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| View of the affluent area of Östermalm, in the eastern part of inner Stockholm |
Greetings from Surrey where, despite gale force winds and teaming rain in the past week, we did actually have sunshine for some of the Easter weekend. Even I, who never complains about rain and doesn't particularly like the sun, was keen for a bit of different weather after months of grey skies and drizzle.
A few weeks ago I finished what was intended to be a temp role for just a month or so, but which kept getting extended and probably would have led to the offer of a permanent role. As much as I enjoyed aspects of that job with a local authority just over the border in Hampshire, there was never enough to do and I would spend half of every day seeking out work to keep me occupied. So after more than five months I decided to leave.
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| Afternoon sun hits the top of colourful buildings in Stockholm's oldest square, Stortoget (only two minutes' walk from my hotel) |
In the middle of March I finally managed to get away abroad, for a few days - my first departure from England since our short jaunt to Stavanger last August. After February half-term there are lots of cheap airfares between the UK and Europe because people with families traditionally have their skiing holiday in February and don't go abroad again until at least Easter. Following many hours of internet searching I decided on Stockholm, a city I hadn't visited since 1988. I've been to other parts of Sweden during that 36-year gap, but I was interested to revisit what I remembered as a fairly nice city. I snaffled a pretty good price to fly to Stockholm and back, plus the hotel rates were reasonable too.
Given the rubbish winter* we've had here in the south-east of the UK, it was wonderful to fly a couple of hours north to where spring is only just starting to peep out from under winter's snowy skirts. As we flew into Stockholm the landscape had patches of snow all about, but in the city itself the only signs that it had recently been much colder were partially frozen waterways and the fact that every pavement in Stockholm was covered with a layer of grit. After taking the express train from Arlanda Airport to Stockholm's central railway station, I opted to walk the 25 minutes to my little hotel in Gamla Stan, the old part of the city. Between the heavy-duty cobbles and the grit my poor suitcase wheels took a battering, though I did pick up my bag and carry it across particularly perilous sections.
* In Maree-speak, 'rubbish winter' means NOT COLD ENOUGH
Still, I was very satisfied with the weather during my stay, with daily maximum temperatures between 0-5ºC, and chilly nights around the -6ºC mark.
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| My phone has not captured it well, but the above photo shows signage on the express train from Stockholm's Arlanda Airport into the city. Just shy of 200km/hour! |
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| Brrrr! Partially frozen Djurgårdsbrunnsviken, Stockholm |
I really did temp fate by buying a ticket to a matinee session of David Bowie's musical Lazarus. The original show opened on Broadway in December 2015, just weeks before The Starman died. When the show eventually came to London you couldn't get a ticket for love nor money.
My friend Graeme had messaged me some weeks before to say it would be playing while I was in Sweden's capital city (thank you Graeme!) and a matinee ticket on the afternoon I was flying in from London was the only one I could get. Although I don't usually opt for that additional event insurance in case you can't attend, on this occasion I did pay the extra, which was only a few pounds.
Happily, I managed to get from Arlanda Airport to the hotel to drop off luggage, before making my way to the theatre on public transport, arriving about 20 minutes before the show was due to commence. The Swedish production was excellent, with really interesting staging, including a sitting room encased in a huge hamster wheel which rotated so the actors could climb up walls, walk on the ceiling etc. The audience couldn't actually see the live actors for two-thirds of the single-act show; they were on the stage performing, however at the front of the stage was a semi-transparent massive screen where their images were projected as they performed to camera, behind it. As the show progressed the screen shrank and we began to see some of the cast as they moved around the stage, with camera operators still moving ahead of them.
However...
After the opening song I was dismayed to realise that the production had been translated into Swedish. Uh-oh. As Graeme commented later, it was a good thing I had Norwegian up my sleeve! I think I probably understood about 60-70 per cent of the spoken dialogue; I laughed in the places when everybody else laughed. And of course all the songs were in their original English.
