View of the Riddarholmen Steeple
View of Strandvägen from the Skeppsholmen bridge (With Swedish Crown)
An Exhibit at the Modernamuseet
Salvador Dali's "The Enigma of William Tell"
Lunch at the KB
The Clock That Appears at the End of "ABBA The Movie"
A View of Stockholm From One of the Boat ToursI went to bed last night thinking there is still so much I would like to do here in Stockholm, but I am running out of time. So when I awoke this morning, I made sure that I could have a quick breakfast and get ready so that I could leave the hotel quickly. I was at Riddarholmen church just before 10:00 a.m. this morning... Problem was that it didn't open before 10:00 anyway, so I took my time walking around the area, taking pictures of the exterior of the church. The building, which dates back to the 1200s, is the oldest preserved building in Stockholm. It is located right next to where Agnetha Fältskog shot the video for "I Wasn't the One (Who Said Goodbye)" in 1987. Most of the Swedish kings and queens, as well as noblemen, were buried inside the church until the 1500s, when the Reformation occurred and Sweden abandoned Catholicism. For several decades, no Swedish monarch was buried in this church, but eventually in the 1600s, the kings and queens of Sweden began to be buried here once again. In fact, all of them up until 1950 are buried here, with the exception of Queen Christina, who converted to Catholicism and fled Sweden in the 1600s. The building is magnificient, and visiting the church is a wonderful experience. The crypts of most of the Swedish monarchs are actually above ground and located in various chapels within the church. Needless to say, it is a fairly somber atmosphere, and we are forbidden from taking any photographs inside the church.
I left the island of Riddarholmen and made my way on foot to the National Museum. I thought I was making excellent time, having arrived in front of the museum -- without the help of a map, I might add -- by 10:35 a.m. Once again, the problem was that the museum did not open before 11:00, so rather than waiting around for nearly half an hour, I ventured forth to the nearby island of Skeppsholmen, where I knew the Modernamuseet opened at 10:00 a.m. I got there around 10:45, and I had a quick look at the exhibits, but at a somewhat leisurely pace. The Museum of Modern Art has quite a fabulous collection of works of art from all of the great masters of the 20th century. It is quite strong in the cubist movement. I got to see works by Picasso, Kandinsky, Matisse, Monet, Warhol and Leger, among others. For me, the highlight of the visit was my favourite artist, Salvador Dali, and his painting, "The Enigma of William Tell". But there were also other works of art which I found more inaccessible and laughable. I really got a kick out of two exhibits in particular: the first was a collection of hanging coat hangers just like in "Absolutely Fabulous" ("I mean it looks like bullocks, so it must be worth something"), and the second was a pair of high heels, placed upside down, and trussed up like a holiday turkey, with those white things you put on the ends of drumsticks delicately placed on the heels. Troy, I have a feeling we would have had a great time here...
I made excellent time and without rushing through anything, I was out of the Modern Museum by 12:00 noon sharp. Since I wanted to return to that great restaurant KB for lunch -- the place where I had the raspberry souffle the other night -- I made my way to the Norrmalm/Östermalm border to find the restaurant, once again without the benefit of a map. I am starting to find my way around now... And today I saw a fridge magnet of a quote I found particularly appropriate: Greta Garbo was quoted as saying "Those who choose their own paths don't need a map". Anyway, I got to KB fairly quickly and ordered the räksmörgås (the open-faced shrimp sandwich). When it arrived at the table it was enormous! But unfortunately, it paled in comparison to the version I had at the Vasa Museum. The shrimp had no real flavour, more like a watery taste, and the bread was much sweeter. I can't say that I enjoyed my meal as much as last time. When I got here I was concerned that I might be underdressed. For the first time this trip, I was wearing denim shorts and a short-sleeve shirt (the weather was an amazing 25C today and I got more sun!!). Everyone at the restaurant seemed to be wearing shirts, ties and jackets. I wanted to make sure that I could go in dressed the way I was (which was no problem), but my phrasing in Swedish wasn't the best: "Kan jag äta här i mina kläder?" ("Can I eat here in my clothes?")
