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Trondheim - Östersund - Sundsvall Day 7 - 18-June

Leaving Norway
And so we will be going to Sweden. After 1 week in Norway, 1 week Sweden is on the program. I plan to visit as much places as possible. I intended to Visit a lot of places in Sweden. Going to Östersund, Sundsvall, Gävle, Stockholm, Göteborg, Umeå and Luleå, but I found out that a crossing the border in northern Sweden to Finland is not possible, I would arrive there with midsummer night and surprisingly there is hardly and public transport. So I am forced to go south, I have kept in mind that I could make some day trips to Norrköping, Örebro and Uppsala instead (as you will see, I can't find any time to do that). Well, after the loneliness in Trondheim I didn't find that any problem. Just as I was leaving I met an English backpacker who I met at Oslo and Bergen as well, he takes in my place in the hostel and I am going to Sweden!

Sweden

Travel details: Trondheim - Östersund Trainride: Nabotåget Departure: 8:31 - Arrival: 12:09 Distance: 268km

I didn't know what to expect from this trainride, but it is quite nice. The scenery hardly changes, there are high mountains, waterfalls, rivers, lakes and a lot of wild flowers. Before going to Sweden the train stops in Hell. Yes there is a place on earth called Hell, and it is in Norway, a sign on the station building says "Hell - Gods Expedition". After a short 4 hour ride the train stops in Östersund. The city is sunny, the wooden houses in Sweden are more detailed than the norwegian ones. Most summer cottages have a swedish banner (in Norway there were also a lot of flags and banners) and the number of Volvo and Saab cars is quite high. Östersund is situated at lake Storsjön (The Big Lake), and the rumor goes that a monster lives here. Though it's probably scared to come to the surface because of all the boats sailing the lake. Östersund is a very pleasant place but after 1 hour I have quite seen it. Time to go to Sundsvall, missing the train would be unpleasant because the frequencies are not really high.

Östersund is a busy little town, and a SAAB tries to drive the shopping street (notice the "forbidden for Cars" sign).


Lake Storsjön It is certainly blue and big, but no monsters here.

Travel details: Östersund - Sundsvall Trainride: Mittlinjen Departure: 13:41 - Arrival: 15:56 Distance: 180km

Sundsvall
Another short trainride to Sundsvall. The mountains are gone now and what's left are hills and lakes. Sundsvall is a bit larger then Östersund and the main street has richly decorated buildings. The city has a french atmosphere and I find it looking a bit fake. But this is the way cities look in Sweden and though it may look French, it's still very beautifull to see.

I have to walk up to a hill to the hostel. Quite a climb and completely sweaty I arrive at the hostel. Also here the place is deserted. Only Swedish families (youth hostels in Sweden are quite popular with families and elderly couples) stay here and I end-up in a 1-person room. The setting is nice. It's not a long walk to the city centre and I am staying in a forest on top of a hill. There is viewing tower nearby as well.


Richly decorated buildings are popular here

In the city centre I see that the Mc Donalds is quite popular here. The 7 eleven is also known in Sweden but the Narvesen kiosks have made place for the Pressbyrån (though these are not present in overwhelmingly great numbers). The stores are open at the same times as in Norway and the prices are lower. Hotdogs are half price, and the Swedish Crown is worth less than a Norwegian Crown(9 SEK = 1€).. so prices just look more expensive than they really are. A stroll along the compact city centre is quite enjoyable, Sundsvall is a good stop on your way to another destination. But staying here for a night is maybe a bit much.

In the city centre a lot of dragons are placed, decorated in all kinds of different styles. The Dragon is the logo of Sundsvall (no lake monsters here) and all companies of the city decorate a dragon. The nicest dragon wins a small prize.


The fountain at the main square of Sundsvall.

I finally have the chance to practice my Swedish lessons and I manage quite well. I understand it much better than Norwegian, and reading the language is even easier. It's nice to get around in the country when you can understand all signs and comments. In Norway a lot of signs, and announcements are in Norwegian and English, in Sweden everything is in Swedish only (with exception to the large cities). But just like Norway, everybody speaks English very well over here.