I wasn't really familiar with any of the performers but it was incredibly well done, particularly Tove Styrke as 'The Girl'.
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| Outside the Göta Lejon theatre in Södermalm, Stockholm |
I was very pleased with my choice of hotel in Gamla Stan, Stockholm's old town area. The Lady Hamilton Hotel is named after Lord Nelson’s mistress, Lady Emma Hamilton. It only offers about 30 rooms, and has very quirky décor as it's family-run and they like to collect antiques and interesting objets, all of which have been put to very effective use in the hotel. It was quiet and comfortable, and breakfast - whilst not of the standard of the bigger, commercial hotels in Scandinavia - was perfectly adequate for a boutique hostelry of this size.
The location was excellent, being literally just around the corner from Gamla Stan's main tourist street and just a couple of minutes' walk from the Nobel Prize Museum, the Royal Palace, Stockholm Cathedral and colourful Stortoget, Stockholm's oldest square.
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| My hotel in Stockholm, the Lady Hamilton, in Gamla Stan |
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| Steps leading out to the tiny courtyard area of the Lady Hamilton Hotel, Stockholm |
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| Staircase, Lady Hamilton Hotel in Gamla Stan |
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| Portrait of a girl in folk costume, Lady Hamilton Hotel in Stockholm |
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| The fabulously quirky interior of the Lady Hamilton Hotel in Gamla Stan, Stockholm |
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| The landing, leading from the staircase to guest rooms, on the second floor of the Lady Hamilton Hotel in Stockholm |
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| Guest rooms in the Lady Hamilton Hotel are named after Swedish provincial flowers. I absolutely love fritillaries, so was delighted my room was named after a variety of this wildflower |
Gamla Stan has succumbed to tourism, with Västerlånggatan crammed with souvenir shops, some of them a little on the tacky side but many offering handcrafted and other high quality items. However, peel off in any direction and there are narrow lanes to explore, some of which open out onto charming squares.
On the topic of souvenir shops, however, I was perplexed and amused to see that many of them have window displays with Norwegian knitwear taking pride of place. Huh?! The only reason I can think of for this oddity is that Norwegian knitwear is a big ticket item - ker-ching! - and perhaps the storeowners are happy to indulge those uneducated tourists who lump all the Scandinavian countries together and expect to see such Norwegian things, even in Sweden.
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| I was tempted to buy from this groovy mid century inspired design store in Gamla Stan, but I resisted the urge |
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| There you have it, folks. Hanging above the authentically Swedish-designed clogs,traditional *Norwegian* knitwear! (tourist shop in Gamla Stan, Stockholm) |
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| I enjoyed fika at this tiny basement café in one of Gamla Stan's many narrow lanes |
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| Just love the name of this shoe company! This is the Swedish Hasbeens store in Gamla Stan |
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| Gamla Stan has many cosy cafés to lure in hungry tourists from the cold. This one lured me! |
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| Sign for the former Alle Mans Katt café/nightclub. Apparently it was here that Ulf Lundell (known as 'Sweden's Bob Dylan') played his first gig in 1967 |
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| Kvarteret Cephalus in Gamla Stan. This fabulous circular building with central courtyard is about to be restored and renovated |
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| The Royal Palace in Gamla Stan, Stockholm |
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| Now, what would a Tunnels of Green blog post be, without a door shot?! 😃 |
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| Gamla Stan is full of narrow passages, though this is officially the narrowest, at just 90cm! Mårten Trotzigs Gränd dates from the 16th century |
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| Ah, the public telephone - pretty much now consigned to the history books 😥 This fine example in Gamla Stan is actually marked on tourist maps |
On my first full day in Stockholm, with the weather promising to be fine but cold, I took a commuter ferry from nearby Slussen to Djurgården, one of the city's many islands. Djurgården is home to multiple tourist attractions including the Skansen open-air museum, the wonderful Nordic Museum, the Vasa Museum and ABBA The Museum, but it's also a recreational area for the locals, with the waterfront Gröna Lund amusement park and extensive areas of forest for exploration.
