As I began my last month in Prague, I set out on one final international trip, this time to the Southern region of Scandinavia. By way of an insanely cheap flight, one can be in Malmö, Sweden in just over an hour. Lucky me, I had some friends there, so I was given the insider tour of this small but beautiful and iconic area.
The third largest city in Sweden, Malmö is something of a university town, with quite a young atmosphere. The are trendy galleries openings every weekend, and as one would expect, constant demonstrations. It is also the home of some of the best examples of the Modern Scandinavian style of architecture. The Turning Torso (pictured), a complex tower of modern residential units, stands high above the shoreline area, where the sea water is used to create a series of streams that run straight through the neighborhoods.
What's most characteristic of Sweden (and all of the Northern Europe it would seem) is the focus of biking. Practically every street had a dedicated bike lane, and you had to constantly be aware of the cyclists flying by you. Now, I'm not the most skilled bike rider there ever was, I could hop on and get moving, but turning creates some difficulty. So if I had any hope of doing anything in the city I had to have a crash course right there and then. In the end I managed, but it was hard to keep up with the Swedes who, on a typical night out, bike to no less then seven different places on opposite ends of the city. So my advice is make sure you're not afraid to start peddling before you take a trip up North.
The third largest city in Sweden, Malmö is something of a university town, with quite a young atmosphere. The are trendy galleries openings every weekend, and as one would expect, constant demonstrations. It is also the home of some of the best examples of the Modern Scandinavian style of architecture. The Turning Torso (pictured), a complex tower of modern residential units, stands high above the shoreline area, where the sea water is used to create a series of streams that run straight through the neighborhoods.
What's most characteristic of Sweden (and all of the Northern Europe it would seem) is the focus of biking. Practically every street had a dedicated bike lane, and you had to constantly be aware of the cyclists flying by you. Now, I'm not the most skilled bike rider there ever was, I could hop on and get moving, but turning creates some difficulty. So if I had any hope of doing anything in the city I had to have a crash course right there and then. In the end I managed, but it was hard to keep up with the Swedes who, on a typical night out, bike to no less then seven different places on opposite ends of the city. So my advice is make sure you're not afraid to start peddling before you take a trip up North.
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