When I exited the restaurant, I wondered if I might be able to locate a clock which appears at the end of "ABBA The Movie". I read about it last night in the back pages of "The ABBA Guide to Stockholm", in a section called "For Die-Hard Fans". As luck would have it, I came face to face with it barely five minutes after beginning my search.
When I got to the National Museum this morning and noticed that it only opened at 11:00, I also noticed that on Tuesdays it closes at 8:00 p.m. I figured since it was now only a little past 1:00 p.m., I was in no real hurry to visit it. So, I went back to a cool bookstore I had previously visited on Gamla Stan. They had a whole bunch of ABBA-related books that I had my eye on, but I have been worried about weight restrictions on my luggage so have refrained from buying them. They have books like "Benny's Road to ABBA", "From Waterloo to Mamma Mia!" (revised and expanded edition to include "Kristina från Duvemåla"), and "ABBA in America" (the 1979 tour). In the end, I asked the shop owner if I can order online, and they said yes, they ship around the world, so I will do it that way. But I did buy a gift for Martin for taking care of my cats.
I figured I should stop and see whether the royal apartments of the Kungligaslottet (The Royal Palace) were open. They are the main reason people visit the palace, but it turns out that they are still closed. Hans had said that if this is the case, I can do without the rest of the visit. I would be better off touring their castle at Dröttningholm (which I hope to do tomorrow). But it was at the gift shop of the royal palace that I finally bought gifts for my Mom and Dad, my sister and Troy (yes, another prezzie).
Before continuing on today's adventures, I located the subway and made my way back to the hotel to leave my latest purchases in my suitcase. No need to be laden down when visiting museums. I took the opportunity to take pictures of the hotel (finally!). A quick subway ride back to Slussen, and I was back downtown. It was 2:30 p.m. then, so I spontaneously decided not to do the National Museum right away, but to hop on a ferry to do the "Royal Canal Tour" of Stockholm, a fifty-minute trip that would take me around the island of Djurgården. I ended up enjoying this trip a lot more than I ever thought I would! I had an excellent view out the window, being one of the first passengers on board. As we left the port, my audio-guide (which I got in French) explained that Strandvägen, the street where I stood to see the royal cortege, is a chic street, and the residences along the shoreline here each have about twenty rooms! I knew that Agnetha and Björn had themselves filmed walking along the waterway here in the video for "Summer Night City", but I learned that among the famous people living on this street now is Per Gessle, from the famous Swedish rock group Roxette. (As an aside, at the concert for the Crown Princess the night before the wedding, Roxette sang "The Look", apparently the first time they had sung together since lead singer Marie Frederikson was diagnosed with a brain tumour some 8 years ago). Continuing on the boat tour, when we got about less than 100 metres from the spot where I had stopped for ice cream during my bicycle tour of Djurgården, my audio guide suddenly informed me that to the left of the boat was the house of ABBA composer Benny Andersson!! That was completely unexpected. But by the time I got my camera out, I only had a partially-obstucted view of his home.
The ship docked at its starting point near Gamla Stan about 50 minutes after we had left, but I had a great time. So much so that I vowed I would return to do the other tour, the "Under the Bridges of Stockholm" tour which circles the island of Södermalm, and which lasts close to two hours.
It was close to 4:00 p.m. at this point, and I figured I really should try to do the National Museum now. After all, it was right around the bay from where I was. Five minutes later, I was entering the building. The National Museum has an impressive collection of world art and, not surprisingly, the largest collection of Swedish art in the world. I wasn't too thrilled with the layout, however. We start with exhibits on the royal objects from the 1500s and the Renaissance. Then, suddenly, without any warning, I found myself in a room with modern designs for household items, by the likes of Electrolux and Eriksson. It was more than a little jarring. On the second floor, I came to works of art by the great masters: Monet, Rembrandt, Rodin, Van Gogh, Gauguin, among many others. On the mezzanine level, there were copies of famous sculptures which, without wanting to sound pretentious, I had already seen in Paris and in Italy: the Venus de Milo, the Laocöon, the discus thrower, the fleet-footed Mercury...
