Stockholm, Sleeping on the Water

After the North Cape we head down towards Stockholm. We pass through Boden, a typically Nordic town, located in the middle of the forest, with no real attraction other than an enchanting peace. Then we arrive, at night, in Skelleftea, where there's basically nothing, except a squalid station, and we decide to stay on the train until Stockholm. It's a long journey (over 1,000 km), tiring because we don't have couchettes, but fun. There are lots of young people, on the trains, and the three of us have a good time. Robert, the Italian-Australian we met in Oslo, sings us the Italian songs he knows. The first is "rose rosse per te" — we shut him up right away.

After almost two days of train we arrive in Stockholm, perhaps the most beautiful city in Scandinavia. We manage to find a place in the most coveted hostel: the dormitory boat moored in front of the royal palaces. Still loads of young people around, we have a great time in Stockholm, really great. The city is full of beautiful things to see, and people to meet. The shops are open until late, a novelty for these latitudes, and the impression is really good. But we can't stay more than two days.

On 19 September we pack our backpacks and get ready to go catch the ferry that will take us to Finland. Robert, tired of the Scandinavian cold (and of everything being too "expensive") decides to set off for southern Europe. We go to Turku, and we say goodbye. But our friendship won't end there. Not everyone speaks English, nor do we very well, and through a mix-up we think you can get to the ferry by train. But it's not true, you have to go by bus. It's pouring rain, but we manage to get there and get on that blessed ship. It's late, though, and there are no more couchettes. We're left with nothing but the armchairs.