I ❤️ Tierp

It’s not often that I fall in love with a town. It happened with Farnham and I was very fond of Haslemere high street but, they are the exception rather than the rule. Last year, I rather liked quite a few places we visited but love? Not quite.

Today I spent a lot of time walking the streets of Tierp. One of the big jobs I had in coming here was to check out possible places to live. There’s a lot to consider.

Is it quiet? Is it attractive? Is it civilised? Does it have a systembolaget?

Well, Tierp ticks all the boxes. Big enough to have everything we need, small enough to be easily roamed around.

Okay, I should admit, it doesn’t have a lake, one of Mirinda’s desires. However, there’s always a lake within cooee of anywhere in Sweden. I’ll also need to check woodland walks. I’ll have a look on Sunday.

By the way, following possibly the hottest day in Sweden, today the temperature plummeted, it rained a bit and the sky was steely grey. A great improvement. The tattooed barman agreed. Particularly given the staff at the guest house were very busy today. The change in the weather was a bit of a blessing.

There was a live band playing in the guest house tonight as well as the women’s European Football quarter-final game with Sweden against Belgium. So, for reasons known only to them, there was furniture to build, tables and chairs to organise. There were many hands helping. By the time I returned from my second walk, everything was looking ready.

I’ve become something of a favoured patron. Everyone knows my name and it’s Gary this and Gary that, sometimes in Swedish, sometimes in English. I feel like I’ve known them all for years.

The guy at the bar in the photo above, is quite funny. He kept speaking to me in Swedish with a jokey tone so I just smiled and nodded whenever he said anything. Then another guy told him I only spoke English and he switched, instantly. I love the way they do that.

He spent a lot of time running around, looking busy, but not seeming to do anything. Always happy and smiling but effectively, not doing anything else. A cheeky chappie, if there ever was one.

I had a few beers and then returned to my room. I figured I could watch the football there and just drift off to sleep. If I stayed in the bar, I’d just drink too much and be the sad old man in the corner.

Besides, I’m off to Gävle tomorrow and I must be alert.