So, I'm back home after my trip to Sweden. I wrote the majority of this journal entry on my journey home so I hope it reads okay. There is also a lot of photos; some behind spoilers to save those of you on slower connections (click the links that say "SPOILERS"!).
I hope you can take the time to read it all... it's fascinating, I promise.
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My trip to Sweden was both wonderful and beautiful. I'm writing this on the ferry from Gotland to Stockholm while I'm on my way to the airport. I'm not sure exactly when I'll get to post this... maybe in a few days time.
Forgive me if there is a slightly melancholic air to this entry... I guess I'm really sad to be leaving such good times and wonderful people behind.
Everything begun with around 19 girls staying in one house;
But, I am getting slightly ahead of myself...
Enola, her lovely friend (Sina) and I were making our way through the central station in Stockholm when we completely randomly bumped into Loretta and Katrina travelling up an escalator. It must have been fate.
So we took the subway together to the house.
((I'm lost for a moment here; staring out at the sea passing me by. Gazing out at the sea and thinking of it's immense power is such a perfect way to get lost.))
We arrived at the house to have the gorgeous Sugar (our host) meet us. I think I have forgotten to tell you how beautiful I had found the snow-covered city. The snow covered suburbs were just as astonishing. I really heart the feel and sound of snow under my feet. I think the girls of Northern Europe are so bored of the snow that they are waiting impatiently for the spring. I, however loved every minute of it. Where I live we get snow for perhaps one afternoon and then it turns to brown shit within a matter of hours; by the morning it's often completely gone.
Surrounded by mounds and mounds of the pretty (yet cold) white stuff we waited for the other girls to arrive. Over the next day or so the rest of the girls arrived at the house: (in order of appearance): Myra, Unida, Amaya, Wednesday, Venla, Pihka, Korento, Lumiere, Miranda, Tiara, Elf, Yuki and Nemesis. You absolutely must visit all these ladies' journals and take a look at all the photos they have taken of our Swedish get-together.
The next 3 or 4 days were a whirlwind of naked girls, cooking, walks in the snow, drinking games (in aid of getting to know one another... although the subject often quickly turned to sex), playing with the three cats or one dog, laughing and the taking of many many many photos. The whole time I've never felt so comfortable in the presence of so many females. I felt immediately at home and at times sharing our inner most secrets seemed more than a natural and obvious choice. It was a breath of fresh air and quite simply just mind-blowing.
Unfortunately there is just too much to be able to say about all the individual girls. I wish I had the time and even the words available to me to describe how wonderful they all are. For now, the photos will have to do... perhaps I'll elaborate another time...
Early on the last day lots of good-byes were said as several of the girls headed homewards. There were promises of reunions to accompany the sad-tinted hugs and kisses.
Next on the agenda was a short two-night stay in a hotel in central Stockholm. On the first night I shared my double bed with Yuki and Venla. Loretta and Katrina also accompanied us (as first). During the evening (after more naked antics) we met up with Sugar and Nemesis for a quick meal and a drink at a cheap bar in the city.
After working hard for the first part of the next day we all took a brief shopping trip and had some lunch in the old part of Stockholm. It is so beautiful - it's very similar to Edinburgh's old town near to where I live now. But it is somehow different and much more magical. Maybe this is due to the lack of tourist shops and tacky souvenirs that seem to plague Edinburgh's old town.
Much to Venla's (and mine, if I'm honest) delight we visited the Science Fiction Bukhandlen (bookstore). It is full of science fiction books and the trinkets us SciFi, Fantasy and Graphic Novel fans like to collect. Other places of note were the metal and punk music store (of which I'm sure that AnnaLee would adore), the little comic book store that we spent a good while in and also the Swedish royal palace.
Yuki also had another piercing and I was (of course) there to document it all:
As the sun went down on the city it was time to say our good-byes to Venla. We shed a tear (or two). As we were all spending more and more time together the good-byes were surely getting harder and harder.
In the evening to console ourselves we all ate a bunch of candy. We also worked a little more and I even got to do Loretta and Katrina's make-up. I really love getting creative with make-up and having the chance to do it for shoots is so fun. We worked even harder than we had planned and didn't make it out to get dinner until midnight. As a result we went to MAX (Sweden's answer to McDonald's). It was actually a good deal better than McDonald's and they even offer gluten-free bread. Yummy.
Of course, all four of us slept in the giant bed and spent one last night together. The good-byes that followed the next morning were certainly no easier than the previous ones. It was time for Katrina and Loretta to leave us. I felt so close to these to brilliant girls that even after a few short days they seemed like sisters to me. I have never laughed so much as when I was in Katrina's company and Loretta is so warm and fun. I wish I lived closer and could sit and have tea just to catch up and remember the time we've spent together.