Actually, I was underwhelmed by Skansen. Its equivalent museum in Oslo has around the same number of buildings which have been relocated from across the country, and they are *actually open* for people to explore. I'm not sure if Skansen was in winter mode, but literally only two or three of the buildings were open for people to experience. The rest of the time you just had to look at the exteriors.
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| I took this commuter ferry from Slussen to Djurgården where many of Stockholm's cultural museums are located. It's a very pleasant 8-minute journey |
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| View of Stockholm's waterside amusement park, Gröna Lund, on the island of Djurgården |
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| Seglora church at Skansen, Stockholm's open air museum - one of only two or three buiildings that you could actually enter. This timber church dates from 1730 and was relocated to the museum from Västergötland |
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| Interior of the 18th century Seglora Church, Skansen, Stockholm |
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| Pollarded trees at Skogaholm Manor at Skansen, Stockholm’s open air museum. None of those buildings were open |
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| Bredablick Tower at Skansen, Stockholm. Not open! |
Just a few minutes' walk from Skansen is the wonderful Nordiska Museet (Nordic Museum). It's an imposing building in the Dutch-influenced Danish Renaissance style, which was finally completed in 1907 after a 19-year construction period. The museum is dedicated to the cultural history and ethnography of Sweden from the 16th century through to modern day.
I was fortunate enough to be in Stockholm for the museum's largest ever exhibition, Nordic Life, which focuses on culture and people in the Nordic region over 500 years. The exhibition included thousands of items from the museum's collections and archives, with interactive tools and media bringing history to life. A number of the rooms showcased the changing seasons in the Nordic region - just gorgeous!
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| The Nordic Museum (Nordiska Museet) on Djurgården in Stockholm |
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| Oh boy - this was an absolutely fantastic exhibition at the Nordiska Museet in Stockholm |
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| The Nordic Life exhibition at the Nordiska Museet had room after room of curated pieces as well as digital presentations of true-life stories |
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| Naturally enough, with my Sami heritage, I found the this part of the exhibition particularly fascinating, and emotive |
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| Sami traditional clothing and handcrafts were well represented in the Nordic Life exhibition |
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| This was one of my favourite parts of the Nordic Life exhibition at the Nordiska Museet. All those fab mid 20th century homewares, furniture etc! 😍 |
Click on the video below for a sample of one of the seasonal rooms:
After touring Skansen and the Nordic Museum for several hours I decided to make the most of the fabulous early spring weather, so rather than taking the ferry or a tram back to Gamla Stan I walked across the bridge from Djurgården to upmarket Östermalm and then into Nybroplan, before heading back to my hotel.
Östermalm is one of the most affluent parts of Stockholm, with gorgeous residential buildings, high end restaurants and bars and a number of cultural institutions such as the Kongeliga Dramatiska Teater (Royal Dramatic Theatre). Housed in a beautiful art nouveau building facing the harbour, the Theatre's training academy produced many actors and directors who would go on to be famous including Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow, and Bibi Andersson.
Also in Östermalm is the flagship store of iconic Swedish design company Svenskt Tenn. I spent a very pleasant 30 minutes browsing their wonderful displays and - not for the first time - wishing I was wealthy!
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| Gracious residential buildings abound in upmarket Östermalm, Stockholm |
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| One of the exhibition rooms in Svenskt Tenn's flagship store in Östermalm, Stockholm |
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| Another groovy room in the Svenskt Tenn design store in Stockholm |
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| The gilded Art Nouveau facade of the Royal Dramatic Theatre (Kongeliga Dramatiska Teater) in Nybroplan, Stockholm |
The next day I set out to visit a section of the city that I thought might be nice to stroll around, but en route decided to get off the bus early as we passed an impressive building on the waterfront. A quick glance at my map told me it was Stockholm City Hall. I was fortunate to get a ticket on the first guided tour of the day which was just commencing, because you're not allowed to wander around unescorted. Technically they were at capacity but they squeezed me in!
