An entry in the TFS Travel Journal
A day that will live in infamy
We slept despite the incessant rattling of Cool Man, our in-room air conditioner, and the clock-radio alarm going off unexpectedly at 7:30, a condition easily solved with an irate yank on the nearest cord. We eventually went downstairs and made friends with Louisa, the cheerful, helpful manager. She showed us an ever-so-slightly larger room, which we took for the next four nights. We partook in their version of the usual breakfast, though with some quite good danish.
We then set off to return the Vectra and hit the big city, grateful for another warm, sunny day. We were certainly surprised to see that the car was no longer where it had been parked the previous night. That’s right, just not there. We went back to Louisa, who accompanied us to the crime scene and verified that there was indeed no Vectra there. She called the police and sat on hold indefinitely (”well, they’ve got to get all those cats out of trees”) and finally got through, confirmed that it had not been towed, then directed us the several blocks to the precinct house to report the theft. We got there, introduced ourselves, and waited in their marble-floored waiting room for a good 15 minutes.
We were shown to an office by a roguishly handsome Swedish officer with a Don Johnson 3-day growth. After telling him our story, we sat in the immaculate office (come to think of it, the whole place was unbelievably neat and clean) for at least 45 minutes. (in that time, despite Wendy’s hope and Milton’s fear, he never saw the need to frisk either of us) Finally, he came back and apologized, explaining that they’d just gotten a new computer system, and it wasn’t working too well; however, he did manage to ascertain that the car had actually been towed, as I had parked 3.2 meters from a crosswalk, rather than the 10 meters legally mandated.
They gave us a map to where the lot was, and even called a cab for us who turned out to be a very nice woman cab driver in a spotless Volvo station wagon. After paying the SK1,500 fee (approx. $190!) we had our car back. (Had we not been foreigners, there would have been a SK700 ticket tacked on!) We drove back into town and joyously dropped it off back at Europcar.
We then changed some NK into SK, bought some Guilders for next week, and had a lovely introductory walk around town. A busy, but impressively clean and colorful city; hopping harbor, very sophisticated shopping, many nice parks with fountains, fascinating and varied early 1900s architecture. We stocked up at the outdoor fruit and flower market (though only on the former) and stopped in the food court/market. A cornucopia of gourmet offerings that we decided will be tomorrow’s lunch.
We then got to our 4:30 appointment with the chiropractor (Dr. Goran C. Lindskog) who had been referred to us by our NY regular. A bit of a character (in an outfit that was a scrub shirt with a polo collar, scrub pants, and topsiders with no socks) but a good adjustment nonetheless. It was then off to our 6:00 massages. If one can’t get a good Swedish massage here, then. . . And, happily, they did not disappoint.
We returned to the room to call Dr. Scott in Guam for his 30th birthday. Unfortunately, this time zone stuff can get confusing, and we ended up waking him up at 4:00am. These doctors are used to being on call, so he was adequately coherant and even happy to hear from us in the midst of all the disaster-related work he’s been enmeshed in, though we felt kind of bad about waking him.
We dined in the hotel’s outdoor restaurant, which is evidently a pretty happening place. Milton started with the archipeligo buffet — 9 different types of herring (w/aquavit, rolled in vinegaratte, with dill sauce, etc.), while Wendy had the pasta with shellfish, and we shared a plate of assorted grilled vegatables. All three were good, though the pasta was a little like those noodles you get in a package in the grocery. Entrees were grilled charr (sort of salmon-junior) with subtly-flavored herb risotto and oyster mushrooms — all done to perfection; and crisped duck breast w/spinach and vegetables in a honey-gravy — very yummy. Accompanied by a glass of Riesling (too light) and a ruilly (amply full-bodied).
We then had a delightful stroll around the block peering into many antik shops, especially the one with an extensive clock collection. There was a cool breeze, and the streets were practically deserted of cars or people, except for the not-uncommon sight of a well-dressed professional zipping along on a shlocky bicycle. Then back to the room for the evening.