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visiting a friend who was studying abroad. We spent most of our time in Uppsala, where the university is located, but I HIGHLY recommend visits to Stockholm and Copenhagen. Train tickets to these are pretty cheap and schedules are quite accomodating. Copenhagen in general is quite the opposite. This city wreaked havoc on my wallet, and we were staying in hostels. If you have time, visit Uppsala, particularly Gamla (old?) Uppsala. Lots of very old Viking history here, a beautiful, peaceful place. A short (okay, maybe a little over an hour) walk from downtown Uppsala on St. Erik's path, which is a 20 minute train ride from Stockholm.
Castles in Stockholm, Copenhagen, and even Uppsala are spectacular, but the one in Malmo was a downright waste of time. Visit museums in Stockholm, but be careful to find the one that exhibits the region's history rather than the one that exhibits modern art, the two are difficult to distinguish. Take time to walk along the paths high above the riverbanks (you will see what I mean), photo opportunities for Scandinavian architecture mixed with modern lifestyle abound. I cannot recommend spending too much time in Malmo, not a whole lot for the tourist there. There are some beautiful parks and interesting architecture, but the city imparts far less of the traditional Scandinavian feel as compared to the others I visited. In Copenhagen, you MUST pay the couple dollars to climb up the stairs of the cathedral to the top of the spiral spire (Sorry, can't remeber the name of the particular church off the top of my head). It is a couple blocks from Christiania (not for the faint of heart), and very tall, spirally, and hard to miss. From the top you get a breathtaking view of the city, as well as the bridge from Malmo, and a row of maybe 12 tremendous windmills in a line out in the bay. Take many rolls of film, as you will need them all.
Aside: Travellers Cheques have a worse exchange rate than cash by quite a bit (enough to make a difference to me; you, maybe not as much). ATMs tend to be more reasonable and easier to deal with. Keep in mind you will have to pay to use the restrooms as well. If you fancy a drink or two, they will set you back at least twice what they would here. Don't expect much sleep on your first night either, It may not be as eccentric by now, but when I was there, the sun went "down" (dipped a little below horizon, never really got dark) around 11:30, and started rising again around 1:30. Full morning light by 3:30AM. Quite something when you have never seen it before. Good luck, and bring your umbrella.
Tack,
Andy
Boulder, CO
91 Red SPG
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