... and Sweden!

After Tuscany, I flew up to Sweden to visit my friend Charlotte, and then another friend, Maria.  Charlotte is really busy juggling work and living arrangements, so we only had one day to spend together, but it was one really great day.  We went shopping...

...we got coffee...

...we went out for lunch...

...we ate Swedish sweets (chokladbol! kanelbullar!)...

It's not bad... Definitely very salty...

...and I tried one of Charlotte's favourite Swedish candies, salty licorice.

Basically we just hung out for the entire day, relaxing from work or traveling, catching up on the past year since we’ve seen each other, and reflecting on how Salford and the year since we left have changed us.  Days like this are really the reason I travelled to Italy and Sweden and London.  I just wanted to spend time with far away friends.  

The next morning, Charlotte got on a train to go to work and I got on a train to Malmö, a city at the southern tip of Sweden (right across from Copenhagen).  I met another friend from Salford, Maria, who is staying is Sweden for the summer.  She’s only been in Malmö a few weeks, so we casually strolled around the city and along the coast.  While we were watching the sun sink over the horizon, we got the crazy idea to jump off the observation deck into the sea below, so the next day we came back and did just that.  It’s probably a 25-foot (7-8m), and I have to admit, standing on that ledge was seriously frightening.  But I jumped anyway.  Twice.  And Maria did it once, too.  I’m not entirely sure I’d do it again (the pressure on my ears was not comfortable), but it was a hell of an experience.

And because that wasn’t enough excitement for one afternoon, Maria and I went to a sauna house about a mile away on the coast.  We found an empty sauna and sat down in the heat, ready to relax, but after just a few minutes an employee from the sauna house informed us that all of the saunas are nude-only.  

Ah.  Okay.  Didn’t know.  So we put our swimsuits back in the locker room.  Outside the saunas there is a network of criss-crossing boardwalks, many with staircases that lead directly out into the Baltic Sea.  When the sauna got too hot, we walked out and swam in the sea.  The water is fantastically cold, but after a few rounds of the sauna and a cool-down then back to the sauna, it all started to feel really comfortable.  And hey, I swam in the sea for the second time in a week!

Maria and I spent the rest of the trip just like Charlotte and I did - talking, catching up, reflecting on the past, and wondering about our next steps.  And of course when I’ll be back in Europe.  I don’t have an answer for that, and I don’t know when I will, but I feel pretty confident that this isn’t my last trip.  

Tuscany...

Since I’m on this side of the ocean, I figured it made sense to quickly pop over to the continent to visit a few friends from Salford.  My first destination was Tuscany.  I stayed with my friend Silvia in the little town where she grew up, Staggia.  It’s not far from Siena and a bit further from Florence, and it’s right in the heart of picturesque Tuscany.  because I stayed with Silvia in Staggia last summer, this trip felt like returning to an old, familiar place.  We spent less time sightseeing and more time doing casual Tuscan things.  It was absolutely brilliant.

I flew into Pisa international airport, so Silvia and I walked over to the Tower of Pisa for a few photos.  The plaza is absolutely crawling with tourists taking the cliché “holding up the tower” photos, but the tower itself is pretty interesting.  In Italy, it is also called “the miraculous tower” because it still stands when it’s not straight.  

Daniele and Silvia

Silvia introduced me to Daniele, and together the three of us visited the Abbey of San Galgano, which operated in the 14th century and was abandoned centuries ago.  The abbey still stands, but the roof disappeared long ago, leaving the entire sanctuary open to the sky.  It was really cool, but I wish they hadn’t turned it into an attraction with an entry fee.  Some of the doors were locked which took away from the beauty of the light spilling in.  

Later that night we visited Siena for its contrada celebration.  Tuscany is divided into 17 districts called contradas, each with a mascot, and the contradas celebrate their own region at various points in the year.  Siena’s contrada, Nicchio (“nicky-o”, meaning seashell) hosted its final night of celebrations while I was there, so we went to the city centre to drink wine, sing and dance to Italian songs, and eat traditional Tuscan food.

