I believe there’s an unwritten rule that college students are
required away for spring break. And since
I’m auditing classes at George Mason University, I’m technically a college
student once again, and therefore required to get out of town during this time. However, rather than joining the herds of students
flocking to the beaches of Florida and the Caribbean, I prefer a more
interesting destination. Last year, I
took a university-run trip to Portugal, which was great. But this year’s itineraries didn’t appeal to
me, and as 2017 came to an end, I still didn’t have any firm travel plans.
Then, just a few days after I returned from India in late
December, I happened to glance at the travel section of the newspaper and saw that
Scandinavian Airlines was offering very low fares to European cities through
the end of March. Within 24 hours, my
spring break plans were set – a flight to Stockholm and five nights in a hotel.
The decision to go to Sweden wasn’t totally random. I fell in love with Scandinavia many, many
years ago, when I was a college undergraduate studying for a semester in
Copenhagen, Denmark. Since that initial
exposure to the Scandinavian lifestyle, I’ve made several visits to Denmark and
Norway. However, I’d never gotten to
Sweden. A little online research
convinced me that Stockholm would offer enough interesting sights to keep me
occupied for 4-5 days. Also in its
favor, Stockholm seemed like the kind of city where I would feel comfortable
exploring on my own.
Of course, I knew why the airfares were low. Winter is not exactly the height of tourist
season in Scandinavia. I took the precaution of checking average March weather
in Stockholm before I made my reservations.
Daytime temperatures in the 30s didn’t sound too bad. As the date of my departure approached, though,
I discovered that all of Europe was having a historically cold and snowy
winter. Just to be prepared, I invested
in a longer lightweight down jacket and plenty of Heat-Tech thermal tops and bottoms,
in case I needed extra protection.
The trip got off to an auspicious start. The overnight flight from DC to Copenhagen
(where I made a connection) had plenty of extra seats, so I was able to stretch
out across an entire middle section and get some rest, if not actual
sleep. The Flygbussarna brought me from
the airport to downtown Stockholm in about 45 minutes, and then it was just a
short walk (5 minutes in theory, 20 minutes if you factor in my navigational
errors) to my hotel. As soon as I dropped
off my luggage (just a carry-on bag), fortified myself at the hotel’s lunch
smorgasbord, and checked my map, I set out to explore Stockholm on foot.
Thus began a five-day urban trek of discovery. Each day, I bundled myself up in multiple
layers of clothing and walked at least five miles, often more. And while the temperatures were freezing and
there was ice and snow on every surface, the sky was usually a beautiful blue,
even when a few snowflakes were swirling through the air.
Stockholm made quite a positive first impression. Knowing it was the country’s capital and a
major city, I was expecting it to be more crowded with people and cars, more noisy,
more congested, and with more of a rushed feeling. I was struck by how quiet, orderly and calm
Stockholm seemed. Even at a time when
people would be going to or returning from work, a sense of calm prevailed. In addition, throughout the city, buildings
were low and human in scale. The
architecture was a harmonious blend of the old and new. The city proved to be very compact and
walkable, and never felt overwhelming.
Stockholm’s natural setting, spread across a cluster of
islands, adds to the city’s visual appeal.
I never seemed to be far from the water.
Small bridges, for pedestrians and cars, link the islands. Of course, at this time of year, much of the
water is still choked with ice. But I
could easily imagine how delightful it would be to cruise through the
archipelago in the warmer months.
My hotel,
Downtown Camper by Scandic, offered all the
amenities I required.
One especially
attractive feature was the lounge area on the top floor called The Nest.
You could curl up here at any time with a cup
of coffee or tea, a glass of beer or wine, look out the windows at a panoramic
view of the city or gaze into a crackling log fire.
The hotel was ideally located in the Norrmalm
district, within walking distance of shops, a pedestrian shopping street,
restaurants, cafés, the central public transportation hub, and several museums
and cultural attractions.
My first tourist stop was the Stockholm Medieval Museum, where
I hoped to get a sense of city’s origins. The underground exhibition space is built into
the remains of an early settlement that was excavated in the 1970s. Archaeological evidence shows that the town
of Stockholm dates back to the year 1252 CE although defenses may have existed
as early as the 11th century.
