Public transport: Once you get the hang of it, maneuvering around the city is pretty easy. You do need to know the subway and bus systems in order to get around, but observation and study can take care of that. I didn't take any day trips, but maybe next time. The buses, trains, etc., are all very clean and well maintained and safe. Lots of people use the subway, so be prepared for close quarters, but that's usually a given. Only experienced one negative situation while using the system. While waiting for a subway (outdoors), two people lit up and started smoking. You could see that it made most of the others waiting for the next train very uncomfortable. More than a few moved away from these folks and made it obvious they were not pleased (they were younger but not kids).
Lodging: I was very happy with my hotel. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and they provide a breakfast for about $10 - all you can eat buffet of meats, cheeses, juices, coffee, breads, etc. No bacon and eggs, but I suffer in silence. I would highly recommend. Not luxurious by any means, but comfortable, safe, roomy, and cozy.
Food: Everywhere you go, you find restaurants, food carts, and fast food. I lived on sandwiches and had some very good Thai food at a restaurant near my hotel - it was hot; therefore, it was good.
Tourist stuff: Lots of museums, churches, building, a city worth walking around and exploring. I especially enjoyed the green spaces and the gardens. The boat tour was also fun and helped me get oriented. They have the hop-on-hop-off buses available too, but walking is much more fun and good exercise.
Okay, so this is my blog for Monday, June 1.
I woke up a little late today because the weather was supposed to be rainy and overcast most of the day, so I figured I'd go do indoor stuff.
I had a big breakfast in the hotel, and headed out the door as soon as I could.
I found the people here very laid back. No one is in a big hurry, and for the most part, everyone I talked to was not only friendly and helpful, but they would often go out of their way to help me - especially find things (like wine - more later).
I didn't get off at the regular Central Station stop. I got closer to the Old Town area and started walking from there.
There is a lot of public art in Stockholm. Most of it you just happen upon, and it may seem out of place, but it is always enjoyable. I like to take photos whenever I come across them. Not a lot of graffiti.
The Old Town area is very quaint with cobblestone streets and lots of shops selling typical tourist souvenirs. Many of the storefronts and signs were very pretty or unique.
One of the first "buildings" visited was the Old German Church - Tyska kyrkan - you can read more about it here: http://www.wikiwand.com/en/German_Church,_Stockholm
The church is very impressive both from the outside with its spire and the ornate Baroque style inside.
There were plenty of tours going on and through the church and plenty of tourists to walk around and amongst, but it wasn't unpleasant. The larger groups and their leaders were kind of comical trying to keep everyone herded.
The weather was still cloudy, windy, and cold, so I headed off to my next stop. But before I get there, I want to share another picture with you. Someone mentioned that not having people in some of the pictures from my 1st day looked kind of eerie, so I decided to take some shots with people in them, e.g.
You can see we are all dressed for the occasion (and it's June, people!!!!). This is the plaza right in front of the Nobel Museum. You can read more about it here: http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Nobel_Museum
I went into the doorway and mulled around a bit, but it was packed to the gills, and I decided to save it for another trip.
Next stop was the Stockholm Cathedral - Storkyrkan - or the Church of St. Nicholas - you can read more about it here: http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Storkyrkan
I am always hesitant about exploring churches or sacred spaces when you have to pay a fee, but usually when I do, I am pleasantly surprised. Not that I'm cheap (although many times I am), it's just that I think these places should be open to the public - sell your trinkets and collectibles to recover the cost of letting people in. My opinion. Anyway, I guess they have to make some money to do the upkeep.
The church is gorgeous inside:
"The main altar "The Silver Altar" is a wooden triptych with an ebony veneer with sculptured reliefs in silver..."
And then, of course, there is the giant wooden statue of St. George and the Dragon:
Very impressive indeed. It seems everywhere I have been in Europe, St. George and the Dragon appear to be a common motif (even in Istanbul and Cairo).
