The second part of our holidays, we spent at a dance camp in the beautiful Swedish village of Herräng, again, but since our flight from London didn't arrive in Arlanda until half past 10 in the evening, we didn't go there directly. Instead, we went to Johannes' flat. Johannes being the German guy living in Stockholm, who saved our Herräng vacations in 2011 and who by now is a friend of us. Johannes even paid us a visit last September and this year's trip to Stockholm should have meant to meet again. Unfortunately things didn't turn out according to plans, given that Johannes had to go to Germany without further ado a day earlier. He kindly left us his flat for a night, however, which was the first of a series of aids he's offered us this year.
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| Herräng (top), Uppsala and Stockholm |
From Arlanda airport we took the Arlanda Express to Stockholm Central Station, which costed 280 SEK for the both of us. From there to Johannes' flat we went by Tunelbana and tram, which was easier than expected. Since we knew where to search for the key, Johannes had ingeniously hidden for us, we soon sat on his terrace, enjoying a stunning view over a nice lake while feeding on some strange food we had found in his fridge. After that and a game of darts we settled down for the night.
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| Stunning view |
Next day we somehow had to go to Herräng. The very recommendable webpage resrobot.se figured out that the idoneous combination for us was one of metro and bus. First, we had to get back to the Central Station, where we took Line 14 to Danderyks Sjukhus. Here, we changed for Bus 639 to Hallstavik Station. Paying for the Swedish buses, as well as the trams is a rather complicated task, though. You seemingly have to look out for shops near the stations, where the tickets are sold. Otherwise, once on the chosen transport system, you won't be able to pay, except you own a Swedish mobile phone which allows some sort of SMS-paying. Ticket inspectors and drivers seem to be very helpful, however, and often give you a ride for free. I had heard that before, and so was our case as regards to the busride.
In Hallstavik, only some 10km distant from Herräng, it was quite easy to distinguish between "ordinary" folk and attendents of the Herräng Dance Camp. Knowing views were interchanged whenever eyes met. Bus 642, the one that would bring us to Herräng Skola, did not leave until more than an hour later, offering us the chance to have a coffee in a nearby café. The busride to Herräng was for free, too.
This year, our arrival at the festival went much smoother, mostly because we were in possession of all of our luggage. The only thing nagging at our mood was the fact that we didn't know in which tent to sleep. Johannes had sent us a photo of some tents a day before, so we had an aproximate idea, yet we would have liked to be absolutely sure about this point before nightfall. With the hours of daylight passing by, the nagging got more intense, but no news from Johannes, who for whatsoever reason wasn't available while travelling through Germany.
Meanwhile we had more coffee, made our check-in for the dancing lessons, which were about to start the next day, and ate dinner at Hell's Kitchen. We were delighted to meet some people from Barcelona we had got to know the year before. As in 2011, Ester and Bea were the first we met. Then we met Xenia, the girl who the previous summer helped Elisabet out with some clothes. She even offered us Hector's bed in case we wouldn't have where to sleep by nightfall - Hector being the guy who had lent us a towel a year before. As a matter of fact, we had brought that item with us, but since he was extremely short on packing space in view of his return flight, he preferred to dispense with the towel's drying abilities for yet another year.
Later, the phone finally rang and Johannes told us which tent to take - it was the biggest to be seen in its surroundings, perfectly mounted in the very best spot. YES! It wasn't his, though, but belonged to a friend of him, Agnes. Thank's Agnes!!
The reason for Johannes' no-availability had been a forgotten charging device for his phone, not a plane crash ... much better.
Weather:
I wouldn't say we've been lucky with this year's weather. In fact, it rained at least intermittently everyday except the last one. Consequently it was a difficult task to dry our clothes, for everything was damp inside our tent. It could have been worse though, the previous week it was, we were told. I still think, however, that we must have been better off than the folk struggling to survive in general acomodation, At least we only were confronted to our own dampness, fungi and wet clothing and didn't share germs with another hundred people. Well, we probably did during the lessons, but not so at our sleeping place.
The reason for Johannes' no-availability had been a forgotten charging device for his phone, not a plane crash ... much better.
