Sweden: 27^th of June 2005 r.

    On 25 ^th of June we were sitting in Bialystok - Gdansk bus. It was one of the hottest days. In the ‘luxurious’ Autosan bus, with air-conditioning that was out of order and uncomfortable seats, we felt the taste of true adventure at the very beginning of our trip. Although we were experiencing the feeling, that we won’t forget it for a long time, we eventually arrived safe for really small sum of money.

    We arrived to Gdansk about 5 p.m. We had an hour to get to the port and prepare for the customs clearance. We had to take a risk and take a taxi from the railway station to the port. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great idea. The taxi driver drove us in his old ford focus, without a fiscal counter and without a taximeter even. After reaching our place of destination in about 15-20 minutes, he charged us with 40zl, which evidently was a daylight robbery.

    During the customs clearance our tickets and passports were checked, then we headed for the ferry’s board. The boat was gigantic, it had 10 floors, was 150 meters long and 40 meters wide. The Baltic Sea is calm, we didn’t even feel that we were sailing, but for the sound of working engines and views beyond the ship’s sides, we probably wouldn’t be aware that we are at open sea. That was a wonderful journey.

    Sweden is a very old country, especially for people from the other shore of the sea. It differs from Polish reality in various ways. It is a country of immigrants. Native Swedes are mainly blondes with very characteristic body’s build and appearance. In Stockholm, the statistical citizen may be Black, Iranian, Turk, we saw also many countrymen, it’s a total blend of cultures and customs.

    The Capital is intersected by numerous channels, similarly to Venice. You can get to most distance places of the city and to the suburbs by underground. The tickets are expensive, but if you buy a monthly ticket you can travel across whole country by all means of transport. The tunnels, that were hollowed in rock, give a breathtaking impression. The way from ground level to underground’s platforms last a couple of minutes. Someone who loves such trips, would definitely enjoy it.

    While walking through the city, the pro-family character of the country can be noticed. The social policy is so expanded, that, many women decide to get pregnant. I would even say, that one out of two or three encountered girls was pregnant or was pushing the pram. Reportedly, mothers get the great benefits for each born child. It stands out very clearly, especially for a man, who was brought up in the culture, where the young couples decide to have a baby after they’re over thirty years old.

     In Stockholm, old towns consist of the number of narrow streets. The tenement houses, which have never seen the sun, erect on both sides of these streets. Undoubtedly, inside of these three-floor buildings, people have problems with dampness, fungus and stuffy air, however, as we found out, these mouldy tenement houses are most expensive at the Swedish real estate market, and they are reserved for the native Swedes from the high-class, such as businessmen or doctors, etc.

    The characteristic feature of the Swedish old town is that there are no churches there. In our reality, these sacred buildings are the most characteristic element of this part of the city. And there was nothing but buildings and buildings, very beautiful by the way. On our way to Halunda, we noticed the Lutheran Church, which didn’t differ from other buildings, with the exception of the inscription above its entrance.

    Abundance of greenery around, the tidiness and order was noticeable everuwhere – on small and big housing estates, in the center of Stockholm and on the suburbs, where the emigrants live. It’s hard to say, whether it’s an effect of Sweden’s governing principles, or effectively operating administration. Numerous tennis courts, stadiums and football pitches are also noticeable. We didn’t observe that they were occupied by people, but there was a great number of them.