Pappa al pomodoro

I was really excited to visit the beach, so Silvia took me to Castiglione della Pescaia (“cast-ee-lee-OWN-ay dell-uh pesk-EYE-uh”).  It was my first time swimming in the Mediterranean!!  I was so excited.  We stayed on the beach to watch the sunset, then we drove to a geothermal spring in the mountains.  It was like sitting in a hot tub that smelled strongly, but not unpleasantly, of sulfur.  There were tons of people there, Italians and tourists, but I couldn’t stop staring at the stars.  I know I’m a sheltered suburban/city kid, but I swear I’ve never seen so many stars in my life. 

Castiglione della Pescaia

The stars above the thermal pool

The next morning, Daniele took me, Silvia, and a few more friends out to the castle (literally) where he practices archery.  We shot at target boards first, then we hiked a forest trail with foam animals for targets.  I think I was pretty good!

Daniele coaching me

Being in Tuscany again was better than I hoped it would be.  Italian hospitality is incredible, especially Silvia and her family, the land is beautiful, and the food is phenomenal.  And it’s funny that after only eight days of my life there, I was really quite sad to leave.  Who knows when I’ll be back?  But I can say that this trip was full of new experiences, far more familiarity with Tuscan culture, and (like last time) the desire to come back soon.  

It's Good to Be Back

It’s been thirteen months since I was last in England, and I am so happy to be back.  It feels different, no question - it’s not exactly my city anymore, is it? - and so much has changed in my life in the past year that it’s no surprise things feel different.  But Manchester is also so familiar.  It’s still rainy and grey.  The people still dress in flashy British fashion.  I can still find chips and beer in virtually every shop.  The things I’ve missed are still here! 

I am also taking care to check out the places I failed to see when I did live here.  I visited four museums already: MOSI (The Museum of Science and Industry),  is full of hands-on learning exhibits about the science behind Manchester's industrial revolution but is much cooler if you are eight years old.  The People's History Museum was quite good and age-appropriate.  It covers the struggle for democracy and human rights throughout the past few centuries, which is really relevant in the city that gave birth do the industrial revolution.  I really liked the Manchester Art Gallery for its collection of paintings depicting lesser-known Greek myths, as well as the Raphealite collection (depicting dirty, everyday life) and the temporary West African art exhibit.  The National Football Museum was not really my thing... but David tried to educate me on all the football things and I tried to keep up.

Proof that I'm funny.  See?  He's laughing.

Another place I missed completely is the seaside.  I really wanted to take a daytrip out to Southport last year, but it never worked out.  I finally got to go on Saturday.  You'll have to forgive the childish excitement here, but I have never seen the tide go out, and it was SO COOL.  The beach extends for 100m!  You can walk on the wet sand!  Little sand dunes are uncovered!  I liked Southport, too, for being quaint and so old-fashioned.  I absolutely insisted on fish and chips.

Can you see the tide???

I've spent the other days of the past week meeting with David's friends and visiting pubs he's discovered since I left.  We both really like the massively pretentious Brew Dog, and I think I've discovered hipster paradise in a pub called the Castle Hotel.  It's the perfect mix of outdated, avant garde, pretentious, and shabby.  We saw one of David's friends perform with his band there.  We also discovered a microbrewery that serves an Earl Grey IPA, and if you're into beer you should definitely try to taste an Earl Grey IPA at some point.  Strange and good at the same time.  And so very British, isn't it?

We also went to David's parents' house for a classic British Sunday dinner.  I had an absolutely fantastic time, though I'm sure they attribute that to my American excitement for everything.  I promise you it was purely genuine. Good thing David's family promised I could come back for dinner again before I leave Europe.  Looking forward to it already.

P.S. Yeah... most of the pictures don't match what I'm talking about.  I didn't take my camera to any of the places described, excluding Southport.  I'll have more appropriate pics in the next post!

Teaching me to pout like British girls...

...but I'm not very good at it