Stockholm, Sweden

Blog by Agnes, edited by Matthew

This past weekend we ventured north to Sweden’s capital, Stockholm. Taken from our guide book:

"Stockholm is built across 14 islands and is often called the Venice of the North. With more foreign visitors than any other city in Scandinavia, it is also considered to be the Capital of Scandinavia. Stockholm is situated at the point where the vast Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea and was built on this strategic spot in the mid 13th century, enabling the founder to tax merchant vessels going in and out of the lake.

As water covers one third of the city area, the maritime life is an important aspect of the city. There are plenty of bridges, marinas and locks. The water is so clean that you can drink it and catch salmon in the middle of the city. The climate is very much conditioned by the sea winds, so even the warmest summer day will be contingent upon the sea breeze finding its way into the city streets. Some basic facts: 1,3 million people live in the greater Stockholm area. The average temperature in Stockholm is around -2 C (28 F) in January and about 18 C (64 F) in July."

We left on Saturday morning around 6am for the Hahn airport. I have to say, our flights were really, really cheap and then somehow, everything else kept getting more and more expensive. Let me explain….As we have mentioned in the past, Ryanair is a crazy airline. We got our flights, for two people, round trip to Stockholm for 37 euros. However, there is a 10 euros fee for using your credit card and there is a fee of 10 euros for every bag you check….so 57 euros or so for two, roundtrip. Fine. Not a bad deal at all.

Well, Ryanair started a new policy on November 1st that your checked bag can only be 15kg verses the regulation before, 25kg. So, we were 5kg over and got charged an additional 40 euros! Annoying, but whatever. It was okay, right, because our flights were so cheap??
We get through security with no problems, grab a coffee and take off at our scheduled time, 9:25am. Our arrival time was 11:30am. The flight was 100% smooth til the very end….before we left, we checked the weather and the forecast was for highs in the 20’s-30’s, winds up to 20mph, and rain. LOVELY!! So, when we were landing in Sweden, as the plane was 10 feet or so up, hovering over the landing strip, a gush of wind caught our plane and pulled us up a bit and then we went back down. We landed but not before Ag’s knuckles turned white from gripping the arm rails!

After that fright, we went to the baggage claim area. Honestly, this airport looked like a barn turned into a airport. There was NO one there and it was just a really big, big room with doors around the sides. I think the pilot was our bus driver and the flight attendants were security….seriously, they just switched hats around.

We got on our bus to the city which was about a 1.5 hour ride. The cost was 28 euros round trip per person but that is okay right? Our flights were so cheap…..

As we got closer to the city, you could start to see water and buildings everywhere. It was a nice drive, aside from the fact that it was raining.

After our ride into the city we got off at the main central station. The station was NUTS! It was like Chicago’s metro station at 5pm! People were walking in each and every direction and there were signs for the Metro, the tram, the subway, the buses, etc. Also, the escalators there were on crack because you walk up to them and think “La, la, slow ride with my things.” Oh, no! You got on this thing and it jerked you back! Fastest ride ever. Crazy! Anyway, we confirmed where we had to go with the information booth and made it to our hotel by 1pm.

The hotel was awesome. It was Hotel Kom and sat just north of the main central area and was a short walk to the action. The breakfast spread was delicious and the staff was really, really friendly. They also had a gym which was super nice. Apparently, the hotel is owned by the YMCA, so the equipment was great! Ag hadn’t been to a gym for over 7 months now and I haven’t been in over a year so we were kind of in heaven! (…As sick as that sounds!)

After we checked in we headed out to find a place to eat because we were starving. We found a Mongolian BBQ joint right up the street and it was de-lish! After that 70 euro meal….(it’s okay though because the flights were so cheap right??) we went into Old Town. We walked the pedestrian streets and went into a coffee shop for dessert and coffee (roughly 20 euros but it’s okay though….our flights were so cheap!) and to take a break from the rain.

Unfortunately, most of the stores were tourist shops so we decided to head to one of the other islands where there were more stores and things going on. We went into a few boutiques and after wondering for a few hours we decided to head back and get out of the rain for a bit.
On our way back, we passed an Irish pub just up from our place, The Foggy Dew. We decided to go in for a drink and guess what!? Ireland was playing South Africa in rugby and the place was packed. We worked some magic and found 2 great seats. After 4 beers for 30 euros (but it’s okay because our flights were so cheap right?) we went back to shower and get ready for our night.

It was around 8:30pm or so when we headed out. We went to a wine bar (Terrenos Vinotek) that has 32 wines on tap. You basically get a debit card and then insert your card in a slot above the wine of your choice. A “tasting” is then poured into your glass. It was really cool and just a different thing to do. We had some cheese and bread there as well and hung out for a good portion of the evening.

After that, we walked around the town for a bit and it was ALIVE! Talk about sassy, dressy and clubby! There were long lines of club goers trying to get into places all over. Please note too, it was about 20 degrees out! We enjoyed ourselves, people watched, grabbed some late night kabobs and hit it.

The next day, we ate a yummy breakfast at the hotel and then we to the gym to work out for a bit. After that we headed to the palace to see the changing of the guards. To be honest with you, we didn’t really see any guards “change” per say. Basically we got there right before the event started. (It was clockwork, I tell ya!) There were two groups of soldiers. One group just marched with guns and the other with drums. The “guns” group started marching and the “drums” followed. They started at say point A and walked basically in a square around the palace! Everyone followed them while they did this and marched along, but no one ever “changed” places with the guard who was standing at the palace. So, that was that. (Weird…but that is okay because that was free….)

