mardi 19 février 2008

A wintry weekend in Stockholm


What better way to celebrate a birthday in the family than to discover a new place together?
One wintry weekend we did exactly that and set off to visit Stockholm. The Swedish capital is laid out in a series of 14 islands out of the 30,000 islands that make up Swedish archipelago. As it is laid out in different islands, it makes for different sections of the city, each with their own distinct characteristics. And since a weekend was all we had, one area we chose to concentrate on was Gamla Stan, the historic center. It is a small enclave of narrow streets that go around the structure that is the Royal Palace. It is best enjoyed by going off into the small side streets that branch off from the main artery and by admiring the yellow and orange buildings that line the streets. After wandering around the old city, we set off to discover the Royal Palace



The Royal Palace is still the official residence of the royal family and during state visits and other high occasions, foreign dignitaries are housed in one of the roomy state apartments. It is not a particularly imposing building, but what is interesting about it is the lived-in feel of the apartments. It is clear that this is still in use today and not merely a museum, like so many other royal castles are. Perhaps the most attractive courtyard is the southernmost one where we beheld, along with myriad other tourists, the traditional changing of the guards. And, if you are fond of having your photo taken with soldiers standing guard at their post, it’s a good idea to have one taken with the Swedish guard. They actually crack a smile when a tourist poses with them. A far cry from the English guards at Buckingham Palace, I dare say.



And because we are at bottom, intrepid souls (and because we dutifully followed the guidebook’s recommendation to include in our sightseeing a boat tour), we braved the winter weather to take a short cruise up the waters of the Baltic in order to get a short look at the archipelago. We boarded a well equipped tour boat which thoughtfully provided us with blankets, and upon ascent we found that the open deck seats were all covered in fur. Hmmm….this should have been a forewarning but we nonetheless took our seats. Thankfully, the first half of the tour towards the open sea was quite pleasant and the guide took pains to point out that the current weather of 7 degrees Celsius was quite springlike for the Swedes. Nonetheless the second half was a chilly one, with the supposedly springlike wind hitting us full on in the face. We gradually lost everyone to the warmer below deck till we were but five or so left. Brr. It must be said however that the boat tour is a good idea to catch a glimpse of the other islands of the Archipelago. For our tour, we were able to catch a glimpse of one of the closer islands of the Archipelago called Fjaderholmarna. Composed of 4 islands, it lies just 6 kilometers east of downtown Stockholm. During the summer and spring, it is packed with Swedes and tourists sunning themselves and enjoying the many restaurants and bars located in the northern island. Right now though everything is still and quiet. On our way back to the drop off point, we caught a glimpse of the big standing structure that is the Vasa Museet.




All the guidebooks are in agreement that if you could only visit one museum in all of Stockholm, you must make sure that it is the Vasa Museet. And it is certainly well worth the tip. The Vasa Museet houses the Vasa the largest and best preserved ship of its kind in the world. It is a fantastically immense Swedish warship built in 1620 which unfortunately sank in the waters of the Baltic just twenty minutes after its official launch. From there, the Vasa lay until its discovery by Anders Franzen, an amateur naval historian in 1956. Because the waters of the Baltic are less saline than most seas, this has preserved the Vasa in nearly perfect condition. 95% of the ship is original. Inspite of its nearly pristine state, it took the archaeologists 30 painstaking years to complete the preservation and restoration work that the Vasa required. Work is still on going as the museum continues to try to determine the ship’s original colors. Even if you are not a fan of ships and all things maritime, I guarantee that your jaw will drop once you catch sight of this particular one. It is quite a sight to walk into the gloomy hall of the museum and realize, as your eyes adjust just how immense the Vasa is. It is over 225 ft long, equipped with 2 gun decks, 64 canons and from stern to stern is decorated with fantastically designed sculptures. Visitors can view the ship from six different levels and the Museum has expanded to include dioramas and models to show life during the 17th century. What a great way to end a visit to Stockholm.



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