Sweden – 2013

Hi, everyone –

As we approached our last day in Stockholm we agreed (at least Anne and I did;  Maddie and Hannah were playing their iPhone games) that we needed at least another 1-2 days…so…we’re extending our trip.

Just kidding – but we could truly have used more time in Stockholm to see, do and walk more; it’s a big city with a lot going on.  And while the Swedes, like their Finnish neighbors shut down for the Midsummer Holiday we only had to deal with one evening of boarded up shops, attractions and restaurants.

We arrived at about 4pm and set out for a two hour walk in the “City Neighborhood” of Stockholm.  This because the clouds and breeze cancelled our planned hot air balloon tour.  Our walk led us though the new part of town and had a lot of pedestrian streets, contemporary Swedish architecture, a couple of churches and cemeteries and some international chain

stores along the way.  The Stockholm City also has 7-Eleven Stores that close for the evening.  If you don’t believe me look at the photo.  Hot air ballooning notwithstanding, the weather was pretty nice for a walk and we kept each other entertained as we strode through parts of Stockholm no self-respecting tourist would ever take the time to see.  Nice.

Dinner was great – we walked over to the Old City (Gamla Stan) and found among the (open for business) souvenir shops a 150 year old cafe founded by a Bavarian settler.  So we dined like Americans in Sweden eating German-inspired food.

Walking towards Jurgarten the next day early we saw a couple of new-age obelisks in the harbor; they essentially are Applause-O-Meters for AIR and WATER quality in Stockholm.  Fortunately for us they each were at acceptable levels.  Our first stop was at the newly opened ABBA museum where we resisted the cult-like mania and learned more about ABBA than we ever could have asked for.

The interactive museum had videos, quizzes, stage props, a virtual stage and a recording studio where Madeline and I recorded our tone-deaf version of “Dancing Queen”.  On the same island as the ABBA museum we visited: the Skansen Open-air Museum that recreates life in ancient Sweden, the History Museum that has cultural artifacts from all over Sweden and finally the Vasa Museum that has an ACTUAL Swedish warship that in 1959 was raised from the bottom of the harbor 330 years after

sailing a mere 1500 meters before capsizing.  The Vasa Museum is so amazing the girls didn’t break out their iPhones once.  We wandered the evening around the Old Town Shoppes before having a great dinner near the hotel with lots of herring…which Hannah discovered she really enjoys!  Maddie continues to sample everything while favoring Swedish beef.

Our last full day was reserved for palaces and shopping.  Taking the Swedish subway (Tunnelbahn) out of town we visited Drottningholm…which is home to the current King and Queen of Sweden.  The Swedes call the Drottningholm Palace the “Swedish Versailles” and it’s very nice – but isn’t nearly as much like Versailles as is the “Russian Versailles” we visited in St. Petersburg nor the “Austrian Versailles” we saw last year in Vienna. After taking the bus and T back to Stockholm we spent about an hour at NK – which is referred to as the “Swedish Harrod’s”.  We were glad to find it open for business.  This is

especially true since Stockmann’s, the “Finnish Harrod’s” was closed for the Midsummer Holiday and “GUM”, the “Russian Harrod’s” was a little difficult to make time to walk through.  For being so nice, it sure seems like Sweden has an inferiority complex.

We then stuffed ourselves at the Grand Hotel’s Smorgasbord on Swedish delicacies: herring, salmon, reindeer, potatoes with dill, Swedish cheeses, rye crisps, roasted leg of lamb, salads, vegetables and desserts. Making many trips to the Smorgasbord and taking a little taste each time was easy until getting to the dessert table where Madeline misjudged her slice of cake and subsequently received offers from two bellmen to jointly help her carry her “slab” to her seat.

After lunch we waddled through the several museums, apartments

and chapel of the royal palace.  Of particular interest was the costume King Gustav III was wearing when shot at a costume ball and also his beloved horse which he had stuffed.  It’s also here that I write with only a small amount of modesty about my continued mastery of “hip-shot” photography.  You see, Swedish museum attendants are the most aggressive I’ve encountered when it comes to enforcing the “no photo” rule.  Undaunted, I continue to collect my digital contraband with surprisingly good composition and lighting…all for your benefit, gentle reader.

We later did a little more walking through the back alleys of the Old Town before crisscrossing a pedestrianized street in the “City” full of clothing stores.  After shopping, we hopped on the T to see the AIK vs. BP Futboll mach.

The seats and popcorn were great and we would have seen more of the game had it not been for a new and very soundproof stadium being so difficult to find amidst the apartments and townhouses of suburban Stockholm.

Post game, Maddie and Hannah returned to the hotel for some wi-fi while Anne and I bade goodbye to Stockholm with a glass of wine and late night meal of herring (of course) and salad (Anne passed on the herring) at a bustling sidewalk cafe.

Our next and final stop is Copenhagen – where the days will be a bit shorter and we’ll continue our family debate on whether or not “Danish” pasties should have chocolate or be limited to fruit or cheese.

Thanks for reading this latest edition of the Brandt travel journal; we hope you’re taking away as much enjoyment from them as we are having filling them.

Love,
Hannah, Madeline, Anne and Jeff