A Slot is a Slott is a Schloß...

So, flying in and out of Sweden is a pain in the arse. It seems that I am cursed to have all of my flights out of this airport (and some of them in bound) delayed. The only flight that has been on time, this trip, is the one from Germany to Sweden, but then Sweden to Norway, Norway to Sweden, and now Sweden to Germany have all been delayed...so this is coming to you from the lounge in the airport in Sweden.

The hotel that I stayed in here was Hässelby Slott (Slott, like Schloß in German, and Slot in Danish, means "Castle"). But to say I stayed in the Castle would be wrong - I stayed in an annex building. Also, the Castle is more a pretty European castle, rather than a "nights in shining armour" style puppy. But, either way, it still dates back to the 1600s.



Unfortunately, the room that I stayed in was by no means "stately". In fact, walking into this room reminded me of walking into the Kapooka Army Barracks many years ago (minus one hot chick...). It had all the mod cons of the rooms in the Army Barracks too...but it did at least add a TV into the poorly furnished, minimalist mix. It was a big change from the hotel I had in Denmark, where the "sitting room" was nearly as big as our lounge room in Darmstadt. But, the room wasn't the worst of it...

Tuesday night I am hungry (kinda), and wanting (kinda) some dinner. So, I head over to the restaurant in a wing attached to the Castle. I walk in and ask the waitress for "a table for one". She kinda looks at me, says "one moment" and walks away. She walks back and forward past me a few time, going into the kitchen, leaving the restaurant to go to the bar, and then back into the kitchen. Turns out that she was looking for someone who spoke English.

Finally we find someone, and she comes out of the kitchen (with the other waitress in tow). She says "Can I help you?", and I repeat my request for "a table for one, please".
Now, one expects the normal response of "follow me", or even "where would you like to sit"...but instead I got "tonight we have fish". Um...ok..."That sounds good". "Would you like the 3 course meal?". (Quick recap - we are still standing at the door to the restaurant.) "No, I'll just have the main. I had a big lunch". And finally I get "Where would you like to sit?".
So, we go to the back of the "restaurant", and I sit down. No menu on the table, and at no point does a menu come. 5 mins later, after ordering an apple juice, the fish comes. After the fish I get some coffee, and finally the bill.

Now, don't get me wrong, the fish was fantastic. But it was kinda strange to never receive a menu, and to be in a restaurant that only has one dish. Add to that, that the first time I got to see what any of this cost was when I received the bill. Very very strange. Are all Swedish restaurants like this? No bloody wonder that the Vikings went marauding! They had heard of these fabled "menu" things, and restaurants that "gave you a choice", and they had to go find out for themselves.

Anyway, at least I get to go home tonight, and I get my car back tomorrow! :)

Tschüß,
'Brush.

PS: Just uploaded this now, and thought I should add that we were put into a holding pattern for 30mins above Frankfurt. :(