Stockholm… the very name conjures up images of opera, art, modern dance and of course, Nobel laureates. Looking out my hotel window I can see the point at which Baltic Sea meets the enormous Lake Malaren. I open the window to let in the sea breeze. It is so cool for summer. My friends back in Melbourne had mentioned that Stockholm is considered to be the Venice of the North. Looking out towards the bridges and waterways I can see that the epithet is justified.
Stepping out of my one of the luxury hotels room in the lovely June morning I hold my breath for a while taking in the scenic loveliness of the place. Despite the commerce and activity all around me I love the unhurried pace of it all. I am certain no one gets heart attack or high blood pressure at Stockholm.
Taking a ferry I cross over to Gamla Stan, the city’s old town situated over an islet. Getting off I find myself enraptured by the sheer loveliness of its cobble-stoned pathways, ochre-colored buildings, and the surrounding shops and bars. I thank the sun for shining brightly as the ochre buildings with their cheery blue roof-tops cast long sliding shadows over the cobble-stoned streets giving amateur shutter-bugs umpteen photography opportunities.
I look at the watch Sue had gifted me, it’s not yet noon. “You simply HAVE TO see the Royal Palace,” she had insisted. Very well then, but I hope to be in time to witness the change of guards. I am in luck. Through the huge crowd I witness the change of guard ceremony with the military band playing in the outer courtyard of the palace. The king, I am told, resides in a place called Drottningholm.
Later that evening I visit the Grona Lund amusement park which brought out the kid in me, especially in the Haunted House where I managed to scare some kids and later made friends with them.
Stockholm is dotted with museums and I don’t get to see them all. The one I do get to view rather extensively is the Museum of Medieval Stockholm detailing the evolution of the city and its origins. I so long to visit other museums and places of interest but there’s no time. Before leaving Stockholm I dip my glass into the river and hold it up against the sky. So clean!
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