Random Memories

A collection of random photos from the journey:

Chairs and programs nicely set out and waiting for their owners to arrive for the Malmö practice round.

The Melodifestival camera crew has a healthy sense of humor. This flag is posted on a boom camera. Another camera used for fast movement had an angry bird key chain hanging from it. 

Spare tyger? Is it a joke or tech speak for a piece of equipment? I'm not willing to find out.

Time to shut down the lights in Malmö. An empty arena after Friday's practice round.

Traveling by train presents the opportunity to take in the landscape. This reminds me of the Midwest. Maybe that's why so many Swedes moved there. Could it have reminded them of home?

A street in Gothenburg that many Swedish immigrants walked before leaving for America. This street was once called Sillgatan. It had a bad reputation for crime and underhanded dealings, so to release the stigma, the locals renamed it Postgatan. It's now a quiet street leading to the harbor.

The Swede who created the Coca-Cola bottle. A contest was created to design the first Coke bottles. Today's design is based off of the original from Alexander Samuelson.

A beautiful blue and chilly day in Karlstad before the Second Chance round.

Fika street. Get your sweet goodies for your coffee break. These pastries are popular all over the country.

Club Ritz in Örebro before the Friday concert.

Inside Club Ritz just as it opened around 10 PM.

Is that a spaceship in the background? Nope, it's just a water tower - an Örebro landmark.

A gothic style church in Örebro.

Bernts is a cafe & bakery in Gnosjö. Their goal is to make a million semlor every season, the sign says. I learned this place was voted as having the best semlor in all of Sweden. Unfortunately, it opened up at 1 PM when my bus was leaving, so I didn't get a chance to try it out. Maybe next time.

A common sight in Sweden - a house painted in Falun red. The color is named after a town in central Sweden, home to an old copper mine, hence the deep red color you see. 

English influence on the language is evident on this sign. Check becomes checka.

A media jukebox in a Stockholm library. You upload ebooks and audiobooks for free. Just put your flash drive in the machine, choose your item, and it uploads in seconds. I made good use of this feature by filling up my entire USB stick - twice.

Blue skies all around on Sveavägen in Stockhom.

Sweden is environmentally conscious. This Big Bag is for items that can be recycled. A crane truck picks it up and takes it away to be recycled.

The entrance to the Stockholm public library. The building is a round dome-like structure.

The Stockholm public library is a very cool place, but a place for pickpockets, too. Creepy eyes remind you to watch out for your stuff.

A beautiful sunset with Stockholm's city hall in the background.

Swedish tourist guides: ABBA, Elk, and the Millennium trilogy. Where's the Ace of Base guide? ;o)

The Royal Institute of Technology library. It sits in between four buildings. They added a glass roof up top and bolted it to the buildings to make the library.

Mini semlor. Great if you're not too hungry, but who's not hungry for semlor?

Colorful Easter feathers, a traditional way to celebrate the holiday in Sweden.

People relaxing in the sun in central Stockholm.

Fresh fruit stands dot Hötorget in downtown Stockholm. PUB in the background is a shopping center. Greta Garbo once worked there.

It isn't all pop music in Sweden. Rock and heavy metal are big genres here, too. The Sweden Rock Festival is a well known place for big bands to perform.

Girls getting pictures of their favorite singers during Melodifestivalen's Friday practice round in Stockholm.

Confetti everywhere after the final practice round!

The Royal Library in Stockholm is housed in a magnificent building.

Shopping is popular on Kungsgatan, or King Street.

Wearing apparel with American flags is trendy right now. Many people had scarfs, shirts, and jackets with American flags.

A loppis, or flea market, in Stockholm. A great place to find some bargains.

Books and more books!

Stickers for sale. Another way to say Wannabe Swede up top. The bottom sticker says, "Be happy, even though you are Swedish". Have I mentioned the Swedish penchant for self-deprecating humor?

New! Buy the Melodifestivalen 2013 CD now! The CD is for sale everywhere around town.

Stockholm Central. People rushing around to get where they need to be. One person is interested in free samples of a new fruit drink. Free sample stations can be found in many places. In Malmö, I was given free samples of yogurt while walking down one of the main streets.

A weapon and ammunition amnesty is in effect. If you turn it in from March to May, you can remain anonymous and won't be charged with any crime. The poster reminds people to make sure the weapon is unloaded before transportation. 

The view from Stockholm's central station early in the morning.

I've seen some unusal signs in Sweden, but this one is new. No ballons, no fun. It's posted in an underground train platform in Malmö on the way to Copenhagen. A ballon getting lose could cause some serious consequences by shorting out electrical connections to the trains, hence the ban.