Once again, without rushing through the exhibits, I came out of the museum around 5:45 p.m. As I neared the place where the boat tours operate from, I noticed that I was just in time for the "Under The Bridges Tour". I knew it would last two hours, and I was getting hungry, but I also knew that I could get something to munch on during the excursion. It was from the vantage point of the boat that I finally understood why Stockholm has been called the Venise of the north. From the perspective I had, it was true that it reminded me of Venise. The tour brought me around the island I have come to know so well because my hotel is on it. An unexpected highlight was seeing the Årsabron bridge again, the one from the video "The Day Before You Came". What I never imagined became possible: we were actually passing underneath it!! Definite highlight for me! As we slowly made our way along the southern coast of Södermalm, I got a good view of Hans's flat and the library he liked to hang out at. As we were passing through the locks, my audio-guide said that it would pause for a while and play some Swedish music, and the song they chose was ABBA's "Thank You For The Music". As we toured the island, I enjoyed some Pringles potato chips and a Mariestads beer, my third different brand of Swedish lager.
Upon my return back at the dock, it was 8:00 p.m. I thought I would go through Gamla Stan to see if I could find something good to eat for dinner. I walked down the narrow cobblestone streets of Gamla Stan and stopped in at a shop where I gave in and bought myself a few more souvenirs: a Sverige (Sweden) t-shirt: blue with yellow lettering and the three yellow crowns. And I also decided to get myself a few Swedish Christmas tree decorations. Troy and I had been talking about Christmas a few weeks ago, and I am thinking of finally putting up my very own Christmas tree this year, so these new decorations will be a welcome addition.
Back at Slussen, I thought instead of taking the subway tonight I would take the Katarinahissen (the Katherine elevator), which brings people up the cliff of Södermalm. The Hep Stars (featuring a young Benny Andersson) filmed the video for their song "Bald-Headed Woman" here in the 1960s, and it is a stunning view of the city down below. From this point, it was easy enough for me to walk to the hotel. I didn't find anything much to my liking for a late dinner, so I just stopped off at the McDonald's nearest the hotel for a quick, cheap meal. My friend Nick had asked me how the McBehemoth had targetted the Swedes, but I don't see much evidence that it has. The Swedish McDonald's does offer them three popular Swedish favourites: spicy wings, kannelbullar (cinnamon buns) and small korvar (hotdogs). When I pulled out my camera to snap a picture of the menu, I was told that it was forbidden to take pictures. Oh well...
Had a quick meal in front of the TV, and I learned that apparently on Friday night, they will be showing -- for some strange reason -- "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". Nothing says midsommar quite like a Chevy Chase Christmas movie... I am a little sad that I won't be staying here for Midsommar celebrations. I thought that these were always held on the solstice, but it turns out that it is always on the first Saturday after mid summer. When I discovered this, I asked how much it would cost to change my flight, and I was told it would be another 300 dollars, so I guess I can live without it... In any case, they might be celebrating it in Reykjavik.
Guess that's it for tonight.
Kramor och pussar
(Hugs and kisses)
M.
I left the island of Riddarholmen and made my way on foot to the National Museum. I thought I was making excellent time, having arrived in front of the museum -- without the help of a map, I might add -- by 10:35 a.m. Once again, the problem was that the museum did not open before 11:00, so rather than waiting around for nearly half an hour, I ventured forth to the nearby island of Skeppsholmen, where I knew the Modernamuseet opened at 10:00 a.m. I got there around 10:45, and I had a quick look at the exhibits, but at a somewhat leisurely pace. The Museum of Modern Art has quite a fabulous collection of works of art from all of the great masters of the 20th century. It is quite strong in the cubist movement. I got to see works by Picasso, Kandinsky, Matisse, Monet, Warhol and Leger, among others. For me, the highlight of the visit was my favourite artist, Salvador Dali, and his painting, "The Enigma of William Tell". But there were also other works of art which I found more inaccessible and laughable. I really got a kick out of two exhibits in particular: the first was a collection of hanging coat hangers just like in "Absolutely Fabulous" ("I mean it looks like bullocks, so it must be worth something"), and the second was a pair of high heels, placed upside down, and trussed up like a holiday turkey, with those white things you put on the ends of drumsticks delicately placed on the heels. Troy, I have a feeling we would have had a great time here...