Then we went to the Djurgarden Island. On Djurgarden is an amazing open air museum situated on top of a hill called Skansen. There is a zoo and an aquarium in Skansen. In the zoo area there are animals native to Sweden: bears, reindeer, moose (only one, though…otherwise it would have been meece), seals, etc. They had a feeding at 2pm so we went on a mini tour with the animal caretakers and saw the animals up-close which was cool.

After that, we walked around and just took in the sights. The park is full of buildings from all over Scandinavia and vary in age. The great thing about the buildings is you can go into them and they are fully furnished and you really get to see how people lived and worked through the ages. There is a main street that has several shops: potter, printer, general store and a bakery. Of course we went into the bakery…where they had freshly made pastries for sale. We got a few and headed to a small café where there were small wooden tables and chairs. The tables were lit by candle light and it was very cozy. We enjoyed our goods, had few coffees and then headed out.

After Skansen we walked up the street to the Vasa Museum. The museum houses the Vasa, a wooden warship that sank in Stockholm Harbor during her maiden voyage in 1628. A bit of history from the museum:

“The Vasa was built during the 30 Years' War of 1618-1648, when Sweden had lost a dozen ships and needed vessels to support King Gustav II Adolph's military campaign in the Baltic. The ship was the largest in the history of the Swedish fleet, with an extra cannon deck that the king himself had ordered during the Vasa's construction. On August 10, 1628, the vessel departed from her mooring in front of the royal palace with some 130 crewmen and wives on board. As she sailed slowly through the islands that separate Stockholm from the open sea, a wind caught the sails, and the top-heavy ship unexpectedly hove to port. Water poured through the open cannon ports, and the ship sank in the 105-foot (32-meter) channel. Although most of the crew and passengers escaped, some (including the ship's cat) went down with the Vasa. Sporadic salvage attempts took place over the next 50 years, but the ship was all but forgotten by the end of the 18th Century.”

The ship was resurfaced all in one piece about 40 years ago.

It was amazing to see and just to try to comprehend how people built such a large vessel. The woodwork on the ship was incredibly detailed and refined. It was truly something to see.

We left the museum/Island around 5pm and started walking back to our hotel. It was really, really cold, but it was a nice evening. Few side notes: 7-Elevens were everywhere, sushi, Mongolian BBQ places and Kabob restaurants were all over. Also, the sun set at 3pm and was pitch black by 4pm. We don’t have many pictures of the outdoors because it got dark so fast!
As we walked back, we walked down a few of the main streets that really made us feel like we were on the “Michigan Avenue” of Stockholm! Lots of shops and people buzzing around.

Once we got back we changed and headed out for our drink reservations. Drink reservations? Aha, yes. We were going to the Absolut Icebar and by ICE bar, I mean completely all ice. Before this reservation, we tried to go to the Skybar at the Radisson Hotel, that supposedly has an awesome view of the city. But to our surprise(and disappointment), it was closed! We opted to grab a drink at a place close by which worked out perfectly fine.

So, the ICEBAR….The bar, the walls, the couch, tables, everything was all ice. It was really, really something to see. The temperature in the joint was -5 degrees Celsius….so around 20 or so Farenheit Before entering, the host whips a crazy silver space coat on you and you need it! The drinks are served in fist-sized hollow ice cubes and trust me, you had to have your gloves on to hold the drink to your mouth! The amount of time you stay in the bar is 45 minutes. (Ag asked the bartender how long he works and he said in 4 hour shifts.)

So, after that, we decided to warm up our bodies and feet with a hearty meal at a restaurant across the street.

Dinner was very tasty and the place actually reminded us of a Applebee’s but Swedish style. After that 70+euro meal (It’s okay because our flights were so cheap…) we headed back to the Foggy Dew and were pleased to see that the Bengals game was on! Alright! After watching them lose a heartbreaker to San Diego, we returned to the hotel and retired for the night.

The next day at breakfast was a bit weird to say the least. I set my plate down at my table and went around the corner to get a coffee. As Ag and I approached our table, we notice a 9 or 10 year-old normal looking kid, petting my cheese. He was seriously stroking it.

We both said something and he finally moved but obviously something wasn’t “right” with him. Plus, it made the breakfast a bit awkward. The dad didn’t really watch the kid too much and he was kind of just wondering the room.

After that bizarre encounter, we went to workout, shower, and then checked out. We took our bags to the train station and left them in a locker there. Then we just walked around for a few hours before catching the bus back to the airport.

Stockholm was great. It’s a really cool (literally and figuratively) city to visit! I have to give Ag credit on this one because she did all the research and reservation work. I was impressed with our adventure.

This week has been a week from hell (work wise) to say the least. That is all I will say because I don’t want to talk about it! But we do have a few things to look forward to.

1. Our good friend from Chicago, Abby Crossen, will be visiting Sunday-Tuesday of this week.

2. Then we have Thanksgiving and we are going to a bar called ‘Maybe Not Bob’s”. Ag was going to cook and I have no doubt in her ability, but we won’t be here for the left-overs so it’s not completely worth it. They supposedly have a decent American menu at the bar that day so we will see. Plus a few of our friends are going to come so it should be fun.

3. Ag is going skiing with our good friend, Annette Cooper, whose husband Jacob works for the E&Y office in Amsterdam. Jacob and I are leaving next weekend for Orlando, FL. We have training and the girls are going to go and play!

After that, it’s December. My how time has flown by. I have been here for over a year and Ag, just over 6 months. We are so excited to see everyone and spend some great quality time with family and friends during our two weeks home for Christmas!