Museum exhibits covered the life of everyday people during the period
from 1050 CE, when the country began to adopt Christianity, to 1527 CE, when
King Gustavus Vasa carried out the Reformation.
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| On the way to the underground Medieval Museum |
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| 11th century rhinestone at the Medieval Museum |
Just a short walk over one of several bridges brought me to
Gamla Stan, the “old town.” This area of
the city is dominated by the Royal Palace and the Stor Kyrka, an old historic
church. Gamla Stan is probably the most
popular area for tourists, and its quaint charm is undeniable. However, walking up the steep cobblestone
streets, with their coating of gravel, ice and slask (slush), required careful attention. As you would expect, you’ll find plenty of restaurants,
cafés, antique stores, and souvenir shops in this area.
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| Walking up to the Royal Palace |
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| Picturesque streets in Gamla Stan |
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| Antique store in Gamla Stan |
Based on a recommendation from my hotel concierge, I
found a quiet and very un-touristy restaurant in Gamla Stan for my first dinner
in Stockholm. Elliott would have loved
the traditional meal that I ordered:
Swedish meatballs covered in cream gravy, and accompanied by velvety smooth puréed
potatoes, sweet-tart lingonberries, tangy pickled cucumber salad, a variety of
homemade breads, and local butter.
The following morning brought blue skies although
temperatures remained in the teens. After
indulging in the amazing breakfast buffet at the hotel, I returned to Gamla
Stan to visit the Royal Palace, where I toured beautifully decorated apartments
(the usual sumptuous fabrics, crystal chandeliers, gilded furniture, paintings
and sculpture) and learned quite a bit about history of Sweden’s royal family. Through previous reading (after all, I was a
history major), I already knew that the Swedes had imported one of Napoleon’s
generals, Jean Bernadotte, to become their monarch. The original Bernadotte
king took the name Karl IV Johan when he assumed the throne in 1818. His French-born wife, Désirée, had a rough
time adjusting to her new home. After
spending her first winter in Stockholm, she fled back to France and didn’t
return to the Swedish capital for several years. Although Désirée became queen of Sweden, she
never learned to speak the language of her adopted country.
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| Part of the Royal Palace |
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| The Treasury of the palace |
Snow began to fall gently as I walked out from the palace
into the narrow streets of Gamla Stan.
Fortunately, the flurries didn’t last for long and the sky remained blue
throughout. The same phenomenon occurred
several times during my stay in Stockholm.
After a quick lunch, I walked a few blocks to the Swedish Academy to see
the Nobel Museum. With exhibits on Nobel
laureates and tours in English as well as Swedish, this small museum offers
visitors a unique experience. I
particularly enjoyed the current exhibit on writers awarded the literature
prize. It gave me some ideas for future
reading.
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| The Nobel Museum (located in the Swedish Academy) |
After all of that hard work being a tourist, I thought I
deserved a decadent treat. It just so
happened that I’d spotted the Chokladkoppen Café on the plaza adjacent to the
Nobel Museum. I escaped from the cold
with a mid-afternoon cappuccino and a slice of raspberry pie with vanilla
sauce. Mmmm.
Stockholm has a number of fascinating museums.
I spent a few enjoyable and educational hours
at the
Swedish History Museum in Ostermalm.
The scope of the exhibits ranges from prehistory to contemporary times.
The information is presented in an engaging,
accessible format, with plenty of interactive exhibits geared towards children
of all ages.
One interesting fact I
learned is that Jews were first granted the right to practice their religion
freely by royal decree in 1775.
The Ostermalm neighborhood, which is adjacent to Norrmalm,
is primarily residential and contains a fabulous food hall. There was an amazing variety of fresh fish,
baked goods, sweets, fruits, and vegetables.
From all the tempting offerings, I chose a blueberry bulle for a snack. The dough was bursting with fresh berries and
the center of the bun was filled with a dollop of delicious vanilla cream.