Weather:
I wouldn't say we've been lucky with this year's weather. In fact, it rained at least intermittently everyday except the last one. Consequently it was a difficult task to dry our clothes, for everything was damp inside our tent. It could have been worse though, the previous week it was, we were told. I still think, however, that we must have been better off than the folk struggling to survive in general acomodation, At least we only were confronted to our own dampness, fungi and wet clothing and didn't share germs with another hundred people. Well, we probably did during the lessons, but not so at our sleeping place.
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| One of many, rather big slugs |
Dancing Lessons:
I guess, that I speak for all the members of our class, when I say, that we were very happy with our teachers, some of whom Elisabet and me already were familiar with from last year or from the swing gatherings that had taken place in Terrassa. Evita and Michael were very funny and their classes focussed on some new moves, mostly. Jenny and Rikard gave a lesson similar to one we had attended some months earlier - very useful when it comes to dance on a crowded floor. They also focussed on variations in the Swing Out which after some hours of practicing still could be noted days later, especially in some of the less used muscles to be found in the legs. Asa and Daniel, as seems to be their speciality, focussed on free dancing and improvisation, something I admit I'm not at all good at, but nonetheless useful whenever a mishap takes place and some fill-in is needed. Quite awkward moves they teach. Kevin and Jo were great. Their lessons were about gentle and subtle leading only, at least that's the impression I had from a leader's point of view. Some very useful stuff they taught us. Our lessons with Naomi and Peter Strom were fun classes, similar to those with Evita and Michael or those of another Swedish couple I don't remember the names of.
I guess, that I speak for all the members of our class, when I say, that we were very happy with our teachers, some of whom Elisabet and me already were familiar with from last year or from the swing gatherings that had taken place in Terrassa. Evita and Michael were very funny and their classes focussed on some new moves, mostly. Jenny and Rikard gave a lesson similar to one we had attended some months earlier - very useful when it comes to dance on a crowded floor. They also focussed on variations in the Swing Out which after some hours of practicing still could be noted days later, especially in some of the less used muscles to be found in the legs. Asa and Daniel, as seems to be their speciality, focussed on free dancing and improvisation, something I admit I'm not at all good at, but nonetheless useful whenever a mishap takes place and some fill-in is needed. Quite awkward moves they teach. Kevin and Jo were great. Their lessons were about gentle and subtle leading only, at least that's the impression I had from a leader's point of view. Some very useful stuff they taught us. Our lessons with Naomi and Peter Strom were fun classes, similar to those with Evita and Michael or those of another Swedish couple I don't remember the names of.
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| Do you remember ....... errrr, no. |
I think that the pack of dance lessons was a mixture of technical issues and fun, the funnier ones being less useful for real life. It should also be mentioned, though, that the amount of information being fed into one's brain and legs, even when diluted with fancy steps, is impossible to be properly remembered. MY BRAIN HURTS!
Dance Partners:
Regarding the dance partners, I have noted, that I've got along with them much better this year than was the case in 2011. Since I'm convinced that despite of the 9 additional months of Lindy lessons I'm not at all a better dancer than I was a year ago, it's obviously the followers, who've been better this time. Whatever the reason may be, it felt good. Apart from Elisabet, I should especially mention the 4 Finnish girls of our course who every single time we came across offered some real fun dancing.
One Australian girl stood out, for she was a trained ballet dancer, something I immediately noticed when I first led her into a turn. Her graceful turning-around made it somehow difficult to dance on, because I would have preferred watching her, but in the end a good compromise was found, enabling both, the dancing as well as the observing. Now that I've made special mentions of some followers, I feel obliged to also praise my German, Swedish and British dance partners. In the end, our idea to repeat the intermediate level has been a good one.
Regarding the dance partners, I have noted, that I've got along with them much better this year than was the case in 2011. Since I'm convinced that despite of the 9 additional months of Lindy lessons I'm not at all a better dancer than I was a year ago, it's obviously the followers, who've been better this time. Whatever the reason may be, it felt good. Apart from Elisabet, I should especially mention the 4 Finnish girls of our course who every single time we came across offered some real fun dancing.