However my journey was destined onwards. Yuki and I took the ferry with Sugar and Nemesis to Gotland; a little island off the east coast of Stockholm. The island is covered in trees and farmland. The biggest town is Visby. The sea-front of Visby is the old town - this consists of many medieval buildings, cobbled streets and ruins.
We stood out on the deck and waved good-bye to Stockholm and the shore. The ship moved slowly through the sheets of ice that covered the sea and Yuki and I excitedly took many photos and marvelled at the beauty of the sea and the shrinking land on the horizon.
The three hour journey passed relatively quickly as we talked and talked and talked. I also ate Swedish meatballs. Yum.
Even though we were incredibly tired after the journey and just 4 hours sleep the previous night we took a walk to the old town. Yuki and I were so excited to see it all covered in snow and ice and not to mention the incredibly beautiful and sleeping botanical gardens. I imagine this part of the town is absolutely bursting with excitement, energy and activity in the summer months but here, during the winter, it was quiet and all but empty for the few people that were brave enough to venture into the icy winds.
It struck me as a place hibernating and waiting for the first breaks of the spring to melt the cold away. I believe the wonderful Nemesis can help with that... although you will have to wait patiently to see her bloom; it is worth it.
((I leave the ferry on the way to the airport. Two bus rides and I should be in the airport for the evening and I'll write more.))
This airport is fairly lively for one with everything closed at this time of night. This, of course, might be due to the fact that I'm sat under the Sky City Restaurant (which belongs to the ridiculously expensive Sky City Hotel). Lots of people are getting drunk, possibly on their bosses' expense account. Then they'll retire to their luxurious hotel rooms right in the centre of the airport. Lucky them, hunh? Us common folk however must camp it out on the upright chairs which are usually designed for sitting on rather than sleeping on. Oh, how I wish for once that I didn't have to take those early morning flights anymore. Mind you it isn't much to suffer through to have had the most amazing week. I should get back on track and continue...
So, Yuki and I were staying with Nemesis (who happens to live across from Sugar!). Some more work and a lovely Indian dinner later Yuki and I fell right to sleep.
The following day was filled with shopping, sewing, freezing winds, abandoned buildings, graffiti, a make-shift baseball bat and snow, snow and more snow. So much snow in-fact that we got a car stuck in it; right after Nemesis and Sugar having almost frozen to death in the name of photos. An hour later, lots of digging and a few broken wooden planks (not to mention what turns out to have been my frost bitten toe) the car was still stuck. It was okay though because we had Daim and naked photos to look at. When we got back to Nemesis' apartment my little toe was bleeding all over my foot. Sorry no photos. I wasn't sure I'd find the irony in taking photos at a time like this to console everyone.
In order to get over the trauma (which, strangely enough we couldn't stop laughing at even though it wasn't funny at all), we ate a yummy comfort food dinner and lots of candy. Also, Sugar tried to get us all horribly drunk by giving us enough vodka to quench a small Russian army's thirst.
Yuki and I did some work and then we fell peacefully asleep once more. This was important because we were due to get up early the next day so that Nemesis could bring the sunshine to Gotland. And that she did.
I had one last lunch with Nemesis, Sugar and Yuki. We talked of music and photos and beautiful things. I had one last Swedish coffee. I tell you, they really know how to make good coffee in Sweden. I'd been told so before I got here but I just didn't realise how good.
After lunch we took one more quick walk around the town to take some photos and spend as much time in each other's company as we could before I had to depart for reality. Stepping foot out of the warm cafe and into the cold air was enough to make anyone shiver but we walked into the sunlight and through the melting snow and listened to the drips falling from the rooftops.
One last big good-bye; it was time to leave, savour the taste of the voyage and store the memories away in a special place.
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This little voyage was more than I could have ever imagined or hoped for. And no, I don't have any regrets.
All the girls that were along for this little ride: I heart you!
(Special love to Nemesis, Yuki, Sugar, Wednesday, Katrina, Loretta and Venla who especially touched my heart in their own ways).
I'm counting the days until I can see them again.
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And, now: Back to reality.
I have a short trip coming up to Copenhagen, Amsterdam and a few around the UK for more shoots.
I still don't have internet at home; it is the perfect excuse to sit in the coffee shop with their wireless connection for hours. It would be nice to finally get it installed though. I swear this is the last time I move house for the next year or two. I've moved home a total of 6 times in the past two years. Enough is enough!
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Expect more photos in my next update! I have a whole lot more where those came from...
xoxo
sunshine
Morags Blog