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| Architecture in Ostermalm |
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| In the Ostermalm Food Hall |
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| A delicious blueberry vanilla bun |
Over the course of walks through the city of Stockholm, I
saw several historic churches. Both
Sankt Jakob’s (St. James) Kyrka, near the Opera House, and Sankta Klara, near
my hotel, were begun in the late 16th century. The medieval Riddarholm Kyrkan (burial place
of Sweden’s monarchs, closed during the winter months), on a small islet that’s
part of Gamla Stan, dates back to the late 13th century. In Ostermalm, I passed by the beautiful 18th
century Hedvig Eleanora Kyrka. The
religious building most symbolic of Stockholm is the 13th century
Stor Kyrkan (Great Church, built in the distinctive Swedish Brick Gothic style,
which towers above all the other buildings in Gamla Stan.
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| Sankt Jakobs Kyrka |
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| Interior of Sankt Jakobs |
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| Sankta Klara |
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| Stor Kyrkan |
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| Hedvig Eleanora Kyrka |
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| Riddarholm Kyrkan |
Before I left home, I had made advance arrangements (necessary
due to security concerns) to attend Friday evening services at Stockholm’s historic
Stora Synagoga, or Great Synagogue. This
large, stately stone building, in Neo-Moorish style, dates to the 1860s. It is located on a quiet street in
Norrmalm. I joined about 100
worshippers, including many families with children, at a joyful and musical
Shabbat service. While I was only
familiar with a few of the melodies, I was able to follow the Hebrew in their
Swedish/Hebrew prayer books easily enough.
I wish I’d been able to take photos of the beautiful and tastefully
decorated sanctuary.
Before I knew it, the weekend had arrived, and I planned to
pack a lot of sights and activities into those two days. On Saturday, I took a short tram ride to the
island of Djurgarden, where I visited both the Vasa Museum and the Nordic
Museum.
The
Vasa Museum, which features a rebuilt Swedish war ship
from 1628, is especially popular with families.
The enormous wooden ship sank in Stockholm harbor on its maiden voyage
and remained under water for over 300 years.
It was later determined that the ship sank because it was too narrow and
top-heavy and that it lacked adequate stone ballast.
Over 400 crew members were on board at the
time of the disaster.
It’s remarkable
that only 30 died, given that the ship sank within 3 minutes.
When the ship was discovered essentially
intact in Stockholm harbor in 1961, careful plans were made to raise and
salvage it.
98% of the reconstructed ship’s
materials are original.
The museum
provides information on shipbuilding, showcases the ship’s beautiful carvings,
tells the story of maritime warfare, and provides insight into the lives of
Stockholmers in the early 17
th century.
The Nordic Museum, located next door to the Vasa Museum, opened
in 1907 and is housed in an imposing Renaissance style building. In the grand hall, a monumental statue of the
King Gustav Vasa, who ruled from 1523 to 1560, gazes down at museum
visitors. This monarch is acknowledged
as the founder of the city of Stockholm.
The museum houses a wide variety of permanent and temporary exhibits, featuring
fashion, jewelry, folk art, toys, home décor, photography, and more. One of the more interesting exhibits focused
on table settings through the centuries.
This is where I learned about the origin of the word “punch.” You can
trace it back to the 1700s, when ships of the Swedish East India company traded
actively with East Asia, bringing home luxury goods such as silk, porcelain,
and tea. In addition, they brought back
a new drink called “punsch.” The word comes from the Indian word for
“five,” since it’s a mixture of five ingredients: sugar, water, tea, lemon and arrack (an
alcoholic beverage from Southeast Asia).
Drinking punsch became part of
the evening ritual for men who gathered to smoke and play cards.
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| A grandmother clock and a grandfather clock |
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| A table set with punch bowls, pipes, and playing cards |
Although Saturday was cold, plenty of Stockholmers were out
walking and enjoying the sunshine. I
took a long walk back from Djurgarden to Norrmalm, strolling along the
waterfront.
I saved one last museum for Sunday, my final day.
Skansen, Stockholm’s open-air living history
museum, which opened in 1891, is the world’s first open air museum.
It includes over 150 buildings transported
from all regions of Sweden and reconstructed on site.
When I arrived at the gates of Skansen at
10am (opening hour) on Sunday, temperatures were still in the low 20s.
