Or, What Really Happened When I Walked to Town
It was a sunny spring day, cool by Georgia, USA standards, but nice to the Swedes. I set out about 11:00 a.m. to walk around the squares in Linköping, where most of the shops are. I had a shopping bag, credit card, and a map of Linköping. I made sure I had skinny pants on and a top that would cover my rear. What I didn’t have was any local coin.
Something else I didn’t have was a sense of direction. I mean the kind of compass that is internal in your head to tell you if you are going the right direction. Anyone that has spent much time with me already knows that. If you don’t know me you will learn of my lacking of a compass, by reading here. If I go into a building, doctor’s office, or hotel, when it is time to leave the room I am in I don’t know which way to turn. I am past pretending that I meant to go that way. Now I say, which way do I go?
It was a straight shot to walk to shopping on the squares. Really not a bad walk at all. I looked more than bought, and went all over the downtown. Pretty soon my first folly came to light. The downtown public restrooms needed a coin to access them. My credit card would work at all the shops, but not at a restroom. Oh well,I’ll hold it, but head home.
But, which way was home? There are several squares in the shopping area, and it seems everyone uses the white church as a landmark for directions. Don’t they know yet that there is more than one white church? Okay, I have my map, so surely I could find my way. I stood over to the side, and studied the map for five minutes, but could not find any of the street names I was seeing on the map. Most street names I can’t pronounce, and they are very confusing with the double consonants and little marks over the names. Names like Malmslattsvagen, and Djurgardsgatan are common. The only one that makes sense to me is Storgatan (store street, at least that’s what I say). I decided to just give it my best shot and start walking. I think I should have said, follow me for a scenic tour of Linköping. See my path on the map below. When I was on Gamisonsvegan, but of course going the wrong direction, I finally asked a man if he could help me find my way on the map. I showed him where I needed to go. He showed me that I was on the right street but in the wrong direction, and it would take about 10 minutes walking. I was able to stay on the path and arrived home at about 16:00. As soon as I got in the apartment, I had to URGENTLY use the bathroom. What is it with that?
The next day Daren and I went out by using several busses. I would see something, and say, I walked there. He knew I had been lost, but didn’t know the extent of my walking tour. It has become quite the joke, when I see a place I had been.
Now I ask myself, “Why didn’t I just use my Google map on my phone and walking navigation?
My Walking
Globe Trottin Granny
Why doesn’t this surprise me?
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Oh Lord….some things never change….
Glad you made it home…fun story!