Monday, 11 January 2010
Where my heads at
Now I've been back from sweden for quite a while but I figured why let a blog just die when there is things to be said like for instance how has microblogging taken off so well. I understand the point of reading a blog it gives you story and experiences of people right round the world but microblogging just lets me know when people take shit or feel like being a bit of an attention seeker. I guess my point is that more people should consider blogging instead of microblogging
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Home Again
Well seems I'm finally home again not that this means the end of my blog though. So I've just had a fantastic and undescibable year in Sweden learnt the language, met the people and my friends all over the world for life. It was really strange coming back at first but now everything is starting to click in to place.
Sunday, 4 January 2009
Christmas in Sweden
Well just thought I should better do at least one last blog before returning home not to say that this is the last just that it quite possibly could be. I figured what better topic then christmas for this post since this year I had my very first white christmas which i have to say was absolutely beautiful beyond belief. Also I had my first real christmas tree which I got to help chop down. Definately more fun than those plastic ones we get back home. One thing I noticed about christmas here in Sweden is that it jumps up more suddenly then in Australia it was the 20th December before I really even start thinking about christmas but from the 21st to the 29th christmas was a solid family affair with my host families son his wife and daughter and my host dad's father coming to stay and doing nothing between those days but enjoying each others company in coversation and activities. Well the fact is I had a wonderful christmas and here is what I managed to capture of it.
Monday, 15 December 2008
Andy Vs Liseberg and the Christmas dinner!
Well this weekend my first host famiy invited me to go with them to Göteborg (Gothemberg for you uncultured folk). So obviously I went. The main highlights of the weekend being the 5 course dinner. As seen Below.
The Sill Plate, The cold fish plate, the meat plate, the varm fish plate and the Dessert Plate.
Then after that meal it was off to liseberg a place of light and giant chocolate. Where my host sister won the giant toblerone i wanted and i got a little box of strawberry chocolates:(
And here is a video from Liseberg tornet a tower ride in liseberg.My trip up north ways!
Recently I made a trip up north to Boden, Luleå, Solefteå and Sundvall to see some of my exchange student friends ( kompisar in Swedish) for the last time. It was alot of fun to hang out with them and see how their exchange worked for them in their own towns.
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Just so you know I'm Alive!
Ok haven't made a blog for quite sometime now but just so you all know. I'm alive and well and have moved into my last family they are really nice and the first family where I've had both a host mum and dad. So just letting you all know I'm going to try to get back on track with this blog and keep you up to date until I'm safely back in Australia.
Saturday, 26 July 2008
Euro Ramble
Well where to start - I guess from the beginning. The date was June 24th and sometime that evening around seven I set off from Falun train station to Börlange train station where I met Steven from Queensland and Cameron from Seattle. We then continued from there to Hållsberg a place in the middle of nowhere, where to our dismay we found nowhere to eat. From there it was straight to Malmö.
We arrived there sometime early in the morning as planned so we could spend a day looking around Copenhagen. Copenhagen turned out to be a really nice city and we even managed to find KFC there. One of the funniest things about Copenhagen was their traffic lights which had count down timers on them so it made it literally a race to get across the road.
We then headed back to Malmö for check in at the Quality Hotel where we would spend that night. The next morning after breakfast was briefing time and all 70 of us rocked up to be told the do's an dont's of Euro Ramble. Then it was time for us to all jump onto the bus and head out on our way to Berlin.
Well after a gruelling trip we finally arrived in Berlin and piled into the Hotel. Then it was off for our first German meal at where else but a German pub with a live band. After dinner we were taken to the centre of Berlin so we could look around that evening or watch the soccer match between Russia and Spain. Spain won to the dismay of some of the Russians who were out that night.
The next day first stop was Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall which I actually found really interesting. There was another interesting thing I discovered that day and his name was Ampelman the Eastern part of Berlin's Streetlight man representing the happy communist worker heading to work. After that we were given free time in the centre again but this time during the day where I managed to buy myself a very nice looking (snygg in Swedish) Ampelman shirt. Then we headed back to the hotel where the Chaperons tried to organise some games with us that worked semi effectively at bringing the group more together.
The next morning it was time to head off for Cracow. The night we arrived there we had dinner at a Jewish Restaurant. Then we walked around Cracow which is certainly not the prettiest city but has a cultural feel about it with the unusual characters that were out that night. The next morning it was time for a tour of the Cracow Jewish ghetto from WWII, where Schindlers list was filmed. Then we set off to see some of the better looking churches of Cracow's near thousand churches. Later we were given free time to find somewhere to eat and the people I was with managed to find a nice pizzeria. After lunch it was off to Auschwitz the largest Nazi death camp during the War. It was not the most enjoyable experience but it was very interesting and definitely worth doing. The next day we moved to Prague.
Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic. Now the image you have in your head of what Prague looks like if you haven't been there is completely wrong. It does not at all look like a broken down Eastern European city. It is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen in my life. Prague looks and is a cultural capital of the world. We spent our time in Prague sightseeing and shopping (another great thing about Prague is the exchange rate). We also had a ferry ride for dinner on our last night in Prague and were then allowed to go to Central Europe's Largest disco which was great fun. From Prague it was then onto Zell am See via Salzburg.