One Australian girl stood out, for she was a trained ballet dancer, something I immediately noticed when I first led her into a turn. Her graceful turning-around made it somehow difficult to dance on, because I would have preferred watching her, but in the end a good compromise was found, enabling both, the dancing as well as the observing. Now that I've made special mentions of some followers, I feel obliged to also praise my German, Swedish and British dance partners. In the end, our idea to repeat the intermediate level has been a good one.
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| The mast |
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| On board a pirate ship |
Feeding times are very funny and interesting. As we had done last year, we bought a weekly pass for 7 breakfasts and dinners at Heaven's Kitchen, a kind of restaurant organised by a catering service and installed in the facilities of Herräng's school. Maybe it's not a bargain, but both, quality and served amounts are great. As a matter-of-fact it's a self-service, so obviously nobody would complain about too small portions. I would say that the type of offered cuisine is quite international, hence one can try a wide variation of tastes. Since the hungry eaters share tables during the process of devouring their dishes, one goes through lots of conversations during a week's stay. Not always the topics have to do with dancing. Jean and Evelyn for instance, two girls from Canada, told us about the pros and cons of hiking in the Canadian outback, the main contra defenitely being the bears. According to them, however, a hiker can easily protect himself by means of a potent pepper spray and packing all food into bear-proof containers. Young Russian rocket scientists and the like also made for interesting conversation. Seemingly, quite a lot of persons make Lindy dancing the anchor of their life, travelling from one dance camp to another or staying in Herräng for four or more weeks. I'd like to do so, but then, there are other things I also like and I don't have neither the time nor the money for all of them...
An important drawback of Elisabet's substituting the female singer of a group for about 40 concerts during the second half of 2012, is, that we had to leave the camp, as well as Sweden, on Thursday after the second of three lessons. As a consequence we not only missed the 3rd Thursday lesson, but also all of Friday's, and, most tragically, the big Friday night disguise party. Furthermore, we couldn't take part in any semi-official farewell ceremony with the members of our group. Nonetheless, our decision to go to Herräng 2012 has been the right one!
An important drawback of Elisabet's substituting the female singer of a group for about 40 concerts during the second half of 2012, is, that we had to leave the camp, as well as Sweden, on Thursday after the second of three lessons. As a consequence we not only missed the 3rd Thursday lesson, but also all of Friday's, and, most tragically, the big Friday night disguise party. Furthermore, we couldn't take part in any semi-official farewell ceremony with the members of our group. Nonetheless, our decision to go to Herräng 2012 has been the right one!
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| The day of our return we even had good weather |
Once again it was www.resrobot.se, guiding our trip to Arlanda airport. First of all, bus 642 to Hallstavik was to be taken, a service we did not have to pay for. In a supermarket, not too close to the Halstavik bus station, it's theoretically possible to purchase bus tickets, but unfortunately, no one-way-ticket for bus 805 to Uppsala could be aquired. This time, however, we were able to pay by means of a credit card on the bus. The final part of our journey we did by train. Train 8473, which stops directly at Arlanda airport, cost 298 SEK for the both of us.
As a conclusion, I would like to compare the public transport fares which I don't remember in their totality, with the price of the shuttle service provided to and fro Arlanda airport and organised by the Herräng Dance Camp (a service only available at weekends). If you're lucky and don't have to pay for some of the buses, which is quite likely, you probably can save some money. Don't forget though, that in this case you face a journey including several transfers with the possible risk of losing a connecting bus. In this context, one also should bear in mind that on weekends or during the late hours, the bus-frequency to and from Herräng might be reduced.
Users of the shuttle service, on the other hand, pay 300 SEK (500 SEK for those who don't reserve their spot in advance) for a carefree pack, including a fast and direct ride from Arlanda to HDC and the other way round. In my opinion, the shuttle service comes at a reasonable price.
The guy responsible for the highly informative and very entertaining accounts to
be found here, though, does not share my opinion. If I were you, I'd
believe him, because he has far more experience (not only) concerning the Swedish
public transport system than I have.
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| Nice |
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