I had absolutely no idea of the City Hall's affiliation with the Nobel Prize, so that was an interesting discovery. Although the Nobel Prize Museum is located in Gamla Stan near my hotel, and the actual prize-giving ceremony is held at the Stockholm Concert Hall, this is where the celebratory banquet is held.
The City Hall is very impressive, though I was disappointed in the gilt mosaic in The Golden Hall which our guide informed us was very progressive at the time it was designed (early 20th century). The large central figure is the Queen of Lake Mälar, seated with Stockholm in her lap, however in an attempt to appear 'inclusive' there are also figures representing people of many ethnicities from various parts of the globe. But wait - something is missing! Yes, folks - 18 million pieces of mosaic and artist Einar Forseth couldn't spare a few for Sweden's indigenous population, ie the Sami people. I questioned our guide as to why there was no such representation. He shuffled his feet and muttered something about the Sami people 'not being treated very well' back then. Or NOW, it would seem...
Fun fact:
Swedish pop duo Roxette filmed part of the video for their hit Fading Like A Flower in The Golden Hall.
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| The impressive dark red brick façade of Stockholm City Hall, where each year on 10 December the building hosts the post-ceremony banquet for the Nobel Prize (the prize ceremony is held in Stockholm's Concert Hall) |
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| Colonnade of Stockholm City Hall |
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| The Council Chamber of Stockholm City Hall, with its impressive wooden ceiling which takes inspiration from the viking age |
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| The Golden Hall at Stockholm City Hall. Beautiful, but culturally remiss in its complete lack of reference to the Sami people |
After marvelling at the luxurious interior of Stockholm City Hall, I trudged off to explore Stockholm's main shopping precinct. Sadly, didn't buy a sausage! My only purchase was lunch at one of the many outlets of food store Bröd & Salt. One of the few things I miss about Australia is the fact that you can go anywhere and order a sandwich which is freshly constructed before your eyes with the ingredients you specify, rather than making do with the pre-made abominations that abound here in the UK. There are also lots of salad bars in Australia, where you pick and choose whatever ingredients you like. Bröd & Salt is just such a place - you make your way along an extensive array of options, selecting items from behind a hygiene screen, and at the end they weigh your container and charge you accordingly. In Australia there are also pan-Asian eateries that offer the same option, plus you usually get a discount if you choose vegetarian/vegan only!
Anyway, I absolutely loved Bröd & Salt and was sorry I hadn't discovered it on my first day.
Onwards to Södermalm which is renowned as the 'edgy' part of Stockholm. I got off at the wrong train stop which meant I had a longer than planned walk, but it was another beautiful spring day so I didn't mind. Via a convoluted route to the central part of Södermalm I passed through Slussen and the Katarina-Sofia precinct which is quite elevated and offers nice views over Stockholm.
There were some interesting cafés and boutiques in Södermalm but after several days of wandering the city on my own I think I was growing weary of it.
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| Cottage window in Slussen, Stockholm |
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| Katarina Kyrka (St Katarina's Church) in Södermalm. Originally completed in 1695, fires in 1723 and 1990 required it to be rebuilt twice |
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| As I've noted in previous posts, the Scandinavians looooove their flowers and indoor plants. This lovely floral boutique was in Södermalm |
And so, onto the final day.
My flight back to London wasn't due to leave until mid afternoon so I made the most of the remaining time on my public transport pass, once again getting the ferry over to Djurgården. This time it was for the purpose of visiting ABBA The Museum, which is really very well done.
The ABBA super-fan could probably spend many hours poring over the extensive array of memorabilia (yes, I'm thinking of YOU, Graeme! 😃) but I don't count myself in that category. Still, I managed to pass a couple of hours wandering around the exhibits and found the section covering life for Agnetha, Björn, Anni-Frid and Benny before ABBA particularly interesting. However, once again I had to acknowledge it would have been more fun with a friend as there were opportunities to sing ABBA karaoke and become a 'fifth member of ABBA' via hologram on a stage. Naturally enough I wasn't going to participate in those activities without the moral support of somebody!