On our way to Zell am See in Austria we made a stop in Salzburg the birth place of Mozart and the city where the Sound of Music takes place. It was quite nice and in a lot of ways looked similar to Prague. From there it was off to Zell am See the absolute prettiest place I have seen in my life. Zell am See is a village situated around a crystal clear lake and surround by the Alps. The first night we just had a bit of a rest but the next day it was off to hike one of the Mountains. Hiking up that mountain in Zell am See with most of the other exchange student is without exception the most awesome and unreal experience I have ever had and while you get a glimpse from the photos nothing beats being there. After coming down the mountain it was time to relax and go swimming in the crystal clear lake. There’s nothing quite like swimming in a beautiful lake surrounded by the Alps. We were then off again the next day this time till Lido d'Jesolo.
With Lido d'Jesolo came the beach which even though we had been stuck in a traffic jam and arrived at 11 o'clock we made sure we enjoyed it as much as we could by going straight away for a night swim. The next day was a free day where we could do what we liked and I spent the first half of it exploring Lido d'Jesolo with Ornie from Argentina and Poala from Mexico. After that we headed back to the hotel where we found out that the World University Handball championship was being held in Lido d'Jesolo and the Australian team was about to play the Czech Republic. Entry was free so bang! Us Aussie were off like lightning to support our team dragging some of the other exchangees with us. Unfortunately Australia lost 50 to 11. The next day it was off to see Venice the sunken island off the coast from Lido d'Jesolo which I ended up being disappointed about because whilst Venice was pretty it smelled quite bad and there were so many tourists. The worst part was the shop assistants and restaurant waiters who were nothing but rude to us the whole time we were there obviously because we were teenagers. Then the following day it was off to Lyon.
We only stayed one night in Lyon because we needed a place to stop on our way to Paris and it was a fairly uneventful evening.
Next day though it was off to Paris on quite a strange bus ride. But once we were there I found Paris to be quite a beautiful and cultural city. The first night we were there we went to see a French cabaret which whilst strange was very enjoyable. The next day it was up to the top of the Eiffel Tower then we had free time to explore Paris. So some of the others and I decided we would head out to the catacombs. Here during the black plague due to over crowded graveyards thousands and thousands of exhumed bodies were moved and whilst it was creepy I found it very interesting. The next day we had a full day to ourselves to explore Paris So some of us headed straight for the Louvre and after 5hrs or so there it was then a short walk to the Notre Dame Cathedral which is nothing less than extravagant. After that all of them except me and an Australian girl named Ella were tired and decided to go back to the hotel whilst Ella and I walked back to the Louvre and then down the Champs Elysee to the Arc de Triomphe. After that it was back for dinner then we went to see the Eiffel Tower after dark which was spectacular. After that with my legs almost collapsing it was time to sleep. The next day it was off to Belgium.
The trip to Brussels was fairly short and once there we were allowed walk around and find lunch for ourselves which for most ended up being Belgium Waffles. It was then time to move onto Antwerp where we would spend the night. Antwerp can pretty much be summed up in two words "Jewellery stores" as almost every second store in Antwerp is a jewellery store. However we did manage to find some good chocolate and the food at the hotel was the best of the whole trip I thought.
Back to Germany into a small town called Hagen our last stop because the next day we would be heading back to Sweden. We didn't really do anything too cultural in Hagen. It just served as the place where we had our Farewell party which was a whole lot of fun. I ended up winning the most annoying accent award.
The next day we were back in Malmo and it was the end of Eurotour a very sad moment but at least the majority of us were staying for the night in Malmo so at least this delayed the goodbyes.
All in all it was the greatest thing I have ever done and I'm just sad that we couldn't all have stayed together for longer.
Part 1
Part 2
We arrived there sometime early in the morning as planned so we could spend a day looking around Copenhagen. Copenhagen turned out to be a really nice city and we even managed to find KFC there. One of the funniest things about Copenhagen was their traffic lights which had count down timers on them so it made it literally a race to get across the road.
We then headed back to Malmö for check in at the Quality Hotel where we would spend that night. The next morning after breakfast was briefing time and all 70 of us rocked up to be told the do's an dont's of Euro Ramble. Then it was time for us to all jump onto the bus and head out on our way to Berlin.
Well after a gruelling trip we finally arrived in Berlin and piled into the Hotel. Then it was off for our first German meal at where else but a German pub with a live band. After dinner we were taken to the centre of Berlin so we could look around that evening or watch the soccer match between Russia and Spain. Spain won to the dismay of some of the Russians who were out that night.
The next day first stop was Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall which I actually found really interesting. There was another interesting thing I discovered that day and his name was Ampelman the Eastern part of Berlin's Streetlight man representing the happy communist worker heading to work. After that we were given free time in the centre again but this time during the day where I managed to buy myself a very nice looking (snygg in Swedish) Ampelman shirt. Then we headed back to the hotel where the Chaperons tried to organise some games with us that worked semi effectively at bringing the group more together.
