I haven’t written a lot about the place I’ve been visiting. Stockholm. The city, like its people, is tidy, precise, beautiful, homogeneous at it’s core and somewhat threatened by change. It’s such a livable place that you can basically wander from park to park island to island for years and just feel good. You see… Continue reading Travel thoughts Stockholm #8
Travel thoughts Stockholm #7
Last day in Stockholm. I went to the Nobel museum instead of Uppsala as the nobel prize is maybe the thing I associate most with Sweden, but I was fully prepared to be disappointed by a money grab, tourist grab and very superficial take on an otherwise grandiose institution, similar to when I did a… Continue reading Travel thoughts Stockholm #7
Travel thoughts Stockholm #6
I came to Stockholm to make a friend, brought a present and my giftbag was a handmade bag an old japanese lady I had stayed with earlier this year gave me, surely as a commercial present, as she sells these things. For me the bag was this: a commercial gift. I remember Miyoko anyway, learned… Continue reading Travel thoughts Stockholm #6
Travel thoughts Stockholm #5
I have spent my anniversary alone. It was by choice, in beautiful Stockholm and I was actually with a friend but didn’t tell him about it. So I should say I celebrated my birthday alone. In reality I don’t care a lot about these occasions. They are days like any other, but I remember specifically… Continue reading Travel thoughts Stockholm #5
Travel thoughts Stockholm #4
A friend told me today that I’m like the Little Prince looking for paradise. This is the second time I’m likened to that small blond idealist. When I read the book in school it was homework, french, kind of childish for a kid. People who know me well chose it later to make sense of… Continue reading Travel thoughts Stockholm #4
Travel thoughts Stockholm #3
People, not things, make your enjoyment of life. It’s the message of the Little Prince, the Ode to Joy, everybody has heard it. But I actually think people at large do not prioritise friendship. Not even friendship but all relationships. There is a poem by Voltaire saying that in order to be happy you need… Continue reading Travel thoughts Stockholm #3
Travel Thoughts Stockholm #2
I recently discovered that I can be a good friend. This gives me a new sense of purpose, knowing lot of stuff, feeling intelligent and cultured etc. did in the past but does not anymore. I admit I want or even need to feel special in order to be happy. Not the best, but good… Continue reading Travel Thoughts Stockholm #2
Travel thoughts Stockholm #1
This trip is dedicated to friendship. I’m basically going to leave my partner room for her activities and duties and also let her develop friendships of her own. On my side everything fell into place in a fortuitous way as well. A couple of weeks ago I declared for the first time in my life,… Continue reading Travel thoughts Stockholm #1
Travel Thoughts: Japan 7
I have always been a city dweller. When I came to Vienna to study after having spent my childhood in the countryside I felt like coming out of exile. The lifestyle especially as a student appealed to me. You walk and observe interesting, diverse people. You go somewhere, you see culture, that is somebody’s effort… Continue reading Travel Thoughts: Japan 7
Travel Thoughts: Japan 6
The main goal of my trip was to learn Japanese. I must really have bought into the concept of slow travel because I have been learning for 3 years prior, learned some basic things during my stay and plan many more visits until I have mastered the language which harbors incredible cultural treasures. All in… Continue reading Travel Thoughts: Japan 6