Stockholm has a population of a million, but include
the suburbs and that number doubles. About
12% of the country’s population is foreigners and 25% of those live in
the Stockholm area. The
rather lax immigration rules of the past are now stricter.
In 2005 Stockholm was voted the
most modern European city. The city hosted the Olympic Games in 1912.
Elegant Stockholm is a beautiful capital built
on 14 islands linked by 54 bridges, but visitors only need to be concerned with
4-5 islands. In the center of Gotland, in the
Baltic, a mild natural paradise has many fine beaches and wildflowers. Lund and Uppsala are rich in history and tradition
with famous universities and churches. The city, on the country’s east coast,
was founded in 1250 as a fortress at the junction of Lake Malaren
and the Baltic Sea. The Royal Capital is ideally situated for
trade and maritime connections. The city has historic ties to France, and that
is reflected in some of the architecture.
The city is often called the city of water or the Venice of the north. Besides the islands and
bridges, Stockholm
has its towers and steeples, cobbled squares, broad boulevards, Renaissance
splendor as well as its steel and glass skyscrapers. The city is one-third
green, one-third blue water, and one-third for living.
The city, with a lively and lovely medieval heart,
has pure water and is ringed by quiet woods. An archipelago of 14,000 islands
protects the city from the open sea. The city gracefully balances its loyalty
to cultural tradition with its affection for modern innovation. The clean green
city is understated. Sweden
is famous for its glass and crystal.
Stockholm has a world-class transport
infrastructure. Many multinational companies are located in the largest city in the
largest country in Scandinavia.
Our hotel in Stockholm overlooked
the Kings Hops Park where hops were grown in the 18th century for
the royal brewery. King
Garden Square,
located downtown, was only a short walk away. Five hundred years ago it was the king’s kitchen garden where he
raised vegetables. Today
it is surrounded by the
Sweden House, NK department store and the harbor front; it is
a great place for people watching.
Katrina Church. In
the 1600s the king wanted to move old town to a new site because of
overcrowding. He built the church first and named it after his mother. It took
40 years to complete. In 1723 a fire destroyed the church and 400 homes. Ten
years later the church was rebuilt. In a 1990 fire arson was suspected, but it
turned out that old fuses had caused a spark that started the fire. The old foundation
and bolts were able to be used when the church was rebuilt in 1995.
In Old Town, Gamla
Stan. the winding cobbled streets are lantern lit.
The area was built by merchants dealing with the Hanseatic
League. Walking
the charming area we saw the narrowest street in Europe, the
oldest restaurant, 1421, still in business, a church and the palace. The
Italian Baroque Royal Palace, 1754, is the official residence used
for state functions. It
was built, with 608 rooms, on site of the first Renaissance-style castle that
burned in 1697. The statue gazing at the palace is of King Gustav II who was
assassinated at a masquerade ball in 1792.
The Royal family lives in
Drottningholm.
At the Vasa Museum the
king’s mighty new ship, the Vasa was the center of a huge celebration on the
day of her maiden voyage in 1628. She
sailed with 145 men on board with plans to pick up 300 soldiers just outside
the harbor entrance. She also sailed with all of her gun ports open. A wind blew
the top-heavy ship and soon water started going in the gun ports which
were too close to the waterline. She sank twenty minutes into her maiden
voyage, before even leaving the harbor. Several of her crew died, and she was
not raised until 1961.
During the trip we saw several May poles still
standing. The pole traditionally is covered with leaves, often beech, and
flowers. Girls pick 7-9 flowers and place them under her pillow to remain
silent until morning and to dream of a beau. Boys eat salt to dream of a girl
pouring him beer and to eventually become his wife.
One of the hotels in the city has ice
bar that can accommodate 30 people. Reservations are needed for the
half-hour stay. Everything in the bar is made of ice including the glasses.
People are given parkers to stay warm while enjoying this experience.
In Sweden they don’t cross their fingers for
good luck, but instead fold their thumb into their palm and say hold you thumbs.
Peppakahor is a thin, round, fluted cookie made of pepper and almonds.
At Christmas time they are used to make the equivalent of gingerbread houses.
They taste a lot like a ginger cookie.
In Sweden I found a couple unusual manhole
covers and one of these days I’ll gather all of the ones I’ve collected for a
show and tell post.
You might want to check
post: Gorgeous city hall 8- 3- 14
Skansen ecomuseum 4-3 -11