Brrrr.
However, that didn’t keep me from walking around the sprawling site.
I was able to view a manor house, two
different farmsteads (with pigs, roosters, ducks, and geese), a traditional
church, and several small dwellings.
Many of the buildings weren’t open at this time of year but it was
beautiful to see the icicles hanging from the roofs and a thick layer of snow blanketing
the ground.
In the town quarter,
characters in period dress strolled the streets and manned the shops.
I watched an engraver, a baker and a potter
at work.
When I walked into the bakery, the
aroma of cinnamon was so powerful that I immediately ordered a
kanella bulle.
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| Entrance to Skansen |
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| In the Town Quarter |
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| Old storehouse |
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| A country church |
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| From a farmstead |
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| A farm building |
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| A Swedish pig |
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| Icicles everywhere! |
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| The bakery |
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| Cinnamon buns and pretzels at the bakery in the Town Quarter |
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| An old hardware store in the Town Quarter |
On my final afternoon in Stockholm, I headed south to
Sodermalm, which many compare to Soho because of its trendy, youthful
vibe. It actually reminded me of
Brooklyn, as well. Second-hand clothing
shops, galleries, parks, and boutiques abound.
I did a little shopping (grocery and clothing), then stopped for lunch
at Meatballs for the People, where I got my first taste of wild boar meatballs.
(They were delicious.)
As far as food goes, Stockholm offers a great variety of
choices. In addition to traditional
Swedish cuisine, there are restaurants serving Mexican, Greek, Ethiopian,
Lebanese, Spanish, Irish, Thai, Japanese, Indian, Chinese and Italian
food. The restaurant prices weren’t
cheap, but the food I ate in Stockholm was uniformly fresh and tasty. In addition, everywhere I turned, I saw
coffee shops and bakeries where you could get a reasonably priced snack. One Swedish specialty that I’m glad I tried is
a special Lenten pastry called “semla.”
A semla is a bun split in half
horizontally and filled with almond paste and whipped cream. They come in various sizes.
And I can’t talk about Swedish food without raving about the
hotel’s daily buffet breakfast. It’s
hard to know where to begin. I can
visualize the platters piled high with gravlaks
(cured salmon); jars of herring; dishes of tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and
peppers; plates of sliced meats and cheeses; baskets filled with crispy breads,
rolls, flatbreads, and flaky croissants; serving bowls of yogurt (plain and
flavored), muesli, granola; jars of berries in syrup; arrangements of cut up
fruit; hard- and soft-boiled eggs; buttery scrambled eggs with snipped chives; bacon,
sausage, baked beans; Swedish waffles; multiple varieties of juice, coffee,
tea, and milk (plus non-dairy alternatives).
There was even a special section devoted to gluten-free options. In the past, all-you-can-eat meals have been
my downfall. Fortunately, I’ve now learned
to choose judiciously and eat in moderation.
Another unexpected pleasure of Stockholm was the reliable,
efficient and easy to use public transportation system. When I needed a break from the cold, or from
walking, I jumped onto a subway train. Even
at rush hour, the trains were not overly crowded. Although I expected to do a lot of walking
(and I usually walked 5-6 miles a day), I purchased an unlimited transit pass
for the duration of my visit so that I could see some of the subway stations
that are known for their artwork.
Shopping wasn’t a major activity on this trip. However, on several occasions, I strolled
down the pedestrian-only Drottningatan shopping street in Norrmalm and bought a
few souvenirs. I took an extended look
at the upscale NK department store, the largest such store in Stockholm, and I also
enjoyed window-shopping in all areas of the city.
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| Inside NK department store |
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| Swedish home furnishings |
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| The bakeries were irresistible. |
My five days in Stockholm passed so quickly. Just as I was starting to feel at home in the
city, it was time to leave on my early morning flight. The sun had not yet risen when I made my way
from the hotel to the city terminal to board the Flygbussarna to the
airport. (And the walk only took me 5
minutes.)
Looking back, I know I made the right decision about my
spring break travel. It was a brief
trip, but it was exactly what I needed to feel refreshed and revitalized. So, now the challenge is to pick another
European city to visit during next year’s spring break.
