Tuesday 4 March 2008

Öland roadtrip

Öland is a long narrow island on the Swedish east coast. It’s a last stop for many birds before they leap frog to continental Europe. So, I went on another roadtrip, as a friend wanted to visit her family in nearby historical Kalmar and on the island. The birds weren’t so interesting, as the migration hasn’t started yet, and it was windy and wet. However, I’d like to think that my nerdy and proud love of spotting scopes and the outdoors brought an unexpected joy to my friends, and participated in their self-described rebirth into a healthy lifestyle. i.e., no more cigarettes, sugar and other evils, and hello to almonds and hiking!

Watching seals, climbing lighthouses, mischevious witches and their abodes. We stopped at ruins, old borgs and castles, and large erected rocks in the shape of the phallus (many in Sweden, actually) Öland had plenty to offer our eclectic touring troupe.  Mixed with a some partying, great companions, it was the best trip so far.

 But that’s it for traveling for a while. Time to sublimate mojo and fun into my studies. Kittiwakes and shorebirds from now on.

I should actually congratulate myself in finding the fun in the more “mundane” Sweden. Other Canadian students are flying to the Alps, London, etc., not really enjoying Sweden itself. In fact, I don’t know why many foreigners are here, living a strange apartheid between foreingers and Swedes. Consider this one Spanish girl in who exclaimed in surprise: “You’re Canadian? But… but.. you were talking to the Swedish people!”

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