The best way to get to know the city

It’s almost midnight. Loud English is in the air, mixed with the smell of alcohol and marijuana. You enter the metro with the guilty feeling of a person studying on a Friday night.

Next stop is Gamla Stan. It’s been months since you’ve been to the Old Town except for changing trains. You keep freezing for never-ending five minutes.The Economist on your smartphone keeps you occupied until the final stop.

The staircase is your final challenge. Home is 120 steps apart. A glance back makes you realize the city lights do not excite you anymore…  Same route, same people, same view from the window. After a while, that moment comes when  you don’t know your city anymore. It turned into a routine, a sequence of frames compiling into a black and white tape of everyday.

Wait a minute… Was it an intro scene to the movie called Pleasantville? When does the color pop up? After all the greyness, it’s time for some action!

In case you haven’t seen the movie, here is the morale: you don’t fully realize the beauty until you share it. Wanna find out more about the city? Show it to someone! Haven’t been to a Swedish coffee house yet? Invite your US friends for fika! Forgotten what sights are nearby? Organize a walking tour for your mum next time she comes to visit!

The city comes alive as if a magic wound just colored those lifeless streets. Metro cars shine up with smiles, and you start noticing the views bypassed so many times before11

Marta

Written by Marta

29 Mar 2015