Snack time, Stockholm

 

Eating out is expensive in Stockholm. Considering that the average monthly salary of the Swedes is SEK 25,200 or €2800, I wonder if the prices are pitched at tourists rather than the locals. A bottle of Fanta and a bottle of still water in the Old Town (Gamla Stan) came to SEK50 or €5.70. In this cafe at the periphery of the Old Town, the walls are scribbled in random thoughts of many languages, but none can beat the declaration from a foodie that "The road to love is through your stomach".

The City Hall, Stockholm, Sweden

The City Hall Stockholm is unremarkable from the outside: it looks industrial with its red bricks and a towering chimney stack. How wrong I was.

 

The City Hall, Stockholm, seen from the Old Town

Visits to the inside is on guided tours only, and the municipality is doing a roaring trade. There is a constant stream of coaches disgorging yet more tourists. Oh what a circus.

 

On entry, one is immediately captivated by the spaciousness of the internal courtyard, built like a grand Italian piazza. It was called Blue Hall until the architect changed his mind but the name stuck. Here the guide told us of the handmade bricks that are used in the interiors and the mass-produced bricks that are used in the exterior. For the Swedes who are used to open spaces, such a vast area apparently is too small for the purpose. But it is big enough to host the Nobel Prize dinner. And the guide told us about the lottery to win a ticket to the dinner, with the winner having to pay for the tickets after winning the "lottery". Only in an egalitarian society like Sweden are such occasions open to the public, lottery or no lottery.

The enormous Blue Hall where the Nobel Prize banquets take place
No longer blue by order of the architect who liked the brick work so much!

The grand organ inside City Hall, a unique shape not seen elsewhere in Europe

The Council Chamber, City Hall, Stockholm

The most sumptuous room is the Golden Hall where the dancing takes place after the Nobel Prize dinner. Enough said about the 18 million pieces of mosaic tiles that were made in Italy and then assembled in Germany. The finished work is truly magnificent. It beats all the mosaics that I saw in Rome and elsewhere. Imagine gliding on a marble floor in a pool of golden light, dancing the night away.

 

A small part of the mosaics in the Golden Hall, City Hall, Stockholm

 

From the outside, City Hall, Stockholm
Note the arched columns, with view to the waters.
Building, waters - that's Stockholm

The beautiful city that is Stockholm

 

The Royal Palace, Stockholm, Sweden

Billed as one of the largest palaces in Europe, the Royal Palace Stockholm is a complex offering visitors a breathtaking insight into the wealth and opulence of the Swedish royal family. What is so amazing is that it is the official residence of the Swedish monarchy, their daily place of work as well as the setting of the King's official receptions. This blend of history and openness (to the public) is unique in Europe.

The Royal Apartments contain magnificent state rooms, a beautiful banquet hall used for state dinners, a suite of guest rooms for the visiting dignitaries, and the Bernadotte room used for medal presentations. Every room is a treasure to behold, every corner reveals another glorious spectre. Since photography is banned from inside the Palace, go to the official website Swedish Royal Court to see for yourself. By the way, the web site is understated and contains virtually no superlatives favoured by over zealous public relations or marketing people.

Inside the Palace, I observed that no one had attempted to break the no photography rule, which is unusual in Europe where historical places are literally crawling with rule enforcers and little tyrants all too eager to reprimand visitors for stepping too near a line or getting too close to a precious object. I admire the Swedes for their tolerance and their respect for other people to respect their rules.

The Royal Palace, Stockholm

The magnificent Royal Palace, approached from one of the many bridges
in Stockholm

Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace, Stockholm