Last July/August we went to Stockholm. I was born there, but my family immigrated when I was 5. My husband had never been, so going there was something I felt I needed, plus I wanted him to see the country I hold dear in my heart.
I hadn't been to Sweden in 37 years. Things had definitely changed! I was still struck by the beauty of my native city. The buildings, connected by endless bridges are spectacular and there is so much greenery. Stunning.
On closer inspection, we discovered that it was a little too perfect. There was no grunge. We like a little grunge! Inside the buildings you could go into, everything is cordoned off and it's like being back in Australia, where (apparently) no one can be trusted not to touch things and sit on the furniture. Sadly, this desire for pristine perfection isn't matched in the staff. We were walking through the King's Palace and the reasonably well dressed attendants were skulking around looking obviously bored and disinterested, with hands in pockets. It was a shame.
Above: Some of the beautiful buildings of Stockholm.
The staff in the restaurants and bars are often (not always) equally disinterested. For one, you order and pay at the bar, unless you're in a very expensive place. You are then asked to add the tip as almost everywhere in Sweden you pay by card. Even if all you are buying is a cinnamon bun. Anyway, why would you add a tip before you have received anything AND you have had to go get it yourself? Backward way of thinking if you ask me!
As I mentioned previously, I did infeed buy a single cinnamon but and was asked to pay by card. Never again. As a tourist I was flabbergasted that there was no cash welcome. Due to my card being from Australia, it ended up costing a pretty penny. Sweden is far from cheap, so any additions to expenditure are not welcome.
As for welcoming, we had a few really good experiences, but generally we were left unimpressed by the hospitality of strangers. If you're planning a trip to Sweden, I say go, but be prepared. We are a very friendly couple of people and a lukewarm response is something we wonder at.
Another reason to go is just to see it. Take a push bike and cycle around the City, hop on a boat inland to Mariefred to see the lovely Gripsholm Slott and cycle through the Deer Park (the steam boat is wonderful), or out to the Archipelago. Hop on a train to Uppsala, the beautiful University Town. Go to all of the fabulous Museums - the are more than I can count. The obvious ones are the Vasa Museum and the ABBA one, but there are Museums for everything from toys to spirits (the boozy kind, not the BOO kind) and even some fabulous houses and Palaces to visit. Everywhere there are great parks and you are never far from water.
Top: The view from the top of Mariefred... from the Deer Park Bottom: A slideshow of some of the sights in and around Mariefred. The Castle, Deer Park, Steamboat (and one of the hard workers) and some sights on the way back to Stockholm.
We did catch up with friends and family there. That was fun and they had a laugh at my outdated Swedish words, but great to reconnect. Even if you don't know anyone there I'd say you have to at least check out Stockholm. A couple of weeks will allow you to see a good cross section as well as get a little outside the city for a look around. Trains and boats are everywhere, although it takes a while to learn how they work. There are trams, trains (two kinds) and boats (also two kinds, private and public), buses and you can rent a bike and cycle everywhere.
As I said, we were there in August, for my birthday. This was because I desperately wanted a Kraftfest. The 'a' is supposed to have two dots above it, but it won't work on this keyboard and I'm too old to learn that new trick, and too proud to ask my husband how to do it.... anyway, I digress. This is a fresh water crayfish that Swedes feast on from late August until early September. They're delicious. Huge tables are laid out and food is spread out. People gather with friends and family, often at a holiday house, drink a lot of Aquavit, beer and anything else that's available. You wear silly hats, bibs and sing songs. It's a hoot! Sadly for us, not a lot of my friends and family still do this. A lot of them also aren't fans of the delicious little shellfish. So my husband and I had a somewhat more subdued affair in a cute little restaurant on the Archipelago. It was still delicious but lacked the warmth I was hoping for. Oh well, next time I'll pick some other way to spend my birthday!
Above: Some of our less glamorous shots of eating the little yummy shellfish! Oh, and cake with fireworks for dessert - all with a stunning view of Lilla Fjaderholmen (again, no dots over the a...._
I mentioned Summer houses. Almost everyone I know either has one, or knows someone who does. We had the privilege of going to two. Both owned by different cousins. The second one was super cute, up in Gavle (again, the 'a' is supposed to have two dots over it) the other was closer to Stockholm. At that one we ate to the point of bursting (delicious meals created by my wonderful cousins, and we sat in the sauna and swam (repeat about 6 times!). We were quite drunk and sleepy by the end of it, but boy was it fun. Add that experience to your Swedish getaway if you can!
Above: One of my cousins has the most stunning summer house. Not to mention a wicked sauna and pier to jump off in between sauna sessions. Also a little image of us clowning around.... and a 'day after' photo - after a long walk in the country.
Other things to add.....
One of my nephews lent us a couple of bicycles. What a god send! Saved us a pretty penny and gave us a fun way to get around.
My husband was quite shocked (initially) that the only place to buy alcohol is in a government run store. It is only open certain hours (10:00-20:00 Monday to Friday and 10:00 to 15:00 on Saturdays. Closed Sundays). Coming from Australia, this was somewhat of a surprise for him.
I said we went in August for the Kraftfest. It's probably a bad time to go if you want to see a theatre show or opera as it all closes over summer. Having said that, we did catch a Pink concert as well as seeing Chris Isaak and a whole weekend (free festival) of brilliant Tribute Acts like Ballbreaker (AC/DC), Mighty Queen and Da Doors (with dots over the 'o'), :) If not, and you want to go in August, generally you will get great weather. There are also multiple festivals - some running concurrently - so on the weekends, you will be run off your feet checking them all out.
Sweden is also family friendly. Everyone brings their kids and fur babies everywhere. Be mindful of that if you're not a fan of animals in restaurants etc.
Also, pretty much everyone speaks English. Language will not be a barrier.
Above: A little slideshow of the various concerts and festivals....and maybe a couple of the Museums!
So, would we live there? No. Not withstanding I have a wonderful family there, it's too cold for us. We found plenty to do, but it wasn't our kind of place. Climate is a big factor for us and if we can get out and about without layers (that includes a light summer jacket) we're out. After Sweden, Rhodes Greece!
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