There are a total of 14 of us for this trip. Exchange students from all everywhere. Not as global as it sounds, only 4 of us not from Europe actually.
We set off on 020309 from the Oulu Railway Station, taking the 1140H train to Turku Station where the harbour was located. We had tickets for the Pendolino Trains, which are the fastest ones in Finland.
For us to listen to their really entertaining radio channels
This little cafe on board is called Prego
Frosyni and OlgaFrosyni is from Greece and she is crazy over birds. REALLY crazy over birds. She can rattle off the scientific names of birds easily. Olga is from Estonia, and she can speak fluent Finnish because she studies that in her home Uni. Her best language is not Estonian, but Russian. English is supposed to be her weakest language, but she has no trouble expressing herself in English. My language skills pale in comparison... By so much...
Turku!
Our Pendolino Train
Arrival at Turku Harbour
Some building in Turku
Inside the harbour:
They've a greying population problemIt was considered cheap lor.. EUR 15.50 for the trip from Turku to Stockholm, and EUR11.80 for the journey back. Each cabin has 4 beds, radio, and a toilet. Still can shower.
On board Isabella:
So many girls??
Ok, 2 more guys in the picture.. 2 girls and 1 guy missing
Very hard to take pictures at night
Lídia took the picture for usDay 1 in Stockholm:
Finally we arrived at Stockholm City TerminalOur group was too big, so it was impossible for everyone to agree on everything. After wasting alot of time at the Terminal, we set off for the hostel on foot.
I love the temperature in Stockholm!! It was probably slightly above 0 degrees, and it feels so much better than Oulu already. It was a short walk to the hostel, which did not take much trouble finding.
Lodge 32, our home for the next 3 days
Li Kang and me in the hostelWe paid EUR 42 for 3 days and 2 nights. It was cheap and cozy. There was a nice kitchen with lots of utensils available for us to use, a stove, 2 microwaves, a fridge. There was a TV inside too. The main area has 3 computers with internet access, and there was wireless LAN for us as well. Overall, I was extremely satisfied with the stay.
The supermarket is less than a 3 min walk away, and we bought our groceries there. The name is ICA.
ICA helped me save money. :)
Nice colours. Most of the stuff here are cheaper than those in Finland.
Our first destination was the City Hall, which was the closest attraction to our hostel. Some photos we took on our way there:
The supermarket is less than a 3 min walk away, and we bought our groceries there. The name is ICA.
ICA helped me save money. :)
Nice colours. Most of the stuff here are cheaper than those in Finland.Our first destination was the City Hall, which was the closest attraction to our hostel. Some photos we took on our way there:
There was alot to see at the City Hall. The outside was grand, and the inside has alot of interesting details. This is the location of the dinner banquet that is held after the Nobel Prize award ceremony.
The entrance we used
Even the stairs are specially designed, and has a story behind it
Painted by some prince or king. Can't remember
This should look like the hull of a ship. Not bad..
Our guide
I got this for my room mate. Only can be bought from City Hall
Almost good enough for a postcardNext stop was Old Town, which is a little island south of the mainland of Stockholm.
We don't know what this building is, but just take with it la
The one on the right is Beata, from Poland
The Royal Palace
Probably should have stood closer to him and see what happens. Haha..
Original picture of the palace
After removing the ugly renovation thingy at the top
We were all hungry after this, and set out to look for cheap eats within Old Town. Some places were selling food that was cheap, compared to Finland. Where's my $2.80 fishball noodles???
This was my kebab lunch that costs SEK 50 ~ SGD$ 9. And this is supposed to be cheap. At least it tastes good.
Moderna Museum
Looks like a nice, friendly, arty farty place
Inside Nobel Museum
Night shot of Stockholm
Day 2 in Stockholm:
About to set off for Aquaria Museum
Second from the right is Corina, and the one one the right is Maria. They were two of the students who got the whole Stockholm trip started.
We were walking through Old Town when we passed the Royal Palace again. The guards were formed up, and it seems that something special was about to happen.
Marching Off
Entering the parade square
It was the changing of the guards parade that takes place at 1215H. Glad to be at the right place at the right time.
Signal for cease-fire
Couldn't get too close to take picture with them. The guard about 10m away from us kept eyeballing us to make sure..
And so we continue with our journey to the Aquaria Museum...
Swans spotted on the way
Photo of friends taking photos
You don't see this often
Swans feeding. Check out the video!
I love how graceful they look when they search for food
The bed was so comfortable... Too bad it was our last night there already. We had breakfast and prepared to set off for a final walk round Stockholm.
