Weekend tip: Stockholm goes all out for 08.08.08

by Anna Brones on

Tomorrow (08.08.08) not only marks the start of the 2008 Olympic Games, but it’s also the day for Stockholm’s Go08 festival. Why does the 08.08.08 date carry significance for Stockholmites? It’s their telephone area code; in Swedish they’re often referred to as “08ers.” So because Friday’s calendar date was special the City of Stockholm decided to throw a party, and it’s going to be full of music, food and dancing into the late hours.

Along with various musical acts playing in two of the cities main squares — Kungsträdgården and Medborgarplatsen — Stockholm’s Old Town will be the battleground of a “water war.” The water war isn’t part of the city’s official festivities, but if you’re in the area and planning on doing some sightseeing you just might want to bring your water gun for the showdown.

Don’t expect to pay too much for Go08; all activities are somewhere between free and 8 SEK (about $1.30). And what city-wide party wouldn’t be complete without fireworks? There will be a whole 8 minutes and 8 seconds of them in the evening to look forward to. Seems like there isn’t a better day to be in the Swedish capital.

Airport reminder: Do not check-in people!

by Abha Malpani on

Authorities at Sweden’s Bromma Airport didn’t find it funny or entertaining when they were made the scapegoats of a stunt by private television station Kanal 5.

A heavy bag was brought to the check-in counter and during procedures, the bag was opened and a dwarf hopped out. A hidden crew was filming the incident, expecting to get a crazy reaction to the situation, something that could be aired on the comedy channel.

Other than feeling “shocked and humiliated” it is unclear how the airport staff actually reacted, and the channel promises that “extreme situation entertainment” footage is all they wanted.

I think it’s quite an original candid camera tactic, and since the airport isn’t pressing charges, looks like they’re not taking it too seriously either.

The things people do for a giggle. Sigh.

Drunken Swedish elk attacks toddler

by Anna Brones on

Having lived in Scandinavia, I love stories that involve moose or elk, and with so many running around the northern country, it’s not hard to find them. The animals sometimes do weird things, like run amok on subways. But today’s bit of Scandinavian news is even weirder; it involves a drunken elk.

Just outside of Gothenburg, a three year old was playing in her sandbox when a young elk walked up to her and bit her on the arm. The elk was apparently drunk after having consumed a few too many yeasted apples and after biting the young girl stumbled away from the backyard.

Elk roaming into residential areas isn’t uncommon, but inebriated ones are. Something to keep in mind during your next trip to Scandinavia.

Amusement park ride in Sweden collapses, injuring nearly 20

by Jeffrey White on

One of the reasons I have a fear of amusement parks is because of a story like this.

Yesterday, a jam-packed amusement ride at a Swedish theme park collapsed, injuring nearly 20 people, many of who were children.

The collapse happened at the Liseberg theme park outside Goteborg, in western Sweden. The ride was a spinning arm-and-seat combination.

Swedish authorities tell the Associated Press that a malfunctioning ball bearing was behind the collapse. The ride had been checked for safety in the spring, and nothing at that time was found to be amiss.

Twenty-five ambulances responded to the scene.

Liseberg is Scandinavia’s largest amusement park, with 30 different rides, the AP says.

Drunken Swede tries to row back home from Denmark

by Anna Brones on

Partying while traveling certainly has its perks; for starters you get to meet new people and test out the local drink of choice. Often drunken escapades turn into great stories — “this one time at a bar in [insert country] I…” — but sometimes things get a little too out of hand. That’s what happened to a 78 year old man who was preparing to board a ferry at Helsingør, Denmark to cross the straight back home to Swede. When the man opened his wallet he realized that he had spent all of his money at the bar, and could therefore not pay for the ferry ride.

Wanting to get home, the man stole a rowboat and headed in the direction of Sweden. Tired and slightly inebriated, the man passed out in the hopes that the currents would get him across the 4 kilometer straight. Eventually he was found by the Danish Coastguard. When he sobered up he was put on the next ferry home; no news on how he paid for the ticket.

Travel moral of the story: always keep some extra emergency cash stashed away in an inner wallet pocket so that you don’t find yourself in this kind of a situation.

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