In April of this year I traveled through Scandinavia and Central Europe on a 2 week journey spanning 5 countries. The trip included stops in Stockholm, West Germany, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, and Karlstad. I was accompanied by my girlfriend, Leanna, who is currently studying abroad in Karlstad, Sweden. An itinerary was prepared for the first 4 days of our trip. The rest was left open for flexibility, our only commitment being a flight on April 28th from Marseille, France to Karlstad (which we did not take). The trip was originally slated to include Madrid, Spain and Marseille/Nice, France. These stops were eventually vetoed as travel logistics came into play. The trip was a great experience for us and provided numerous opportunities to view a wide range of European culture.
April 18, 2011 - Stockholm, Sweden
My journey started with a 9 hour flight from Toronto, ON to Stockholm, Sweden (with a brief layover in Reykjavik, Iceland). Almost immediately after landing at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport, 20 minutes from Stockholm, I was blown away by the cultural differences. Entering the terminal from the plane, I walked past a customs officer. He was sitting behind a desk having a conversation with an airport security guard. The customs officer gave me a quick smile and waved me through customs without even showing a passport. I had heard stories from Leanna about how trusting the people are in Sweden but this was completely unexpected after a lifetime of dealing with North American customs.
After going through customs I proceeded to the Arlanda Express, a high-speed electric train built specifically to get people from the airport to Stockholm Central Station, or vice versa, as fast as possible. Even after not sleeping for over 30 hours because of my flight times (and a screaming infant behind me), I found myself wide awake traveling at 205 km/h toward Stockholm. I was the only passenger aboard my car and this was probably a good thing. As I stared out the window with my eyes wide open and jaw dropped at the Swedish scenery flying by, I caught myself say aloud "Whoa! This is pretty cool". The cleanliness and modern look of everything from the train itself to the building and cars I passed immediately caught my eye. Power outlets and complimentary magazines were abundant aboard the train with no traces of any litter. The "honour system" seemed to be a common theme while in Sweden as my ticket was not checked at any point of my journey.
After a brief wait at the station, I met up with Leanna (who I had not seen in over 4 months). She was already in Stockholm at the time with a group of her exchange student friends from Karlstad. We left the station and strolled through the old town of central Stockholm along narrow, cobblestone streets and pathways looking for a place to eat. Very old looking doors and pathways were a common sight throughout the old streets. A very large tourist presence was immediately noticeable in many areas. Many stores had signs indicating that they were tourist friendly. I had a plan to avoid the tourist trail as much as possible while traveling. However, this was very difficult to do as most of the cities we visited catered to tourists very well.
We eventually found a quiet place to eat in Stortorget, the oldest square in Stockholm. Located in the square is the Stock Exchange Building, containing the Swedish Academy, the Nobel Museum and the Nobel Library. We ate on the patio where we watched tourists snap pictures of the museum and other buildings in the square. Many other people simply passed through either on foot or bicycle while others sat on benches and the steps of the museum. It was a very surreal feeling to look at the old architecture of the buildings around the square and imagine what it would have been like hundreds of years ago. Stortorget that had been there for hundreds of years was still a popular gathering place. It was a very fitting setting for the Nobel Museum.
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| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stortorget |
After our meal we walked back towards central station, stopping at City Hall to take pictures and sit on a bench on the terrace. The bench offered a great view of the Riddarfjärden, a bay of Lake Mälaren. This was another popular tourist spot as many people walked through the outdoor courtyard and along the terrace.
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| Stockholm City Hall |
Our next stop was at our hostel on Långholmen, an island in central Stockholm. Our hostel was a converted prison that used converted cells as rooms. Ironically it was probably the nicest hostel we stayed in on our trip. There are many buildings still on the island from when it was used as a prison that are now converted to house other facilities. This includes the hospital which is now a retaurant and pub. According to wikipedia.com, "Långholmen was originally rocky and barren, but in the eighteenth century, prison inmates covered the island with mud dredged from the surrounding waterways. After several years, the fertile soil transformed much of the island into lush gardens with a somewhat exotic flora, due to the introduction of various seeds that were spread via trade and merchant ships passing by the island. This peculiarity still persists, and today the island is considered a lush retreat." Many people were out biking and walking around the island. A group of children were practicing European football on a gravel pitch (home to Långholmen FC). This was clearly a spot where people many gathered to enjoy a wide variety of recreation and leisure pursuits.
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| Prison Cell Hostel Room |
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