I made excellent time and without rushing through anything, I was out of the Modern Museum by 12:00 noon sharp. Since I wanted to return to that great restaurant KB for lunch -- the place where I had the raspberry souffle the other night -- I made my way to the Norrmalm/Östermalm border to find the restaurant, once again without the benefit of a map. I am starting to find my way around now... And today I saw a fridge magnet of a quote I found particularly appropriate: Greta Garbo was quoted as saying "Those who choose their own paths don't need a map". Anyway, I got to KB fairly quickly and ordered the räksmörgås (the open-faced shrimp sandwich). When it arrived at the table it was enormous! But unfortunately, it paled in comparison to the version I had at the Vasa Museum. The shrimp had no real flavour, more like a watery taste, and the bread was much sweeter. I can't say that I enjoyed my meal as much as last time. When I got here I was concerned that I might be underdressed. For the first time this trip, I was wearing denim shorts and a short-sleeve shirt (the weather was an amazing 25C today and I got more sun!!). Everyone at the restaurant seemed to be wearing shirts, ties and jackets. I wanted to make sure that I could go in dressed the way I was (which was no problem), but my phrasing in Swedish wasn't the best: "Kan jag äta här i mina kläder?" ("Can I eat here in my clothes?")
When I exited the restaurant, I wondered if I might be able to locate a clock which appears at the end of "ABBA The Movie". I read about it last night in the back pages of "The ABBA Guide to Stockholm", in a section called "For Die-Hard Fans". As luck would have it, I came face to face with it barely five minutes after beginning my search.
When I got to the National Museum this morning and noticed that it only opened at 11:00, I also noticed that on Tuesdays it closes at 8:00 p.m. I figured since it was now only a little past 1:00 p.m., I was in no real hurry to visit it. So, I went back to a cool bookstore I had previously visited on Gamla Stan. They had a whole bunch of ABBA-related books that I had my eye on, but I have been worried about weight restrictions on my luggage so have refrained from buying them. They have books like "Benny's Road to ABBA", "From Waterloo to Mamma Mia!" (revised and expanded edition to include "Kristina från Duvemåla"), and "ABBA in America" (the 1979 tour). In the end, I asked the shop owner if I can order online, and they said yes, they ship around the world, so I will do it that way. But I did buy a gift for Martin for taking care of my cats.
I figured I should stop and see whether the royal apartments of the Kungligaslottet (The Royal Palace) were open. They are the main reason people visit the palace, but it turns out that they are still closed. Hans had said that if this is the case, I can do without the rest of the visit. I would be better off touring their castle at Dröttningholm (which I hope to do tomorrow). But it was at the gift shop of the royal palace that I finally bought gifts for my Mom and Dad, my sister and Troy (yes, another prezzie).
Before continuing on today's adventures, I located the subway and made my way back to the hotel to leave my latest purchases in my suitcase. No need to be laden down when visiting museums. I took the opportunity to take pictures of the hotel (finally!). A quick subway ride back to Slussen, and I was back downtown. It was 2:30 p.m. then, so I spontaneously decided not to do the National Museum right away, but to hop on a ferry to do the "Royal Canal Tour" of Stockholm, a fifty-minute trip that would take me around the island of Djurgården. I ended up enjoying this trip a lot more than I ever thought I would! I had an excellent view out the window, being one of the first passengers on board. As we left the port, my audio-guide (which I got in French) explained that Strandvägen, the street where I stood to see the royal cortege, is a chic street, and the residences along the shoreline here each have about twenty rooms! I knew that Agnetha and Björn had themselves filmed walking along the waterway here in the video for "Summer Night City", but I learned that among the famous people living on this street now is Per Gessle, from the famous Swedish rock group Roxette. (As an aside, at the concert for the Crown Princess the night before the wedding, Roxette sang "The Look", apparently the first time they had sung together since lead singer Marie Frederikson was diagnosed with a brain tumour some 8 years ago). Continuing on the boat tour, when we got about less than 100 metres from the spot where I had stopped for ice cream during my bicycle tour of Djurgården, my audio guide suddenly informed me that to the left of the boat was the house of ABBA composer Benny Andersson!! That was completely unexpected. But by the time I got my camera out, I only had a partially-obstucted view of his home.