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| I happened to pass at the precise moment this happy couple stepped out onto the terrace with their champagne, to stare adoringly into each other's eyes. The blond gal noticed me surreptitiously snapping a photo and I sheepishly shouted out 'Gratulerar!' (congratulations) - they both smiled broadly and raised their glasses to me |
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| The outdoor café area in front of ABBA The Museum, Stockholm |
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| Original costumes in silk velvet, at ABBA The Museum in Stockholm |
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| The obligatory selfie just to prove that, yes, I was actually in Stockholm |
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| Life-size wax figures of Björn, Agnetha, Anni-Frid and Benny at ABBA The Museum in Stockholm |
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| An opportunity to be ABBA for a few moments. Groups of people were lining up to get their photos taken but sadly, of course, I was on my own - so no Frida photo for me :-( |
During each day of the trip, and often as a refuge from having been outdoors in the cold for several hours, I had stopped for fika at one of the hundreds (thousands?) of Stockholm's little cafés. Black coffee and either a kanelbulle (cinnamon bun) or kardemummabulle (cardamom bun) did the trick, restoring my energy levels. On the third day I deviated from the usual bulle and yielded to my marzipan proclivity, indulging in a slice of that very Swedish gooey cake, Prinsesstårta (Princess Cake).
I didn't need to worry about the calorie intake because over the course of two half-days and two full days, and despite utilising Stockholm's excellent public transport system the whole time I was there, I managed to clock up well over 40 kilometres of walking.
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| Oops. Forgot to take a photo of this very good kardemummabulle before I took a bite! 😋 |
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| Café Schweizer in Gamla Stan, established in 1920 |
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| Interior of Café Schweizer in Gamla Stan. Very good Prinsesstårta (Princess Cake) |
And so, the verdict on Stockholm?
I was pleased to have revisited after several decades, and in general it's an attractive city which I might have enjoyed more, I suppose, if I hadn't been on my own. I do enjoy solo travel and have never been the sort of person who feels awkward dining out, going to the movies and attending other events by myself, but it's not as much fun as having a companion. Still, until such time as Daisy May crosses the Rainbow Bridge, unfortunately solo travel is my only option.
It feels like a very safe city, and it was clean with a good public transport system. In central Stockholm, certainly, there's a visible level of affluence - people are well dressed and look healthy and I didn't come across too many beggars or homeless people.
The fact that my usual method of orientating myself with a new city - the hop on / hop off tourist bus - was only running on weekends at this time of year (I arrived on Sunday afternoon and left on Wednesday afternoon) probably contributed to the sense that getting a feel for the city was more difficult.
However, let's just say I don't feel a pressing need to return to Stockholm. I didn't experience any emotional response to this city, as I have many times on my travels - Berlin, Vancouver, numerous cities in Italy, to name a few. There are lots of lovely old buildings, and regular readers will know that there are few things I like more than wandering around looking at historical architecture. But it's not a very dynamic city. I don't know... I have to compare it with Oslo, to which of course I'm bound to have more of an emotional attachment. There's so much exciting architecture in Norway, and in Oslo particularly. Some of that architecture has been controversial but the result is a city that reflects not only history but also the modern age. And unless I missed it, Stockholm doesn't appear to have a specific harbour-front precinct to match Oslo's Harbour Promenade - and especially Aker Brygge which positively crackles with vibrancy and energy, even in the colder months. I know Stockholm has waterfront restaurants, but they appear to be spread out in various parts of the city.
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| Laneway in Gamla Stan, Stockholm |
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| Another view of Stortoget, Stockholm's oldest square, just a couple of minutes from the Lady Hamilton Hotel |
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| Under Kastanjen (Under the Chestnut) - another of my fika venues, just around the corner from the Lady Hamilton Hotel |
It's a nice city, and definitely worth a visit, but I don't think I'll be racing back to Stockholm anytime soon.
Until next time,
- Maree xo