Here are some more shots of the cathedral:
Well worth the visit. The exit from the church leads you naturally to the Royal Palace. There were a couple of places open to the public, but there must have been something going on because most of it was closed. I was able to see the Royal Chapel - See more about the Royal Palace here: http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Stockholm_Palace
Very ornate and very beautiful, but very cold indeed:
I took some shots from and of the Royal palace. The first one is of the parliament building which I posted recently - you really have to hand it to the guards - It was still very cold out.
As I made my way from the Royal Palace to the Nordic Museum, I walked along the waterfront and took some more pictures.
As I was walking, I heard music coming from one of the parks and noticed that a uniformed group of men were parading towards the RP - I think it was the changing of the guard, but I can't be sure. I was not ready to make the climb back up.
More about these blue gates later. From here I walked across the street to the Nordic Museum - http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Nordic_Museum
Another very impressive building visible from most anywhere in Stockholm and the Vasa Museum is right behind it. This was a fun and interesting museum covering a lot of history and presenting a lot of day-to-day bric-a-brac from various eras - old and new. I especially liked the dioramas where whole houses or scenes were played out:
First for my Facebook friends who seem to be obsessed with owls, this little guy was featured on the entry to the Museum:
Here are some of the objects from the collection that interested me:
There was a very small but important area devoted to the Sami People - http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Sami_people
The museum was four floors of walking, bending, looking, etc., my biggest complaint would be that it was too dark for many of the exhibits - not sure why.
At this point I should add that my new camera is doing wonderful things for me in low-light conditions. Almost all of the pics in the museum were taken in dark rooms or under dark conditions and almost always through glass. I'd appreciate hearing what you think. I am currently using a Sony A6000 - here's a review: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-alpha-a6000
I left the museum and headed outside to find my way to the Vasa Museum which was situated right behind the Nordic Museum. I got lost and found myself in a cemetery????? It only happens to me, right?
Anyway, I posted some info on the Vasa Museum to FB, and a video, I'll try to reference it here and see what happens. For those of you who want more info on the Vasa Museum and the reconstructed ship, go to: http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Vasa_Museum
As promised, for my investigator friends, there were skeletonized remains found on the ship, and using facial reconstruction, it would appear they looked like this:
I was utterly amazed by the size and "smell" of the ship, and it literally made me feel like I was on the water looking up at the massive thing thinking about boarding... What a great experience and great exhibit.
Let's see if this video works:
I had a late lunch in a little cafe in the museum. I realized I hadn't had a drink of water since I left the hotel, and I was starving. So I took a chance. This is for my friend Monte -
Nothing is simple here - everything is done simply AND elegantly. Ham and cheese sandwich with a very rich dessert.
After lunch, the weather seemed to have cleared up, so I decided to take a walk around a very large park/garden - Djursgarden or the Royal game park - http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Djurg%C3%A5rden
There is a beautiful blue gate at the entrance, and the walk itself is nothing short of breath taking.
The rest of the pictures are of the walk through the park/garden.
As I will always associate the city of Florence with the smell of jasmine, the scent of lilacs will always remind me of this park and Stockholm - the plant/flowers are everywhere.
Enjoy:
And finally, here is a statue I'm sure the Stockholmians would have dedicated to me for today's endurance sightseeing excursion:
I love Stockholm and very much want to come back for a longer visit. There are some day trips worth taking in and around and further in which I'm sure would be wonderful.
It was about 5:30 pm when all was finished and done. I had hoped to walk back to the subway, but found that another line made a connection to the Central Station, so I cheated.
When I got into the station, I asked one of the waiters at a wine bar why it was so difficult to find spirits. He indicated that they were very highly regulated by the government and could only be sold in certain shops. He showed me where the closest one was (about 5 blocks away), and I headed in that direction to buy a bottle of wine to celebrate my grand tour. The shop only sold wine and spirits, and they were reasonably priced.
There is a little grocery store near my hotel, and I stopped in the first night. I bought what I thought was a bottle of red wine, but when I opened the bottle, and poured myself a drink, it tasted FUNNY! I read a note on the bottle (in the local language) something approximating "not real wine." Boy was I disappointed. Anyway, I did without and survived.
Today I leave for Riga, Latvia. I don't know what to expect, so it's going to be a real adventure. Wish me luck, and I'll be writing to you soon to share what I see/do.
Steve
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