Ready, steady.....go (Stockholm)
True to myself, I spent most of yesterday either sleeping or wandering aimlessly around Stockholm. True, the weather was not most encouraging either, having returned to what can be considered normal in this part of the world: wind, occasional showers and the refreshingly (?) brisk temperatures of around 14 degrees. I did manage, although only just, to take care of the few preparations that I had planned.
On my two previous trips to Stockholm I had wanted, but somehow never got around to, visiting the Dance Museum that houses dance related artefacts from around the world. This time I actually did it, and despite the initial disappointment that so much of the display concentrated on costumes (really, what had that got to do with dance?) and scene replicas from different productions had a lovely time there. Additionally, there was very little material related to other European dance traditions besides ballet (which as some of you know, is not among my favourite forms of entertainment). Despite these shortcomings, however, I was excited about the displays of dance styles from around the world. What really appealed to me were the video clips, masks and explanations about Japanese, Indian and Chinese dance traditions. What a wealth of colour, rhytm and symbolism, with often the most minuscule movement! I was especially impressed by the Japanese ancient art of Kabuki, a strictly controlled court dance that slowly became the domain of old men, as first the women and then even the young men had been banned from performing it, being considered too seductive.
After the museum, I went looking for the spare parts and maps that I had decided I needed. Upon getting inner tubes at a bike shop, I realised that my front tyre was actually so worn out and full of cracks that it would be a great risk to embark on such a long trip. I was reminded of the experience I had last year, when getting into Berlin I had to resort to walking the bike for last 8 or so km, as the rear tyre just split into two, and it being a Sunday there was really nowhere to get a new one. Pushing the bike, with its heavy load, fretting about getting permanent damage to the wheel, amongst cheering crowds of German football fans (Germany was playing a succesfull match against England I think), in the simmering heat... well, if I could avoid that, I certainly would!
The front tyre now changed (to my dismay I had to settle for a Continental tyre instead of the Schwalbe Marathon Plus that I have come to trust), I had a hasty ride through the city, looking for a proper map of the route I was planning to follow. Here again, I had the previous experience of trying to get by on cheap, give-away maps distributed at gas stations, and spending countless hours on deserted country roads, in the middle of Swedish forest, wondering where on Earth I was. Just like in Germany, it turned out that although there was a multitude of cycling maps available, their scale was either so minuscule (meaning I would need at least 20 to get to the West Coast), or they only displayed winding theme routes that would take forever and still not really get me to where I wanted to go. Thus, in the end I had to buy two road maps that the sales clerk recommended. Hmm. So much for planning ahead.
At this point, I was already late for a meeting David, a tango friend I had met at last year's Tange 59 festival. He had kindly offered my buy me dinner before joining me at the outdoor milonga at Gröna Lund amusement park. We had a lovely meal, along with some friends of David's, at the Gondole, a central landmark just near my hostel at Slussen. Unfortunately, the roof terrace where we had planned to eat was closed due to the rain, but the food at the downstairs Erik's wine bar was wonderful.
The milonga itself turned out to be just as lovely as I remembered from last year. A covered dance floor amidst all those amusement park gadgets, with hundreds of dancers and familiar, classic tango songs, it had the perfect relaxed atmosphere I needed at this point of the trip. We got there a bit late, so I only got to dance about 2 hours, but luckily got to dance the whole time. Even saw many familiar faces, both from last year and from this February's Tango Frostbite Festival in Helsinki, so I felt I was among friends.
Am now almost ready to hop on my bike and start the trip in earnest. My first goal is Gnesta, a village not far from Stockholm, where I hope to be getting in good time. However, it remains to be seen how well my map-reading skills are tuned after the long break from bicycle-touring. Wish me luck!
On my two previous trips to Stockholm I had wanted, but somehow never got around to, visiting the Dance Museum that houses dance related artefacts from around the world. This time I actually did it, and despite the initial disappointment that so much of the display concentrated on costumes (really, what had that got to do with dance?) and scene replicas from different productions had a lovely time there. Additionally, there was very little material related to other European dance traditions besides ballet (which as some of you know, is not among my favourite forms of entertainment). Despite these shortcomings, however, I was excited about the displays of dance styles from around the world. What really appealed to me were the video clips, masks and explanations about Japanese, Indian and Chinese dance traditions. What a wealth of colour, rhytm and symbolism, with often the most minuscule movement! I was especially impressed by the Japanese ancient art of Kabuki, a strictly controlled court dance that slowly became the domain of old men, as first the women and then even the young men had been banned from performing it, being considered too seductive.
After the museum, I went looking for the spare parts and maps that I had decided I needed. Upon getting inner tubes at a bike shop, I realised that my front tyre was actually so worn out and full of cracks that it would be a great risk to embark on such a long trip. I was reminded of the experience I had last year, when getting into Berlin I had to resort to walking the bike for last 8 or so km, as the rear tyre just split into two, and it being a Sunday there was really nowhere to get a new one. Pushing the bike, with its heavy load, fretting about getting permanent damage to the wheel, amongst cheering crowds of German football fans (Germany was playing a succesfull match against England I think), in the simmering heat... well, if I could avoid that, I certainly would!
The front tyre now changed (to my dismay I had to settle for a Continental tyre instead of the Schwalbe Marathon Plus that I have come to trust), I had a hasty ride through the city, looking for a proper map of the route I was planning to follow. Here again, I had the previous experience of trying to get by on cheap, give-away maps distributed at gas stations, and spending countless hours on deserted country roads, in the middle of Swedish forest, wondering where on Earth I was. Just like in Germany, it turned out that although there was a multitude of cycling maps available, their scale was either so minuscule (meaning I would need at least 20 to get to the West Coast), or they only displayed winding theme routes that would take forever and still not really get me to where I wanted to go. Thus, in the end I had to buy two road maps that the sales clerk recommended. Hmm. So much for planning ahead.
At this point, I was already late for a meeting David, a tango friend I had met at last year's Tange 59 festival. He had kindly offered my buy me dinner before joining me at the outdoor milonga at Gröna Lund amusement park. We had a lovely meal, along with some friends of David's, at the Gondole, a central landmark just near my hostel at Slussen. Unfortunately, the roof terrace where we had planned to eat was closed due to the rain, but the food at the downstairs Erik's wine bar was wonderful.
The milonga itself turned out to be just as lovely as I remembered from last year. A covered dance floor amidst all those amusement park gadgets, with hundreds of dancers and familiar, classic tango songs, it had the perfect relaxed atmosphere I needed at this point of the trip. We got there a bit late, so I only got to dance about 2 hours, but luckily got to dance the whole time. Even saw many familiar faces, both from last year and from this February's Tango Frostbite Festival in Helsinki, so I felt I was among friends.
Am now almost ready to hop on my bike and start the trip in earnest. My first goal is Gnesta, a village not far from Stockholm, where I hope to be getting in good time. However, it remains to be seen how well my map-reading skills are tuned after the long break from bicycle-touring. Wish me luck!
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