Self-solving problems and pleasant surprises
Image by Roland Mey from Pixabay
Last week I had a couple of sound measurements planned in Eskilstuna and Uppsala. However, just a couple of days before departure, I realized that I had forgotten to book a hotel. In big cities, that is usually not a problem, but in a smaller city like Eskilstuna it is quite possible that all the rooms run out on a given night. And that is precisely what happened to me. I found one room left on a place called Thottska Villan, about 20-25 minutes from the city centre. When you consider that you park in front of the entrance, I am not convinced that I even lost any time. But when I arrived on site, I was blown away by what turned out to be jackpot as far as hotel nights go.
Thottska villan is a villa from 1770 and has a strong history of horse breeding. It lies on elevated ground close to Castle Strömsholm. It is an area somewhat famous with horse people from what I can tell. The building was absolutely gorgeous with its fantastic location and the interior was even better. It felt like a home, and I have rarely felt so welcome anywhere and trust me, I got plenty of hotel nights on my CV by now. The rooms were stylishly decorated, and breakfast was served in a kitchen with living candles and a real oven powered by fire. There were some common areas too, with a wonderful living room with a piano. I loved every minute of it and the next time I have measurements in the vicinity, this place will be on the top of my list. It is also a perfect destination for a smaller company conference. Isn’t it wonderful when a supposed “problem” turns out to be the best thing that could happen?
Another factor could be that I did not have any expectations. A bed, breakfast and a roof over my head would have sufficed plenty for me. And then you are presented with top notch stuff like this. I have had similar experiences a couple of times regarding music. For example, a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to join him for a concert with Tommy Emmanuel in Umeå some years ago. He was apparently a pretty good guitar player. I said sure and bought a ticket and I had zero expectations. Turns out this guy is world class and a living treasure. My jaw dropped so hard on that concert that I still haven’t recovered fully. Tommy Emmanuel is now one of my all-time favorites and we even named one of our sons after him. Another funny coincidence is that aforementioned son, only 1½ year-old, shows a strong interest and talent with music. It makes you wonder how much influence your name really has on your life outcome and choices?
After two full days of field work was finished, I punched in “home” in my navigation system and headed north. Sure, I was tired after a couple of close to 50h work weeks, but my home sickness was very strong and I was debating with myself whether I should find a hotel around Gävle for the night or if I should simply soldier on – all the way home? I went for the latter. The more you travel, the stronger the home sickness becomes, I guess. On paper, I should have been extremely tired, but honestly I was a lot more tired on the way down even though I drove in full daylight. On the way home, I just find a podcast or audiobook that grasps my attention fully, and let the miles clock in. Until I am home. Travelling this way is a kind of meditation. No stress, and should I feel alarmingly tired, I would just stop at the next possible hotel anyway. But it hasn’t been necessary the last handful of trips I have made.
Nothing beats sleeping in your own bed, even if you arrive in the middle of the night and only get 3-4 hours of sleep before the kids wake you up. But there is no hotel breakfast in the world, that can trump that kind of awakening.
Drive safely!