Toilet paper bandaid

Today was supposed to be a record-breaking temperature in Sweden. I’m glad that I was travelling in it. Well, apart from the non-airconditioned train to Uppsala and the walk to Stockholm Central Station. Other than that, it was a good day.

In order to avoid the heat for a long as possible, I stayed at the apartment until just before check out. I then started the long, slow, punctuated by shady breaks, trudge to the station.

On the way, I spotted a Greek taverna. Perfect for lunch, I thought. And, by god, I was right. Wasting some time before my train and filling me up, it was ideal. The food was excellent too.

Then it was a long wait at Central Station for my train to Tierp.

The station and the platforms were very crowded. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s always like this in summer. Mirinda would not like it one bit!

Then, when my train arrived about 26 people boarded. The rest, it seems, were going to Oslo. Phew, what a relief. Mind you, there wasn’t a lot of relief on the train. It was hot and steamy, though, I noticed that the windows came down from the top which, I was sure would provide some ventilation once we started moving.

God save me from teenage girls. Two of them sat behind me on the train and didn’t stop talking, which was bad enough, but they also closed the window. On the hottest day in history, they closed the window. What is wrong with them?

Eventually, I think the heat managed to out-perform whatever they were jabbering about because they opened it again.

The train reached Uppsala and I left for my connection to Tierp. Normally, you can get a train from Stockholm direct to Tierp but, for some reason, the only train I could book required me to change.

As it turned out, I didn’t mind at all. The train to Tierp was fantastic. All new and techno, beautifully air conditioned and almost empty. I didn’t want to leave.

I guess I should explain the title of this post.

The apartment in Gamla stan had an unexpected step. It went from the entrance room to the bedroom. It wasn’t much of a step, and I have no idea why it was thought necessary, but I clocked it as soon as I arrived and was especially careful not to trip up it.

Until this morning.

Getting up to go to the loo, I fell down it then, like an idiot, on the way back to bed, I tripped up it.

Obviously I was carrying a mug of coffee which went everywhere and required mopping up. What I didn’t realise for a bit was the bleeding gash on my big toe.

I realised when I was cleaning the floor of coffee when I found blood as well. I looked at my toe. I then looked for a bandaid. None were to be found. I improvised.

I don’t know why it’s blurry.

Finally, arriving in Tierp, I walked the ten minutes to the guest house and checked in. Within five minutes I had a glass of very cold beer in my hand, courtesy of the very tattooed man behind the bar. Chatting to him as he poured, he said he’d moved back from Spain only to find this “Fucking heat“. He excused his language, but I assured him that I agreed. I would have said that’s why I left Australia but I was too thirsty.

A few beers later, I retired to my room.

My first impressions of Tierp are definitely positive but tomorrow, I shall explore properly.