My breakfast was spaghetti. We got clever and cooked them beforehand. So we only had to microwave it. I had a big portion. With 2 sausages. The sauce was mildly spicy. Not bad...
So nice!
Ya, I know, nice hair
Back at the harbour... Everybody's tired...
On board Amorella
In our cabin, Li Kang was entertaining Xiao Hui and me with card tricks.. It was fun trying to figure out how they were done. He shouldn't have allowed us to ask so many questions and repeat the tricks ma. Haha.. On a sidenote, the ferry trips cost even lesser than the hostel stay in Sweden. The hostel was EUR 21 per night.
After taking the ferry, I went straight back to Oulu.. Turku seemed too boring for me. And I'm glad I did not get off at Tampere to sight see as well. There was nothing much to do there too..
FINALLY I have come to the end of the post... This took so long to complete...
The photos below are those from the long walk from hostel to downtown in Oulu.
Worst navigator on the planet
Me trying to take pics of the ducks
Ok, this is really the end already!
We don't know what this building is, but just take with it la
The one on the right is Beata, from PolandBeata is a feminine (and tall) girl. But once she puts on her coat and grabs a map, she transforms into a seasoned navigator. I think her skills can rival Li Kang's. Me, I just follow either of them. So relaxing. Haha..
Curious about this..
I think Singapore's playgrounds are way nicer
I was wondering why Frosyni was taking picture of this shrub. When her camera died, I lent her my camera, which she used to take tons of photos of birds.
Iconic buildings in Stockholm
So we have to take pictures with it. I look like a giant here.
Curious about this..
I think Singapore's playgrounds are way nicer
I was wondering why Frosyni was taking picture of this shrub. When her camera died, I lent her my camera, which she used to take tons of photos of birds.
Iconic buildings in Stockholm
So we have to take pictures with it. I look like a giant here.
The Royal Palace
Probably should have stood closer to him and see what happens. Haha..
Original picture of the palace
After removing the ugly renovation thingy at the topWe were all hungry after this, and set out to look for cheap eats within Old Town. Some places were selling food that was cheap, compared to Finland. Where's my $2.80 fishball noodles???
This was my kebab lunch that costs SEK 50 ~ SGD$ 9. And this is supposed to be cheap. At least it tastes good.
Moderna Museum
Looks like a nice, friendly, arty farty placeWe paid SEK 60 for the entrance to the Modern Art Museum (Moderna Museet). I highly recommend this museum for anyone who wants to creep themselves out. No photo taking was allowed, so I can't prove my point.
The initial part was alright, with nice pictures.. Some interesting, others looked like they could have been taken by me.
Then there were weird exhibits. See already will go - WTF. Really no better expressions than this. I watched a video about some woman balancing glasses on a stove. And an animated film about a public toilet, where one of the most disturbing scenes was a girl determined to flush a tortoise down the loo. And another girl diving into the toilet bowl etc. I'd prefer a horror movie anytime. At least it's more entertaining.
The only consolation was being able to say that I have seen either 4 or 5 of Picasso's works. And I don't even know their names. Haha..
Li Kang and I went to the Nobel Museum after that. It's free entry on Tuesdays, after 1730H. Good thing we went, because I wouldn't want to pay SEK 40 to go in. But this place was better than Moderna. But then again, it's so tiny...
The initial part was alright, with nice pictures.. Some interesting, others looked like they could have been taken by me.
Then there were weird exhibits. See already will go - WTF. Really no better expressions than this. I watched a video about some woman balancing glasses on a stove. And an animated film about a public toilet, where one of the most disturbing scenes was a girl determined to flush a tortoise down the loo. And another girl diving into the toilet bowl etc. I'd prefer a horror movie anytime. At least it's more entertaining.
The only consolation was being able to say that I have seen either 4 or 5 of Picasso's works. And I don't even know their names. Haha..
Li Kang and I went to the Nobel Museum after that. It's free entry on Tuesdays, after 1730H. Good thing we went, because I wouldn't want to pay SEK 40 to go in. But this place was better than Moderna. But then again, it's so tiny...
Inside Nobel Museum
Night shot of StockholmIt was home sweet home after this. The plan was to cook the spaghetti that we bought in the morning for dinner, but the stove was available only when the receptionist was around. So I had to make do with bread and jam.
Adam brought his laptop for the trip, and we spent the late night watching a thriller in the hostel. About some crazy guy who has multiple personalities who is a killer. It was an ok movie. Those B grade movie..
Adam brought his laptop for the trip, and we spent the late night watching a thriller in the hostel. About some crazy guy who has multiple personalities who is a killer. It was an ok movie. Those B grade movie..
