(3/3) Me, myself, Stockholm, a crutch and a wheelchair

This is a continuation of my sole trip to Stockholm part 1 and part 2 

SIGHT SEEING

All the other delegates and friends had left the hotel and my flight was not leaving till 8PM. I was able to stay at the hotel till 6 PM, but I would be foolish not to experience Stockholm. I decided to go sight seeing.

A few kilometers from the hotel was the old part of town and I had read that there was a Christmas market. I decided to venture my way through snow and ice. Bundled up in layers of clothes, I wheeled myself out of the hotel. According to the reception staff, normally it would be about a 15-20 minute walk. The first part I travelled through the train station, so I could roll my wheelchair easily. Just before leaving the station, I took a small rest to recuperate. As I was waiting, still inside the building, a train station employee approached me to ask if I needed special assistant. Amazed I told her no, but thanked her. Turned out that at the exact spot where I was resting was a sign for waiting point for special assistance. Oops, I did not notice the sign previously, but was impressed with Stockholm's service to persons with a handicap.  Once I left the train station I had to deal again with lots of snow and icy roads. It was becoming very difficult to handle the snow and ice with a wheelchair so I decided to use my wheelchair as a walker for the rest of the way. After negotiating a few streets I continued my trip through the main shopping street which was sort of cleared of the falling snow.  Every 10 minutes of walking I took a rest as I cannot walk long distances. It was literally walking at snail pace, resting and slowly shuffling on and resting. It was so icy that I saw many people fall to the ground. A walk that was suppose to have taken 20 minutes had taken me more than hour but I finally saw the old city nearing. It was very pretty, the old buildings and the castle. Proud of my accomplishments, I pushed on.  I walked through the old town soaking up the sites and visited the Christmas market, still resting every 10 minutes or so. At the market, I grabbed something to eat and went back to the hotel to rest before going home. My site seeing trip that should have been a hour or so had taken 5 hours. At the end you can see some more pictures.

GOING HOME

Around 5PM I checked out of the hotel and went to the bus station to take the bus back to the airport. This time the driver was very helpful and helped me get my wheelchair in the luggage bay and at the airport he helped as well. It had been snowing all day, and I was worried that the airplane would have a delay. No worries, even though Bromma Airport is an old school airport where you still have to walk outside many feet to the airplane, the airport is very efficient and adept to the weather conditions. After checking in, I bought some things at Duty Free and waited in the terminal till it was time to board passing time surfing and face-booking.

I was sitting very close to the lady at the boarding gate. Close to boarding time her walkie-talkie went off and I heard her cursing into it. She did not realize that I could understand her and she was really really very angry. The conversation went something like this:

'Those stupid pilots, they are so stubborn. If they are told to park the plane at a certain spot they should not decide on their own that another spot better is for take-off. Stupid Belgian! Tell him to re park the plane at the designated spot because we have a special assistance case and at the spot where he parked we can not get the passenger on the plane!'

As she ended the conversation, the light for boarding went on and passengers started to impatiently cue to be able to get to the plane. The doors remained shut! As the crowd become more and more agitated that they had to wait, looking at their watches, wondering why the doors where not opening, the few passengers that had heard the conversation as well started to spread the story. Oh no, now I was getting angry and agitated looks from my dear fellow passengers as well. Finally 15 minutes later, the door opened but the lady stopped everyone from passing as she told them that a special assistance person needed to board first. Again angry looks coming my way. A nice young terminal employee approached me and together we went through the doors which he shut again after us. People seemed to forget that special assistance persons board first, but we are also the last ones to leave the plane at arrival destination.  The young man wheeled me through the dark, cold and snow to the plane where a special lifting container was waiting to hoist me aboard. Some ten minutes later after the container had been replaced with rickety metal staircase, the other passengers started to board the plane. Some passengers where still angry with me even though the plane departed right on schedule! I was lucky I had two seat for myself and the rest of the flight was quite uneventful.

Around 11PM our plane touched ground and after a long rolling ride to the baggage pickup, I was relieved to find that my bag was first to come through. Most passengers had take-on luggage, but with a wheelchair was it impossible for me. I found a clever way to attach my trolley to my wheelchair and like a little train I entered the arrival hall to see the happy face of my husband!

Around 1 AM, I finally was home and rolled into bed, exhausted from my trip but very proud of my accomplishments. My sole trip to Stockholm as a disabled person was over and I had enjoyed every minute of it. No weather, no wheelchair, no disability stopped me in turning this trip into reality!

borrowed picture taken during day to show airport

borrowed picture taken during day to show airport