Visit Scandinavia

Swedes are very pragmatic

I went to Sweden as part of larger European trip. Not many Australians make it to Scandinavia on their European trip but I highly recommend it, despite the cold…which is not that bad.

After a very long flight, we gratefully landed in Stockholm. Our friend Torsten who knew the city well, had arranged accommodation in a lovely little apartment, in the trendy part of the inner city.

Torsten claimed that there are more than 50 thousand islands in the immediate area of Stockholm and looking at a local map I believe him. It also explains why the city was so easily defensible in the ancient days, as it would have been extremely difficult to navigate a way through the infinite jigsaw puzzle of islands. A defensive ambush could have been easily organized.

We slept very well, possibly helped by the melatonin tablets recommended by a doctor friend. In fact our jet lag after the first night has been minimal. Torsten picked us up early for a brief breakfast of tea or ‘fika’ as they say in Sweden, with an egg and caviar bread roll just like the locals do in a café and then a walk around the old part of Stockholm. We walked through wonderful old streets and buildings to the City Hall where the Nobel Prize is annually awarded.

The Swedes are a very pragmatic mob and the story of the construction of the City Hall building is a great illustration of this. The ‘Blue Room’ is not blue because when the construction was nearing the end the architect thought the exposed brick walls looked so good it would be a shame to cover them with the blue plaster as planned. The city fathers promptly agreed and that is why it is not blue. There is a wonderful mural done in mosaics, mostly gold that was prefabricated in Italy. However when it all arrived in Stockholm its height was discovered to be too high by about a meter. So when you look at the top of it, the patron saint of Stockholm is missing his head. This was decided to be acceptable as the saint was decapitated in real life anyway.

After more sightseeing and an excellent lunch at a very reasonable price, in a restaurant with a spectacular view over the harbour, called the Gondolen, it was off for a four hour drive to Karlstad, which is located west by Stockholm close to the Norwegian border. It is late autumn and the passing colors of the northern hemisphere Beech, Oak, Fagus and other deciduous trees contrasting with the conifers presented a magical display. A quick stop, at about halfway, in a lovely heritage town where we had a hot chocolate in a quaint café with numerous rooms crammed with chairs and tables of every age, shape, style and finish you could imagine. Torsten is an ideal host full of information, very laid back and nothing is too much trouble.

Soon we are in Karlstad, unloading at our destination, which is in the style of a rather large terrace house. The houses here are amazingly warm and comfortable with double glazing and even two sets of doors to insulate against the winter cold. While we have had excellent weather for this time of year (day temperatures around five to eight degrees) the winter snow fall gets deeper than a meter at times.

The night is a bit of a blur, but it was a case of renewing a lot of old acquaintances and making new ones. The remarkable thing about Swedes is that their command of English is excellent, so conversation is easy. Once again we are spoiled with food. The hospitality is overwhelming and we are very humbled.

Briefly the rest of the time in Sweden was wonderful. Our hosts were overwhelming in their generosity. Jenny, my wife, was delighted to be taken to Klassbols, the famous linen producers of the Nobel prize giving.

Sweden all year around

Sweden is a country everyone must visit... beautiful scenery... friendly people... rich in history, and very modern culture. I've been at all times of the year, and find the country and people always have so much to offer. And there's always so much to do - every time I go, I discover more and more about this fascinating and spectacularly beautiful corner of the earth.

Jam away in the Old Town of Stockholm

If you like jamming, great atmosphere, an international crowd and music with a deep heart this is the place you cannot miss when you visit Stockholm. In the district of ‘Gamla Stan’, the international waterhole Wirströms Pub offers FREE live music almost every day of the week.

You might think you ended up in a small Irish or English pub when you enter Wirströms. Soccer on the television, middle-aged men standing around sipping their beers, Irish bartenders... Walk further! Cause if you cross through the room you will reach the stair that takes you down to the basement cave where you can jam the evening away.

The first time I visited Wirstöms Pub I had no idea of what was going on downstairs and I tell you I was positively chocked when I heard the sound from downstairs. It felt like I had ended up in a bar next to the cotton fields in Alabama. Heavy bas was rocking the blues with saxophone, harmonica and the voice of American singer Derrick Walker, who just knows how get the crowd going.

As you probably understand Wirströms is one of my favourite places in Stockholm. For you beer lovers you will find the whole range from Irish Guiness to Dutch Wiessbeer in the bar. Hey and also for you soccer lovers, they are always showing a game from the bigger leagues, I even catched the cricket one night, you crazy Aussies!

Stockholm is truly magical!

When visiting some friends who live in suburban Stockholm last year, instead of staying with them we opted to stay in Gamla Stan, the central island in the middle of the old town. It turned out to be a very good choice. Fortuitously we were there in the first few days of the new year, and right on cue the snow started to fall. For an Australian, spending the night walking down tiny cobbled streets with snow falling all around was magical. Walking through the ornate arches, past the parliament building (itself on its own island), through the square in front of the royal palace, with young guards stationed out front, down to the water's edge to look at the surrounding city is a rare treat. A friend of mine, as we stood looking across the Stockholm harbour, called it Sydney on Ice.

At night we found the Swedes very keen to party, but for me the highlights were during the day. Watching people clear the snow away to build a make shift ice hockey rink in a city park fountain, or going to the excellent Modern Art Museum which is perched on top of its own island, a few minutes walk from the centre of town. I'm not a big fan of the cold, but watching the snow fall on such a beautiful vibrant city was almost enough to convince me otherwise. I hear it's not bad in the summer either, perhaps I'll have to go back and check.

Sweden in autumn

Don’t be put off Scandinavia by tales of the cold. Stockholm in autumn is a magical experience. Think cold, crisp air, pale sunshine, ruggedup locals fishing for salmon at the Sluss where the sweet water meets the salt, piles of crunchy autumn leaves, especially in the park at Skansen, where a reconstructed village of traditional red timber houses overlooks the city. Stockholm is a harbour city like Sydney, but with cleaner air, a slower pace and a general air of civilisation. Go into any café for some hearty Swedish winter food, and you may find there are still outside tables set up, with a pile of soft blankets by the entrance to ward off the chill.

We prefer Europe in the cooler months in general, with the crowds gone and prices down, but there’s a special thrill about being in Scandinavia. While we Australians are clearing undergrowth, putting up shade cloth and worrying about bushfires, the Scandinavians are also making their preparations, closing and shuttering their summer houses, changing their car tyres to winter treads and watching for that first snowfall while they lay in supplies for winter treats such as Glugg.