Day 2 in Stockholm:
About to set off for Aquaria MuseumSecond from the right is Corina, and the one one the right is Maria. They were two of the students who got the whole Stockholm trip started.
We were walking through Old Town when we passed the Royal Palace again. The guards were formed up, and it seems that something special was about to happen.
Marching Off
Entering the parade square
It was the changing of the guards parade that takes place at 1215H. Glad to be at the right place at the right time.
Signal for cease-fire
Couldn't get too close to take picture with them. The guard about 10m away from us kept eyeballing us to make sure..There was a photo taking session for the guards after the parade. Those kind which you take for graduation by a professional photographer..
Doubt this happens everyday
Doubt this happens everydayAnd so we continue with our journey to the Aquaria Museum...
Swans spotted on the way
Photo of friends taking photos
You don't see this oftenSwans feeding. Check out the video!
I love how graceful they look when they search for foodAquaria Museum:
Like getting a massage
Restaurant in the museum
The most interesting part was when they were feeding the fishes.. Otherwise nothing very special about the place. It wasn't very big also. Underwater World anytime man.
Sharks' Lunchtime
Onward to Vasa Museum... Now, this was definitely worth the money!
Actual warship from the 1600s that was salvaged from the waters
Real cannons man
This cannon is fake that's why can get so close to it
This is a must see place for anyone going to Stockholm. Absolutely fantastic. Alot of details in the ship, and so much interesting information. The poor ship went under within 20 minutes of her maiden journey because of flawed design. There was not enough ballast. The king must be so dui since this is the most expensive warship ever in Sweden.
It was time for dinner next. Li Kang, Xiao Hui and I went to the central part of the city where the modern buildings are.. We found a local fast food restaurant, Max Burgers. I paid SEK 63 for the largest meal. But it did not seem very big, and I was sure I could have eaten 3 of the burgers at a go (just the burgers only, not the whole set). The whole set included a soft drink, coffee, fries and the burger.
Supposed to look like the cover of some horror novel
After the meal, we tried to do some window shopping, but the shops were closed by then. So we just slowly strolled back to the hostel.
The night was relaxing at the hostel. We were chatting with Minjeong about korean dramas. She should be THE person to recommend good ones for us, but too bad she seems to prefer the sad dramas instead of funny+romance ones..
Day 3 in Stockholm:
Like getting a massage
Restaurant in the museum
Sharks' Lunchtime
Some sort of archer fish. The fishes not aiming for the food. They told me they secretly hate that guy....
Onward to Vasa Museum... Now, this was definitely worth the money!
Actual warship from the 1600s that was salvaged from the waters
Real cannons man
This cannon is fake that's why can get so close to itIt was time for dinner next. Li Kang, Xiao Hui and I went to the central part of the city where the modern buildings are.. We found a local fast food restaurant, Max Burgers. I paid SEK 63 for the largest meal. But it did not seem very big, and I was sure I could have eaten 3 of the burgers at a go (just the burgers only, not the whole set). The whole set included a soft drink, coffee, fries and the burger.
Supposed to look like the cover of some horror novelAfter the meal, we tried to do some window shopping, but the shops were closed by then. So we just slowly strolled back to the hostel.
The night was relaxing at the hostel. We were chatting with Minjeong about korean dramas. She should be THE person to recommend good ones for us, but too bad she seems to prefer the sad dramas instead of funny+romance ones..
Day 3 in Stockholm:
The bed was so comfortable... Too bad it was our last night there already. We had breakfast and prepared to set off for a final walk round Stockholm.
My breakfast was spaghetti. We got clever and cooked them beforehand. So we only had to microwave it. I had a big portion. With 2 sausages. The sauce was mildly spicy. Not bad...
So nice!
Ya, I know, nice hair
Back at the harbour... Everybody's tired...
On board AmorellaIn our cabin, Li Kang was entertaining Xiao Hui and me with card tricks.. It was fun trying to figure out how they were done. He shouldn't have allowed us to ask so many questions and repeat the tricks ma. Haha.. On a sidenote, the ferry trips cost even lesser than the hostel stay in Sweden. The hostel was EUR 21 per night.
After taking the ferry, I went straight back to Oulu.. Turku seemed too boring for me. And I'm glad I did not get off at Tampere to sight see as well. There was nothing much to do there too..
FINALLY I have come to the end of the post... This took so long to complete...
The photos below are those from the long walk from hostel to downtown in Oulu.
Worst navigator on the planet
Me trying to take pics of the ducksOk, this is really the end already!