The next morning it was time to head off for Cracow. The night we arrived there we had dinner at a Jewish Restaurant. Then we walked around Cracow which is certainly not the prettiest city but has a cultural feel about it with the unusual characters that were out that night. The next morning it was time for a tour of the Cracow Jewish ghetto from WWII, where Schindlers list was filmed. Then we set off to see some of the better looking churches of Cracow's near thousand churches. Later we were given free time to find somewhere to eat and the people I was with managed to find a nice pizzeria. After lunch it was off to Auschwitz the largest Nazi death camp during the War. It was not the most enjoyable experience but it was very interesting and definitely worth doing. The next day we moved to Prague.
Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic. Now the image you have in your head of what Prague looks like if you haven't been there is completely wrong. It does not at all look like a broken down Eastern European city. It is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen in my life. Prague looks and is a cultural capital of the world. We spent our time in Prague sightseeing and shopping (another great thing about Prague is the exchange rate). We also had a ferry ride for dinner on our last night in Prague and were then allowed to go to Central Europe's Largest disco which was great fun. From Prague it was then onto Zell am See via Salzburg.
On our way to Zell am See in Austria we made a stop in Salzburg the birth place of Mozart and the city where the Sound of Music takes place. It was quite nice and in a lot of ways looked similar to Prague. From there it was off to Zell am See the absolute prettiest place I have seen in my life. Zell am See is a village situated around a crystal clear lake and surround by the Alps. The first night we just had a bit of a rest but the next day it was off to hike one of the Mountains. Hiking up that mountain in Zell am See with most of the other exchange student is without exception the most awesome and unreal experience I have ever had and while you get a glimpse from the photos nothing beats being there. After coming down the mountain it was time to relax and go swimming in the crystal clear lake. There’s nothing quite like swimming in a beautiful lake surrounded by the Alps. We were then off again the next day this time till Lido d'Jesolo.
With Lido d'Jesolo came the beach which even though we had been stuck in a traffic jam and arrived at 11 o'clock we made sure we enjoyed it as much as we could by going straight away for a night swim. The next day was a free day where we could do what we liked and I spent the first half of it exploring Lido d'Jesolo with Ornie from Argentina and Poala from Mexico. After that we headed back to the hotel where we found out that the World University Handball championship was being held in Lido d'Jesolo and the Australian team was about to play the Czech Republic. Entry was free so bang! Us Aussie were off like lightning to support our team dragging some of the other exchangees with us. Unfortunately Australia lost 50 to 11. The next day it was off to see Venice the sunken island off the coast from Lido d'Jesolo which I ended up being disappointed about because whilst Venice was pretty it smelled quite bad and there were so many tourists. The worst part was the shop assistants and restaurant waiters who were nothing but rude to us the whole time we were there obviously because we were teenagers. Then the following day it was off to Lyon.
We only stayed one night in Lyon because we needed a place to stop on our way to Paris and it was a fairly uneventful evening.
Next day though it was off to Paris on quite a strange bus ride. But once we were there I found Paris to be quite a beautiful and cultural city. The first night we were there we went to see a French cabaret which whilst strange was very enjoyable. The next day it was up to the top of the Eiffel Tower then we had free time to explore Paris. So some of the others and I decided we would head out to the catacombs. Here during the black plague due to over crowded graveyards thousands and thousands of exhumed bodies were moved and whilst it was creepy I found it very interesting. The next day we had a full day to ourselves to explore Paris So some of us headed straight for the Louvre and after 5hrs or so there it was then a short walk to the Notre Dame Cathedral which is nothing less than extravagant. After that all of them except me and an Australian girl named Ella were tired and decided to go back to the hotel whilst Ella and I walked back to the Louvre and then down the Champs Elysee to the Arc de Triomphe. After that it was back for dinner then we went to see the Eiffel Tower after dark which was spectacular. After that with my legs almost collapsing it was time to sleep. The next day it was off to Belgium.
The trip to Brussels was fairly short and once there we were allowed walk around and find lunch for ourselves which for most ended up being Belgium Waffles. It was then time to move onto Antwerp where we would spend the night. Antwerp can pretty much be summed up in two words "Jewellery stores" as almost every second store in Antwerp is a jewellery store. However we did manage to find some good chocolate and the food at the hotel was the best of the whole trip I thought.
Back to Germany into a small town called Hagen our last stop because the next day we would be heading back to Sweden. We didn't really do anything too cultural in Hagen. It just served as the place where we had our Farewell party which was a whole lot of fun. I ended up winning the most annoying accent award.
The next day we were back in Malmo and it was the end of Eurotour a very sad moment but at least the majority of us were staying for the night in Malmo so at least this delayed the goodbyes.
All in all it was the greatest thing I have ever done and I'm just sad that we couldn't all have stayed together for longer.
Part 1
Part 2
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