So what about money in this rich man's world? What can you get for your money up here in Sweden..... and what is the history behind the images on the money?
As you can see from the images money in Sweden is called Kronor which is similar to but not the same as its stronger counterpart the Danish Krone.
Swedish Kronors are broken up into the following denominations: 1, 5, 10 SEK coins and 20,50,100, 500, 1000 (I've never seen it) notes.
Recently, this month actually, Sweden has decided on a new theme for the bank notes so the information I am telling you about money currently in circulation but I will probably have to do a very similar entry in a couple of months time outlining the new characters....But for now this is what the money is about
The picture on the 20 Kronor not is of Selma Lagerlöf a famous Swedish author and she was the first women to receive the Nobel prize for literature. The other images printed on the note come from her stories, most notably The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
Now, practically speaking what could you buy for 20 SEK? You could buy yourself a beer from systembolaget (the state owned bottle store) or a take away cup of coffee and muffin.
The woman on the 50 Kronor note is Jenny Lind also commonly referred to as the Swedish nightingale and was a famous opera singer in the 19th century.
For 50SEK you can buy yourself a really a sandwich for lunch or even a delicious pasta salad! Alternatively you can stop at the pub and opt for a beer.
As I am sure you can guess from the images the figure on the 100 Kronor note was a botanist. More than that Carl von Linne was also a zoologist and physician. He is known as the modern father of taxonomy!
For a 100 SEK you can either go out for a cheap dinner or buy yourself a one way ticket from Lund to Copenhagen.
Now you have to be someone important to get your face on the 500 Kronor note and who better than one of Sweden's Kings. Carl XI who was the kind of Sweden during their empire days.
For just over 500SEK you can get yourself a room at Hotel Ahlstrom which is Lund's oldest hotel where breakfast is brought up to your room.
The illusive 1000 Kronor banknote has a picture of Gustav Vasa who was also a King in Sweden and who is often referred to as the father of the nation. And I guess for 1000 SEK you can get 2 nights at the Hotel Ahlstrom :) or do a little bit more travelling through the country.
I guess money is funny in a rich man's world if you yourself are a rich man in that rich man's world.
Living in Lund:
For the most part things are comparatively more expensive in Sweden than in South Africa but that is to be expected I guess. Furthermore, people tend to earn more here. However, there are ways to be economically in Lund. For one thing follow what foods are in season. For example it is only 10SEK at the moment for a box of kiwi (super cheap!), also chose fruit and veg that you can pick and pack yourself as opposed to the pre-packed stuff, it's amazing how much you can save by doing this. Clothing at stores like H&M are reasonable but there are plenty of boutique places that are pricey. Travel in Sweden is not cheap but you can ease the burden by buying travel cards (student or monthly) but the best thing to do is get yourself a bicycle and ride everywhere. And when you want to party do as the locals do and have a preparty at your house first where you can get started on drinks bought from systembolaget as oppossed to breaking the bank at pubs and clubs.
So, living in Lund is not cheap but it doesn't have to be expensive either
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