Greetings from the frozen North

[jim panse]

Hullow fellers,

I am sending you all these best regards from my annual vacation which has led me to Linköping, Sweden.

I just found the opportunity to leave you all a message and flip through the topics marked as active at the moment.

I shall return back home come Sunday evening, so expect me to participate more "actively" from Monday on (I am currently finishing my universitarian studies which is why my posting stats have fallen over the last months. I, however, expect to graduate early come spring and for then I have some more ideas ...)

For time being, feel greeted from Sweden! Cheerio, jim/Stephan

[Harry Tuttle]

'ello

[techumseh]

Return greetings from the true North.

Is it really frozen? You are enjoying 13C temperatures. We are at 2C, with snow in the forecast for next weekend.

Enjoy your holiday in balmy Linkoping!

[fairline]

Have a good one Steph. Did you remember to take out a bank loan to buy a beer up there?

[Sarsstock]

Best of luck on having a kick ass vacation Steph!!

Is beer really that espensive up in Sweden?

[Henrik]

All forms of alcohol is unaffordable in Sweden really. Due to heavy government taxes... Not so bad with beer as it is with other stuff though as the tax percentage rises with the alcohol percentage...


Have a nice time in Linköping Jim!

Down here in Lund it isn't really that cold yet...

[Arthedain]

Originally posted by Henrik
All forms of alcohol is unaffordable in Sweden really. Due to heavy government taxes... Not so bad with beer as it is with other stuff though as the tax percentage rises with the alcohol percentage...


Have a nice time in Linköping Jim!

Down here in Lund it isn't really that cold yet...

That's why some of us "skåningar" (people that lives in scania) are smart and travel across the strait to Denmark, or even better, to Germany, to buy alcohol. Now that's cheap.

Too bad you couldn't drop by Helsingborg Stephan.

[Eivind IV]

Stop whining, svennies! It's worse in Norway! Smart Norwegians live near the Swedish border and go to Sweden for 'cheap' beer.

Don't get surprised it you'll have to pay 7 € for a pint on the town here. So, save yourselves and stay south people!

[techumseh]

When I stayed at a downtown Stockholm hotel a few years back, we went to a nearby lounge and ordered a scotch. $40 Canadian for one drink! The price of neutrality, I guess.

[AGRICOLA]

When I stayed at a downtown Stockholm hotel a few years back, we went to a nearby lounge and ordered a scotch. $40 Canadian for one drink!

OUCH!

The price of neutrality, I guess.

More likely, part of the cost of a very comprehensive social security net. Canada isn't much better. The 1.6 litre bottle of pretty decent hooch which costs us the equivalent of $45 US will be a more reasonable 18 bucks as soon as we get to Florida.

[Henrik]

The most expensive beer I've ever had wasn't a swedish one though, that was a florentine one. They charged me 9 € for a beer...

In that case I guess heavy tourism was to blame though, rather than government policies.

[jim panse]

Hideliho, fellers.

I have returned, expect some After Action Report soon

[curtsibling]

Welcome back!!!



PS
In Scotland, cheap beer can be baught for 50 pence a can!
It's why we have so many down and out alchoholics!!!

[our_man]

I can vouch for Curt when he says that! Scotland, home of cheap beer & sadly, alcoholics.

[jim panse]

After Action Report, Vacation '05

Well, here is the promised AAR

I started out from Vienna Ocotber 25, around 5:30 pm with the train to Salzburg. After a good night's sleep I checked in the following morning & I flew to Stansted.

There I could admir that my flight was 25 minutes ahead fo schedule and I arrived around noon in England. I had nothing but more time to spend at that airport for Ryanair postponed my flight from 1:40 pm to 6:40 (I now know probably as much about Stansted airport than the employees there )

From London I flew to Nyköping/Stockholm Süd-Skavsta where a friend picked me up and we drove to Linköping.

In Linköping we did not too much - save drinking beer (which you should not really do in Sweden) and going to the sauna. One entire week of sleeping until noon & doing nothing too exhausting.

On 2 November I departed from Sweden and got back to London where I stayed for 4 more nights. I am still tired and I even got a blister on my left foot because of all this walking around all day in London.

After all, it was really great fun & there are so many fine things in London. I would definitely go back there at any time.

Oh, and sorry Britts, about this next statement: English beer/ale sucks. This is, however, only my continental European arrogance. If you do want to get by in England you'd best stick to Carlsberg and/or Stella Artois (these two brands proved to be the last security lines )

I might post a link to some pictures after I set them up to my webpage, probably this week, next week or *really soon*