PM, and as I descended the steps of the plane and onto the tarmac, I was greeted by blissful rays of warmth, a cloudless sky, and the ripe, warm fragrance of agriculture. Hello, Germany.
From the airport, I walked across a bridge to the ‘train station,’ which consisted of little more than two covered benches, where I waited for the train I had booked for two hours later (hey, delays can happen). I had to take two different trains to get to Hannover and ended up arriving around 6:00PM. Ah, how sweet to be reunited! Madison, ever-thoughtful and knowing that I would be hungry– which I often am– suggested that we go straightaway to an Indian restaurant, which couldn’t have been a more welcome proposition. Because going out to eat in Sweden is a completely outlandish endeavor, I was very much looking forward to eating something that I didn’t have to prepare, myself, and didn’t have to sell my soul to afford. In addition to the Indian restaurant, throughout the trip we also patronized a pizza joint with authentic Italians in the back making exaggerated hand gestures, a student-only cafeteria where we both had complete meals for about $3 each, and a Turkish restaurant that featured a belly-dancer who was trying to get diners to dance with her. I never saw what she looked like, though, because I was far too busy avoiding eye contact in hopes that I wouldn’t be bothered. A terribly awkward affair, but at least the food was good. We also visited a delightful bakery right across the street from Madison’s residence hall a number of times. It was nice to actually have fresh coffee, and after working at a quality-oriented coffeeshop for a year, I can always tell if it’s been sitting around for a while. In Sweden, although I haven’t really been on a mission to find it, I’ve had truly fresh coffee only twice. Once was at a super overpriced drip bar that actually roasted their own beans and used the same Hario V-60 drippers that Vienna uses, but I doubt that they even measured the coffee to water ratio, because I ended up with a rather weak cup of joe. It seems ironic that the best fika I’ve had was in Germany. Fika is a pretty big deal in Sweden and it means a period of afternoon bonding over coffee and baked goods. However, I think it was the company, as well, that made my German fika so much better. Hands down, though, the best thing I ate while in Germany was the phenomenal nectarine-cranberry crisp that Madison made without even using a recipe. I contributed by peeling the nectarines, which took me like ten minutes. What I lacked in nectarine-peeling ability, though, I made up for with enthusiasm when I tasted this blissful creation. The girl has talent.
The most important parts of the trip were spending quality time with one another and eating, but we also got out to see the city a bit, too. I liked Hannover; it was a nice size, just big enough without feeling unmanageable. On Friday, we went to a museum that showcased a nice collection including a few Picassos and Lichtensteins. Entrance to all museums in Hannover is free on Fridays, so I was happy to take advantage of that. Although the weather was awesome when I arrived on Wednesday, it was cold, overcast, and drizzly the rest of the my stay; so, unfortunately, we didn’t get to do much outdoors. Nonetheless, the weather was perfect for eating hot, fresh bratwurst from a street vendor while exploring the city.
As mentioned, my bag was barely underweight, so I wasn’t able to take anything back– which is truly a pity, considering the offensively high price of alcohol in Sweden– but I did manage to bring home a pair of super cheap flip flops (about $2) from Primark, a sort of German, department-store version of Forever 21. I neglected to bring any sandals to Sweden with me, but since I will be staying in a hostel in Amsterdam a week from now, I knew I would be needing some. I was relieved to find some in Germany for so cheap, because I was worried that the only ones in Sweden I would be able to find this time of year would be super stylish and well-designed and costing $50 or something.
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| On the train to Hannover |
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| Typical architecture in the city |