The ship docked at its starting point near Gamla Stan about 50 minutes after we had left, but I had a great time. So much so that I vowed I would return to do the other tour, the "Under the Bridges of Stockholm" tour which circles the island of Södermalm, and which lasts close to two hours.
It was close to 4:00 p.m. at this point, and I figured I really should try to do the National Museum now. After all, it was right around the bay from where I was. Five minutes later, I was entering the building. The National Museum has an impressive collection of world art and, not surprisingly, the largest collection of Swedish art in the world. I wasn't too thrilled with the layout, however. We start with exhibits on the royal objects from the 1500s and the Renaissance. Then, suddenly, without any warning, I found myself in a room with modern designs for household items, by the likes of Electrolux and Eriksson. It was more than a little jarring. On the second floor, I came to works of art by the great masters: Monet, Rembrandt, Rodin, Van Gogh, Gauguin, among many others. On the mezzanine level, there were copies of famous sculptures which, without wanting to sound pretentious, I had already seen in Paris and in Italy: the Venus de Milo, the Laocöon, the discus thrower, the fleet-footed Mercury...
Once again, without rushing through the exhibits, I came out of the museum around 5:45 p.m. As I neared the place where the boat tours operate from, I noticed that I was just in time for the "Under The Bridges Tour". I knew it would last two hours, and I was getting hungry, but I also knew that I could get something to munch on during the excursion. It was from the vantage point of the boat that I finally understood why Stockholm has been called the Venise of the north. From the perspective I had, it was true that it reminded me of Venise. The tour brought me around the island I have come to know so well because my hotel is on it. An unexpected highlight was seeing the Årsabron bridge again, the one from the video "The Day Before You Came". What I never imagined became possible: we were actually passing underneath it!! Definite highlight for me! As we slowly made our way along the southern coast of Södermalm, I got a good view of Hans's flat and the library he liked to hang out at. As we were passing through the locks, my audio-guide said that it would pause for a while and play some Swedish music, and the song they chose was ABBA's "Thank You For The Music". As we toured the island, I enjoyed some Pringles potato chips and a Mariestads beer, my third different brand of Swedish lager.
Upon my return back at the dock, it was 8:00 p.m. I thought I would go through Gamla Stan to see if I could find something good to eat for dinner. I walked down the narrow cobblestone streets of Gamla Stan and stopped in at a shop where I gave in and bought myself a few more souvenirs: a Sverige (Sweden) t-shirt: blue with yellow lettering and the three yellow crowns. And I also decided to get myself a few Swedish Christmas tree decorations. Troy and I had been talking about Christmas a few weeks ago, and I am thinking of finally putting up my very own Christmas tree this year, so these new decorations will be a welcome addition.
Back at Slussen, I thought instead of taking the subway tonight I would take the Katarinahissen (the Katherine elevator), which brings people up the cliff of Södermalm. The Hep Stars (featuring a young Benny Andersson) filmed the video for their song "Bald-Headed Woman" here in the 1960s, and it is a stunning view of the city down below. From this point, it was easy enough for me to walk to the hotel. I didn't find anything much to my liking for a late dinner, so I just stopped off at the McDonald's nearest the hotel for a quick, cheap meal. My friend Nick had asked me how the McBehemoth had targetted the Swedes, but I don't see much evidence that it has. The Swedish McDonald's does offer them three popular Swedish favourites: spicy wings, kannelbullar (cinnamon buns) and small korvar (hotdogs). When I pulled out my camera to snap a picture of the menu, I was told that it was forbidden to take pictures. Oh well...
Had a quick meal in front of the TV, and I learned that apparently on Friday night, they will be showing -- for some strange reason -- "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". Nothing says midsommar quite like a Chevy Chase Christmas movie... I am a little sad that I won't be staying here for Midsommar celebrations. I thought that these were always held on the solstice, but it turns out that it is always on the first Saturday after mid summer. When I discovered this, I asked how much it would cost to change my flight, and I was told it would be another 300 dollars, so I guess I can live without it... In any case, they might be celebrating it in Reykjavik.
Guess that's it for tonight.
Kramor och pussar
(Hugs and kisses)
M.
I certainly hope you ate your dinner with your clothes on!! LOL Sounds like a wonderfull day.
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